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Born: February 18, 1925 – Died: February 28, 2016
George Harris Kennedy, Jr. came into the world on February 18, 1925, in the bustling streets of New York City. He was born to Helen Kieselbach, a ballet dancer with grace in her veins, and George Harris Kennedy, a maestro who led orchestras with his musical talents. George's early aspirations took flight when he enlisted in the United States Army in 1943, aiming to soar as a fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps, but destiny had different plans as he found himself serving in the infantry under the command of General George S. Patton. George's bravery earned him two Bronze stars and a slew of combat and service ribbons. In the entertainment world, he became renowned for his portrayals of tough, no-nonsense characters, whether they had hearts of gold or a more crooked demeanor. With over 200 appearances in both television and film, George Kennedy's Hollywood journey spanned nearly five decades, making him a beloved figure in the industry. His career touched various genres, from Westerns to disaster films, earning him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor along the way. Kennedy's legacy lives on, etched in the annals of Hollywood, as he continued to entertain audiences until his death on February 28, 2016, just days after celebrating his 91st birthday.
Early Life and Career
George Kennedy's childhood was marked by his early fascination with aviation, which led him to enlist in the United States Army in 1943 with dreams of becoming a fighter pilot. However, his military path took a different turn as he ended up serving in the infantry under the command of General George S. Patton during World War II. Despite this unexpected detour, George's valor was recognized with two Bronze Stars and several combat and service ribbons, showcasing his unwavering courage.
In the realm of entertainment, George Kennedy's journey began in the late 1950s and early 1960s when he made his debut on television Westerns. He gradually made his way into the world of film, earning recognition for his versatile acting skills.
One of his earliest notable roles was in the film "Cool Hand Luke," where he portrayed Dragline alongside Paul Newman. This role marked a turning point in his career, and his outstanding performance earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1968. This accolade cemented his status as a respected figure in Hollywood.
However, it was his role as the grizzled police officer in the disaster film "Airport" and its subsequent sequels that catapulted George Kennedy into stardom during the 1970s. His portrayal of Joe Patroni became iconic, and he became synonymous with the franchise.
Throughout his career, George Kennedy's talent and dedication earned him several awards and nominations, including the coveted Oscar. His impact on Hollywood and the entertainment industry is undeniable, with a legacy spanning over five decades. He remains a beloved figure, remembered for his memorable performances and contributions to the world of film and television.
In his personal life, George Kennedy was married to Joan McCarthy Kennedy, and they had three children together, including two daughters whom they adopted. He also had a granddaughter, Taylor, whom he and Joan adopted, showcasing his commitment to family.
While George Kennedy is celebrated for his acting prowess, he is not known for any significant scandals or controversies. However, his philanthropic endeavors may have flown under the radar, as he was involved in various charitable activities during his lifetime.
In conclusion, George Kennedy's journey from the battlegrounds of World War II to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood is a testament to his resilience and talent. He remains an iconic figure in the entertainment industry, known for his remarkable contributions to film and television.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | The Gambler | Ed |
| 2011 | Another Happy Day | Joe Baker |
| 2010 | Six Days in Paradise | Monty Crenshaw |
| 2003–2010 | The Young and the Restless (TV Series) | Albert Miller |
| 2010 | Mad Mad Wagon Party | JB Scotch |
| 2008 | The Boneyard Collection | Professor Zebediah Jones (segment "The Devil's Due at Midnight") |
| 2008 | The Man Who Came Back | Judge Duke |
| 2007 | Sands of Oblivion (TV Movie) | John Tevis |
| 2005 | Don't Come Knocking | Director |
| 2005 | Truce | Dr. Peter Gannon |
| 2005 | Three Bad Men | Ed Fiske |
| 2004 | The Devil's Due at Midnight (Video) | Professor Zebediah Jones |
| 2003 | Monster Makers (TV Movie) | Dexter Brisbane |
| 2003 | View from the Top | Passenger Requesting Vodka (uncredited) |
| 1998 | Hollyweird (TV Movie) | George Kennedy |
| 1998 | Men in White (TV Movie) | General Vice |
| 1998 | Dennis the Menace Strikes Again! (Video) | Mr. Johnson |
| 1998 | Small Soldiers | Brick Bazooka (voice) |
| 1998 | Dallas: War of the Ewings (TV Movie) | Carter McKay |
| 1997 | Bayou Ghost | Officer Lowe |
| 1997 | Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (TV Series) | Bones Duvalier (voice) |
| 1997 | Cats Don't Dance | L.B. Mammoth (voice) |
| 1996 | The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (TV Series) | General Axton (voice) |
| 1996 | Dallas: J.R. Returns (TV Movie) | Carter McKay |
| 1996 | Wings (TV Series) | George Kennedy |
| 1995 | Santo Bugito (TV Series) | Ralph (voice) |
| 1995 | Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man (TV Series) | Movie Director (voice) |
| 1995 | The Commish (TV Series) | Al Scali |
| 1994 | River of Stone | George |
| 1994 | Lonesome Dove: The Series (TV Mini Series) | Judge J.T. 'Rope' Calder |
| 1994 | Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult | Ed Hocken |
| 1992 | Distant Justice | Tom Bradfield |
| 1992 | Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story (TV Movie) | Father Dave |
| 1991 | Intensive Care | Dr. Bruckner |
| 1991 | The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear | Ed Hocken |
| 1991 | Driving Me Crazy | John McCready |
| 1988–1991 | Dallas (TV Series) | Carter McKay |
| 1991 | Hangfire | Warden E. Barles |
| 1990 | Countdown to Esmeralda Bay | Wilson |
| 1990 | Good Cops, Bad Cops (TV Movie) | Kirkland |
| 1990 | Mayumi | Unknown |
| 1990 | Hired to Kill | Thomas |
| 1990 | Brain Dead | Vance |
| 1989 | Ministry of Vengeance | Rev. Hughes |
| 1989 | The Terror Within | Hal |
| 1988 | The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! | Capt. Ed Hocken |
| 1988 | Top Line | Heinrich Holzmann |
| 1988 | Nightmare at Noon | Sheriff Hanks |
| 1988 | Private Road: No Trespassing (Video) | Sam Milshaw |
| 1988 | Demonwarp | Bill Crafton |
| 1988 | Counterforce | Vince Colby |
| 1988 | Born to Race | Vincent Duplain |
| 1988 | What Price Victory (TV Movie) | Big Buck Brayton |
| 1987 | Uninvited (Video) | Mike Harvey |
| 1987 | Kenny Rogers as The Gambler, Part III: The Legend Continues (TV Movie) | Gen. Nelson Miles |
| 1987 | The Gunfighters (TV Movie) | Deke Turner |
| 1987 | Creepshow 2 | Ray Spruce (segment "Old Chief Wood'nhead") |
| 1986 | Liberty (TV Movie) | Seamus Reilly |
| 1986 | Rigged | Ben Wheeler |
| 1986 | Benson (TV Series) | George Kennedy |
| 1986 | The Delta Force | Father O'Malley |
| 1985 | Savage Dawn | Tick Rand |
| 1985 | International Airport (TV Movie) | Rudy Van Leuven |
| 1985 | Half Nelson (TV Movie) | Unknown |
| 1984 | Radioactive Dreams | Spade Chandler |
| 1984 | The Love Boat (TV Series) | Erik Larsen |
| 1984 | Bolero | Cotton |
| 1984 | The Jesse Owens Story (TV Movie) | Charles 'Charley' Riley |
| 1984 | Rare Breed | Nathan Hill |
| 1984 | Chattanooga Choo Choo | Bert |
| 1983 | Fantasy Island (TV Series) | Adam Cobb |
| 1982 | Wacko | Mr. Doctor Graves |
| 1981 | Just Before Dawn | Roy McLean |
| 1981 | The Archer: Fugitive from the Empire (TV Movie) | Brakus |
| 1981 | Modern Romance | George Kennedy | Zeron |
| 1980 | Hotwire | Farley & Harley Fontenot |
| 1980 | Virus | Adm. Conway |
| 1980 | Death Ship | Captain Ashland |
| 1979 | The Concorde... Airport '79 | Capt. Joe Patroni |
| 1979 | Steel | Big Lew Cassidy |
| 1979 | Never Say Never (TV Movie) | Harry Walter |
| 1979 | The Double McGuffin | Chief Talasek (Tally) |
| 1979 | Backstairs at the White House (TV Mini Series) | President Warren G. Harding |
| 1979 | Search and Destroy | Anthony Fusqua |
| 1978 | Brass Target | Gen. George S. Patton |
| 1978 | Death on the Nile | Andrew Pennington |
| 1978 | Mean Dog Blues | Captain Omar Kinsman |
| 1977 | Proof of the Man | Ken Shuftan |
| 1977 | Airport '77 | Joe Patroni |
| 1975–1976 | The Blue Knight (TV Series) | Bumper Morgan |
| 1975 | Sonic Boom (Short) | Ben Dover |
| 1975 | The 'Human' Factor | John Kinsdale |
| 1975 | The Eiger Sanction | Ben Bowman |
| 1974 | Earthquake | Slade |
| 1974 | Airport 1975 | Joe Patroni |
| 1974 | Thunderbolt and Lightfoot | Red Leary |
| 1974 | A Cry in the Wilderness (TV Movie) | Sam Hadley |
| 1973 | Deliver Us from Evil (TV Movie) | Walter 'Cowboy' McAdams |
| 1973 | Cahill U.S. Marshal | Fraser |
| 1973 | Lost Horizon | Sam Cornelius |
| 1972 | A Great American Tragedy (TV Movie) | Brad Wilkes |
| 1971–1972 | Sarge (TV Series) | Father Samuel Cavanaugh | Sarge Swanson |
| 1971 | Ironside (TV Series) | Father Samuel Cavanaugh |
| 1971 | Fools' Parade | 'Doc' Council |
| 1970 | Dirty Dingus Magee | Herkimer 'Hoke' Birdsill |
| 1970 | Zig Zag | Paul R. Cameron |
| 1970 | Airport | Joe Patroni |
| 1970 | Tick, Tick, Tick | John Little |
| 1969 | Gaily, Gaily | Axel P. Johanson |
| 1969 | The Good Guys and the Bad Guys | McKay |
| 1969 | Guns of the Magnificent Seven | Chris |
| 1968 | The Pink Jungle | Ryderbeit |
| 1968 | The Boston Strangler | Phil DiNatale |
| 1968 | The Legend of Lylah Clare | Matt Burke (uncredited) |
| 1968 | Bandolero! | Sheriff July Johnson |
| 1967 | The Ballad of Josie | Arch Ogden |
| 1967 | Cool Hand Luke | Dragline |
| 1967 | Tarzan (TV Series) | Crandell |
| 1967 | The Dirty Dozen | Major Max Armbruster |
| 1967 | Hurry Sundown | Sheriff Coombs |
| 1966 | The Jean Arthur Show (TV Series) | Riggs |
| 1964–1966 | The Virginian (TV Series) | Huck Harkness | Tom 'Bear' Suchette | Jack Marshman |
| 1963–1966 | Dr. Kildare (TV Series) | Sergeant Hensley | Joe Cramer |
| 1960–1966 | Gunsmoke (TV Series) | Ben Payson | Cyrus | Stark ... |
| 1966 | The Big Valley (TV Series) | Thatcher |
| 1966 | The Legend of Jesse James (TV Series) | Blodgett |
| 1965 | Laredo (TV Series) | Jess Moran |
| 1965 | The Flight of the Phoenix | Bellamy |
| 1965 | A Man Called Shenandoah (TV Series) | Mitchell Canady |
| 1965 | Daniel Boone (TV Series) | Zach Morgan |
| 1965 | The Sons of Katie Elder | Curley |
| 1965 | Shenandoah | Col. Fairchild |
| 1965 | Mirage | Willard |
| 1965 | In Harm's Way | Colonel Gregory |
| 1965 | International Case Reporter (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1964 | Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte | Foreman |
| 1964 | The Rogues (TV Series) | Major Vyx |
| 1964 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (TV Series) | George Martin |
| 1961–1964 | Bonanza (TV Series) | Waldo Watson | Peter Long |
| 1964 | See How They Run (TV Movie) | Rudy |
| 1964 | McHale's Navy | Henri Le Clerc |
| 1964 | Island of the Blue Dolphins | Aleut Captain |
| 1963–1964 | McHale's Navy (TV Series) | Big Frenchy |
| 1964 | The Great Adventure (TV Series) | Sergeant Muldaney |
| 1964 | Strait-Jacket | Leo Krause |
| 1963 | The Farmer's Daughter (TV Series) | Olaf Bjornsen |
| 1963 | Charade | Herman Scobie |
| 1963 | The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (TV Series) | Angus |
| 1963 | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (TV Series) | Der |
| 1963 | Grindl (TV Series) | Lefty |
| 1962–1963 | Kraft Mystery Theater (TV Series) | Jake |
| 1963 | The Andy Griffith Show (TV Series) | State Police Detective |
| 1963 | Perry Mason (TV Series) | George Spangler |
| 1963 | The Man from the Diners' Club | George |
| 1962–1963 | Alcoa Premiere (TV Series) | Lincoln | Jake |
| 1960–1963 | Have Gun - Will Travel (TV Series) | Brother Grace | Big Jim | Rud Saxon ... |
| 1963 | 77 Sunset Strip (TV Series) | Armstrong |
| 1962 | Going My Way (TV Series) | Mike Lewis |
| 1962 | The Silent Witness | Gus Jordan |
| 1962 | Lonely Are the Brave | Deputy Sheriff Gutierrez |
| 1962 | Thriller (TV Series) | John Paterson |
| 1962 | Outlaws (TV Series) | Joe Ferris |
| 1961–1962 | The Tall Man (TV Series) | Hyram Killgore | Jake Newton |
| 1960–1962 | Tales of Wells Fargo (TV Series) | Hawk | Joby Ferguson |
| 1962 | Death Valley Days (TV Series) | Steamboat Sully |
| 1962 | Rawhide (TV Series) | George Wales |
| 1961 | The Untouchables (TV Series) | Birdie |
| 1961 | The Red Skelton Hour (TV Series) | Ship's Purser |
| 1961 | Bat Masterson (TV Series) | Sheriff Zeke Armitage |
| 1961 | The Asphalt Jungle (TV Series) | Detective Kolb |
| 1961 | The Americans (TV Series) | Hoon |
| 1961 | The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come | Nathan Dillon |
| 1961 | Gunslinger (TV Series) | Sheriff |
| 1961 | Surfside 6 (TV Series) | Gabe Buchanan |
| 1961 | Klondike (TV Series) | Ira Shallop |
| 1961 | The Case of the Dangerous Robin (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1960 | Shotgun Slade (TV Series) | Tex |
| 1960 | Riverboat (TV Series) | Gunner Slagle |
| 1960 | Route 66 (TV Series) | Thad Skinner |
| 1960 | Maverick (TV Series) | Deputy Jones |
| 1960 | Peter Gunn (TV Series) | Karl |
| 1959–1960 | Sugarfoot (TV Series) | Ross Kuhn | Sykes |
| 1960 | Laramie (TV Series) | Gene |
| 1960 | Lawman (TV Series) | Henchman Burt |
| 1959 | The Deputy (TV Series) | Tex |
| 1959 | Cheyenne (TV Series) | Lee Nelson |
| 1959 | Colt .45 (TV Series) | Hank |
| 1956–1959 | The Phil Silvers Show (TV Series) | MP Sgt. Kennedy (uncredited) |