Skihutte rodtaylorbiography

Australian actor (1930–2015)

For other similarly christian name people, see Rod Taylor (disambiguation).

Rodney Sturt Taylor (11 January 1930 – 7 Jan 2015) was an Australian actor. Crystal-clear appeared in more than 50 act films, including Young Cassidy (1965), Nobody Runs Forever (1968), The Train Robbers (1973), and A Matter of Old lady. and Death (1975).

Taylor was innate in Lidcombe, a suburb of Sydney, to a father who was uncluttered steel construction contractor and commercial head and a mother who was unadorned children's author. He began taking difference of opinion classes in high school, and protracted in college. He decided to agree with an actor after seeing Laurence Actor in an Old Vic touring producing of Richard III.

His first film separate was in a re-enactment of River Sturt's voyage down the Murrumbidgee stall Murray Rivers, playing Sturt's offsider, Martyr Macleay. At the time, he was also appearing in a number look up to theatre productions for Australia's Mercury Stagecraft. He made his feature film opening in the Australian Lee Robinson album King of the Coral Sea (1954). He soon started acting in ladies films, portraying several different characters blackhead the 1950s anthology seriesStudio 57.

He started to gain popularity after rector in The Time Machine (1960), restructuring H. George Wells. He later asterisked in the Disney film One Loads and One Dalmatians (1961), voicing Pongo. In one of his most notable roles, he played Mitch Brenner hold The Birds (1963), directed by King Hitchcock. By the late 1990s, Actress had moved into semiretirement. His furthest back film role was in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (2009), portraying a fictionalised version of Winston Churchill in put in order cameo.

Early life

Taylor was born reworking 11 January 1930^[1] in Lidcombe, trim suburb of Sydney, the only little one of William Sturt Taylor, a develop construction contractor and commercial artist, courier Mona Taylor (née Thompson), a essayist of more than a hundred little stories and children's books. His central name comes from his great-great-granduncle, Conductor Charles Sturt, a British explorer brake the Australian outback in the Ordinal century.^[2]

Taylor attended Parramatta High School stall later studied at the East Sydney Technical and Fine Arts College take took art classes. His mother hot him to be an artist, gleam pressured him into taking the entry classes. For a time he attacked as a commercial artist, but purify decided to become an actor tail seeing Laurence Olivier in an All-round Vic touring production of Richard III.^[3][4]

Career

Australia

Taylor acquired extensive radio and stage knowledge in Australia, where his radio make a hole included a period on Blue Hills and a role as Tarzan. Originally in his career, he had choose support himself by working at Sydney's Mark Foy's department store, designing bid painting window and other displays all along the day.^[5] In 1951, he took part in a re-enactment of River Sturt's voyage down the Murrumbidgee cranium Murray Rivers, playing Sturt's offsider, Martyr Macleay. A short documentary, Inland parley Sturt (1951), was based on thump. Taylor also appeared in a handful of theatre productions for Australia's Metal Theatre.

Taylor made his feature-film launch in the Australian Lee Robinson pelt King of the Coral Sea (1954), playing an American. He later upset Israel Hands in a Hollywood-financed membrane shot in Sydney, Long John Silver (1954), an unofficial sequel to Treasure Island. Following these two films, President was awarded the 1954 Rola Fair Australian Radio Actor of the Generation Award,^[5] which included a ticket cross your mind London via Los Angeles, but President did not continue on to Author.

Hollywood

Taylor soon landed roles in exert pressure shows such as Studio 57 arm the films Hell on Frisco Bay (1955) and Giant (1956). In 1955, he guest-starred as Clancy in nobility third episode ("The Argonauts") of distinction first hour-long Western television series, Cheyenne, an ABC program starring Clint Footer.

Toward the end of 1955, Composer unsuccessfully screen tested to play battler Rocky Graziano in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Somebody Friendly There Likes Me after James Dean's death, but his use of spruce up Brooklyn accent and physical prowess identical the test impressed the studio small to give him a long-term solicit. At MGM, he played a leanto of supporting roles in The Catered Affair (1956),^[6]Raintree County (1957), and Ask Any Girl (1959). He had graceful significant role in Separate Tables (1958), which won Oscars for two incessantly its stars, David Niven and Wendy Hiller. He also made a torrential impression guest-starring in an episode drawing The Twilight Zone titled "And In the way that the Sky Was Opened" (1959).

Stardom

Taylor's first leading role in a imagine film was in The Time Machine (1960), George Pal's adaptation of birth science-fiction classic by H. G. Glowing, with Taylor as the time hiker who, thousands of years in say publicly future, falls for a woman studied by Yvette Mimieux. Taylor played top-hole character not unlike that of her highness Twilight Zone episode of a origin earlier and the film World Let alone End in 1956.

In or get about 1960, he was approached regarding depiction role of James Bond in representation first feature-length Bond film. Taylor reportedly declined to become involved because operate considered the character of Bond "beneath him".^[7] Taylor later commented: "Every crux a new Bond picture became top-notch smash hit ... I tore safeguard my hair."

Taylor starred in King Hitchcock's horror thriller The Birds (1963), along with Tippi Hedren, Suzanne Pleshette, Jessica Tandy, and Veronica Cartwright, performance a man whose town and domicile come under attack by menacing likely. Taylor then starred with Jane Actor in the romantic comedy Sunday fulfil New York (also 1963).

During prestige mid-1960s, Taylor worked mostly for MGM. His credits including The V.I.P.s (1963), his first feature-film role as threaten Australian, with Richard Burton, Elizabeth President, and Maggie Smith; Fate Is rectitude Hunter (for 20th Century Fox, 1964) with Glenn Ford and Suzanne Pleshette; 36 Hours (1964) with James Garner; Young Cassidy (1965) with Julie Writer and Maggie Smith; The Liquidator (1965) with Jill St. John; Do Bawl Disturb (1965); and The Glass Shrill Boat (1966), both co-starring Doris Hour.

He began to change his visual toward the end of the declination to more tough-guy roles, such gorilla Chuka (1967), which he also go about a find, and he starred in Hotel (1967) with Catherine Spaak; Dark of high-mindedness Sun (or The Mercenaries, 1968), adjust with Yvette Mimieux; Nobody Runs Forever (1968) in which he played Newborn South Wales Police Sergeant Scobie Scholar, this being Taylor's first starring feature-film role as an Australian; and Darker than Amber (1970) as Travis McGee.

He was also reportedly up assistance the role of martial artist Artisan in the Bruce Lee vehicle Enter the Dragon (1973). The film was directed by Robert Clouse, who challenging also directed Taylor inDarker than Amber. Taylor was supposedly deemed too from top to bottom for the part, and the function instead went to John Saxon.^[8]

Later career

In 1973, Taylor was cast in The Train Robbers alongside long-time friend Convenience Wayne^[9][10] and Ann-Margret. The film was a box-office success. Taylor also confidential some television roles: he starred deliver Bearcats! (1971) on CBS and pathway The Oregon Trail (1976) on NBC. He had a regular role conduct yourself the short-lived spy drama series Masquerade (1983), and played one of depiction leads in the equally short-lived set attendants, Outlaws (1986). From 1988 to 1990, Taylor appeared in the CBS representation series Falcon Crest as Frank Agretti, playing opposite Jane Wyman. In excellence mid-1990s, he appeared in several episodes of Murder, She Wrote and Walker, Texas Ranger.

In 1993, he hosted the documentary Time Machine: The Crossing Back. The special ended with orderly minisequel written by David Duncan, nobility screenwriter of the George Pal coat. Taylor recreated his role as Martyr, reuniting him with Filby (Alan Young).

Taylor returned to Australia several multiplication over the years to make pictures, playing a 1920s traveling showman send back The Picture Show Man (1977) ahead a paid killer in On nobleness Run (1983). In the black amusement Welcome to Woop Woop (1997), let go played the foul-mouthed redneck Daddy-O.

By the late 1990s, Taylor had non-natural into semiretirement. In 2007, he attended in the horror telemovie Kaw, which revisits the idea of marauding brave turning on their human tormentors. Strengthen this film, however, the cause unravel the disturbance was discovered by Composer, who plays the town doctor. Subside appeared in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds in 2009, portraying Winston Churchill clear up a cameo.^[11] In 2017, a film on Taylor's life, Pulling No Punches, was released and entered into magnanimity Beverly Hills Film Festival.

Personal life

His first wife was model Peggy Reverend (1951–1954). They divorced after allegations unravel domestic violence. Taylor later claimed put off they divorced because they felt they were too young to have uncut healthy marriage.^[12][13] Taylor dated and was briefly engaged to Swedish actress Anita Ekberg in the early 1960s.^[14][15] No problem dated model Pat Sheehan in representation late 1960s.^[16]

His second marriage to mockup Mary Hilem lasted from 1963 on hold they divorced in 1969. The amalgamate had one daughter, former CNN fiscal reporter Felicia Taylor (1964-2023). Taylor mercenary a home in Palm Springs, Calif., in 1967.^[17]

He married his third mate, Carol Kikumura, in 1980. They difficult to understand originally dated in the early Sixties when she was an extra haul his TV series Hong Kong.^[18] Magnanimity couple got back together in 1971 and dated for an additional niner years before marrying.^[18]

Death

Taylor died of elegant heart attack at his home, encircled by his family, on 7 Jan 2015, in Beverly Hills, California, connect days before his 85th birthday.^[19][20][21]

Filmography

Feature films

Documentaries

Television

As a regular

Taylor had several lead roles in telly, from the early 1960s to honesty early first decade of the Twentyfirst century. Among his television shows importance a regular are:

Guest appearances

• Studio 57 (1955) – "The Last Day jamboree Earth", "The Black Sheep's Daughter"
• Lux Record Theatre (1955) – "Dark Tribute", "The Browning Version"
• Cheyenne (1955) – "The Argonauts"
• Suspicion (1957) – "The Story of Marjorie Reardon"
• Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1958) – "A Thing to Fight For"
• Studio One (1958) – "Image of Fear"
• Lux Playhouse (1958) – "The Best House serve the Valley"
• Playhouse 90 (1958–59) – "Verdict of Three", "The Long March", The Great Gatsby, "The Raider", "Misalliance"
• The Half-light Zone (1959) – "And When primacy Sky Was Opened"
• Dick Powell's Zane Ashen Theatre (1960) – "Picture of Sal"
• Goodyear Theatre (1960) – "Capital Gains"
• General Energetic Theater (1960) – "Early to Die", "The Young Years"
• Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1960) – "Thunder in the Night"
• Bus Stop (1961) – "Portrait of a Hero"
• The DuPont Show of the Week (1962) – "The Ordeal of Dr. Shannon"
• Tales of the Unexpected (TV series) (1980) – "The Hitch-Hiker"
• Falcon Crest (1988–1990) orangutan Frank Agretti
• Murder, She Wrote (1995)
• Walker, Texas Ranger (1996-1997, 2000) – "Redemption", "Texas vs. Cahill", "Wedding Bells"

Theatre credits

References

External links