Who is George Kennedy? See Net-worth, Quote, Awards, Fact, Wiki
George Kennedy Wiki Biography
George Kennedy was an awarded actor born on 18th February 1925, in New York City, USA, and is probably best remembered for his role of “Dragline” in “Cool Hand Luke”(1967), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and was nominated for the matching Golden Globe.
Have you ever wondered how rich George Kennedy was? According to sources, it has been estimated that George Kennedy’s overall net worth was over $5 million, acquired during his successful acting career, which lasted for over 50 years.
George Kennedy Net Worth $5 Million
George was raised by his mother, as his father died when he was only four years old. As his maternal grandfather was a German immigrant, Kennedy is of German, but also Irish and English descent. When it comes to acting, he made his stage debut when he was only two in a touring company staging “Bringing Up Father”, and five years later he had already become a New York City radio DJ. With the arrival of World War II, George joined the U.S. military, staying in this profession until the late ‘50s, and reaching a rank of captain, before an injury persuaded him to find a different occupation. This was when he turned towards acting, and got his first notable role in the TV sitcom “The Phil Silvers Show”. However, his film career started in 1961 in “The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come”, soon followed many other roles such as in Kirk Douglas’s western “Lonely Are the Brave”(1962), “Charade”(1963), “Strait-Jacket”(1964) , and including four films in just a year – “Mirage”, “The Flight of the Phoenix”, “In Harm’s Way” and “The Sons of Katie Elder” all filmed in 1965. His net worth was growing steadily.
A year later, he appeared in the ABC western series “The Legend of Jesse James”, portraying the role of “Blodgett”, and then was cast in probably his best known role in the prison drama film “Cool Hand Luke” (1967), in which he played a convict next to Paul Newman; this part brought him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and a Laurel Award for Male Supporting Performance, plus being nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture.
Kennedy continued his career with films such as “The Dirty Dozen”, “Bandolero!”, “The Boston Strangler”, the Academy Award-winning film “Airport” and its three sequels, and many others. George also appeared on television, mainly in TV series such as “Sarge”, “The Blue Knight” and “Dallas”. When it comes to his last activity, Kennedy made his final film appearance as Ed in “The Gambler”(2014), in which he had a cameo role in the film’s opening scene. George received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to motion pictures.
In his personal life, Kennedy was married four times. His first marriage was in the 1940s to Dorothy Gillooly with whom he had a son. His second marriage was to Norma Wurman, whom he divorced for the first time in 1971, remarried two years later and finally divorced in 1978. The couple had two children. After divorcing from his second wife, George married Joan McCarthy with whom he remained until her death in September 2015, raising three adopted children. died on 28th February 2016 in Middleton, Ohio, USA
Full Name
George Kennedy
Net Worth
$5 Million
Date Of Birth
February 18, 1925
Died
February 28, 2016
Place Of Birth
New York City, New York, United States
Height
1.9 m
Profession
Voice Actor, Writer, Soldier
Education
Chaminade High School, Tarleton State University
Nationality
American
Spouse
Dorothy Gillooly, Norma Wurman, Joan McCarthy
Children
Shaunna Kennedy, Taylor Kennedy, Betty Kennedy
Parents
Helen A. Kieselbach, George Harris Kennedy
IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001421/
Awards
Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominations
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Movies
Cool Hand Luke, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, Charade, The Dirty Dozen, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Airport, The Gambler, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, The Eiger Sanction, Naked Gun 33?: The Final Insult, The Sons of Katie Elder, The Flight of the Phoenix, Guns of the Magnif…
TV Shows
Dallas, The Blue Knight, Sarge, Backstairs at the White House, Santo Bugito
Trademark
1
Deep baritone voice
2
Frequently played dependable sidekicks
3
Frequently played gruff blue-collar characters
Title
Salary
Demonwarp (1988)
15,000
Quote
1
[on being cast in bad guy roles on television Westerns at the start of his acting career] The big guys were on television and they needed big lumps to eat up. All I had to do was show up on the set, and I got beaten up.
2
[on his role as Dragline in Cool Hand Luke (1967)] The marvelous thing about that movie was that as my part progresses, I changed from a bad guy to a good guy. The moguls in Hollywood must have said, “Hey, this fellow can do something besides be a bad guy.”.
3
I had the good fortune of speaking with Orson Welles many decades ago and he said “Success is primarily luck anyway.” And I have been very lucky. Of course, Orson Welles was enormously talented and brilliant – so who am I to argue with him!
4
I have been so fortunate and I really am appreciative of the success I’ve had.
5
My father died when I was 4 years old, so I can’t really say anything about his hearing.
6
Of course, I also attribute some of my hearing loss to being in the infantry in World War II. It’s probably a combination of heredity and noise exposure.
7
When you think of a movie, most people imagine a two hour finished, polished product. But to get to that two hour product, it can take hundreds or thousands of people many months of full time work.
Fact
1
He died only nine days before his Cool Hand Luke (1967) co-star Richard Davalos.
2
He underwent emergency triple heart bypass surgery in 2002.
3
After World War II, a bizarre medical condition – his left leg was shorter than his right by three inches – left him in traction for two years.
4
Following high school graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army in 1943 with the hope to become a fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps. Instead, he wound up in the infantry, served under General George S. Patton and distinguished himself in valor. He won two Bronze Stars and four rows of combat and service ribbons.
5
His father was a pianist and a composer/conductor at the Proctor’s Theater in Manhattan, and his mother danced with vaudeville’s “Le Ballet Classique”.
6
A former United States Army career soldier, Kennedy played a series of villains in motion pictures. He attacked Cary Grant with a steel claw in Stanley Donen’s Charade (1963), pursued Joan Crawford with an ax in Strait-Jacket (1964), attempted to assassinate Gregory Peck in Mirage (1965) and kicked Jeff Bridges to death in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974).
7
He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 6356 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on October 3, 1991.
8
His maternal grandfather was a German immigrant. His other ancestry included Irish and English.
9
Was considered for the role of Lex Luthor in Superman (1978), which went to Gene Hackman.
10
His daughter Betty is also an actress. He also has a son, George Harris Kennedy III.
11
Attended and graduated from Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York (1943).
12
Attended and graduated from John Tarleton Agricultural College (now Tarleton State University at Stephenville, Texas).
13
Before his acting career really took off, he served as a military consultant on The Phil Silvers Show (1955).
14
As a United States Army officer in World War II, he served under General George S. Patton, and later went on to portray Patton in Brass Target (1978).
15
Due to his tall, enormously broad frame, Kennedy was frequently cast in the 1960s and 1970s as bullies and thugs, and had the distinction of brutalizing stars like Cary Grant, Paul Newman and Clint Eastwood on-screen while gaining a reputation off-screen as one of the nicest actors around. By his 60s, he finally got the chance to play friendlier characters, such as lovable Captain Ed Hocken in the “Naked Gun” movies.
16
Recently hosted the creation of a driving safety video.
17
He was the only actor to appear in all four of the “Airport” movie series.
18
In the early 1970s, Paramount Pictures had plans that were unrealized to remake Double Indemnity (1944) with Kennedy in the Edward G. Robinson role.
19
Kennedy is often mistakenly credited with a bit part in Spartacus (1960). Stuntman Bob Morgan resembles Kennedy closely, and it is he who is seen saying “I’m Spartacus!” in the famous scene. Kennedy had nothing to do with the film.
20
He and Joan McCarthy adopted their granddaughter in 1998, after their daughter was ruled unfit.
21
He enlisted in the United States Army during World War II and went on to serve 16 years, both in combat, and in his later years, as an Armed Forces Radio and Television officer.
22
He and his wife Joan McCarthy adopted four children, including his granddaughter Taylor, whose mother, also adopted by Kennedy, had become addicted to drugs and alcohol.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Bandolero!
1968
Sheriff July Johnson
Gomer Pyle: USMC
1968
TV Series
M.P.
Cool Hand Luke
1967
Dragline
Tarzan
1967
TV Series
Crandell
The Dirty Dozen
1967
Maj. Max Armbruster
Hurry Sundown
1967
Sheriff Coombs
The Ballad of Josie
1967
Arch Ogden
The Virginian
1964-1966
TV Series
Huck Harkness / Tom ‘Bear’ Suchette / Jack Marshman
Dr. Kildare
1963-1966
TV Series
Sergeant Hensley / Joe Cramer
Gunsmoke
1960-1966
TV Series
Ben Payson / Cyrus / Stark / …
The Big Valley
1966
TV Series
Jack Thatcher
The Legend of Jesse James
1966
TV Series
Blodgett
Laredo
1965
TV Series
Jess Moran
The Flight of the Phoenix
1965
Bellamy
A Man Called Shenandoah
1965
TV Series
Mitchell Canady
Daniel Boone
1965
TV Series
Zach Morgan
The Sons of Katie Elder
1965
Curley
Shenandoah
1965
Col. Fairchild
Mirage
1965
Willard
In Harm’s Way
1965
Colonel Gregory
Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte
1964
Foreman
The Rogues
1964
TV Series
Major Vyx
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1964
TV Series
George Martin
Bonanza
1961-1964
TV Series
Waldo Watson / Peter Long
See How They Run
1964
TV Movie
Rudy
Island of the Blue Dolphins
1964
Aleut Captain
McHale’s Navy
1964
Henri Le Clerc
McHale’s Navy
1963-1964
TV Series
Big Frenchy
The Great Adventure
1964
TV Series
Sergeant Mulduney
Strait-Jacket
1964
Leo Krause
The Farmer’s Daughter
1963
TV Series
Olaf Bjornsen
Charade
1963
Herman Scobie
The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters
1963
TV Series
Angus
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963
TV Series
Der
Grindl
1963
TV Series
Lefty
The Fugitive
1963
TV Series
Elevator Operator
Kraft Mystery Theater
1962-1963
TV Series
Jake
The Andy Griffith Show
1963
TV Series
State Police Detective
Perry Mason
1963
TV Series
George Spangler
The Man from the Diners’ Club
1963
George
Alcoa Premiere
1962-1963
TV Series
Lincoln / Jake
Have Gun – Will Travel
1960-1963
TV Series
Brother Grace / Big Jim / Rud Saxon / …
77 Sunset Strip
1963
TV Series
Armstrong
Going My Way
1962
TV Series
Mike
The Silent Witness
1962
Gus Jordan
Lonely Are the Brave
1962
Deputy Sheriff Gutierrez
Thriller
1962
TV Series
John Paterson
Outlaws
1962
TV Series
Joe Ferris
The Tall Man
1961-1962
TV Series
Hyram Killgore / Jake Newton
Tales of Wells Fargo
1962
TV Series
Hawk
Death Valley Days
1962
TV Series
Steamboat Sully
Rawhide
1962
TV Series
George Wales
The Untouchables
1961
TV Series
Birdie
The Red Skelton Hour
1961
TV Series
Ship’s Purser
Bat Masterson
1961
TV Series
Sheriff Zeke Armitage
The Asphalt Jungle
1961
TV Series
Detective Kolb Det. Kolb
The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come
1961
Nathan Dillon
The Americans
1961
TV Series
Hoon
Gunslinger
1961
TV Series
Sheriff
Klondike
1961
TV Series
Ira Shallop
Surfside 6
1961
TV Series
Gabe Buchanan
The Case of the Dangerous Robin
1961
TV Series
Riverboat
1960
TV Series
Gunner Slagle
Route 66
1960
TV Series
Thad Skinner
Maverick
1960
TV Series
Deputy Jones
Peter Gunn
1960
TV Series
Karl
Sugarfoot
1959-1960
TV Series
Ross Kuhn / Sykes
Laramie
1960
TV Series
Gallagher Henchman
Lawman
1960
TV Series
Burt
Shotgun Slade
1960
TV Series
Tex
The Deputy
1959
TV Series
Tex
Cheyenne
1959
TV Series
Lee Nelson
Colt .45
1959
TV Series
Hank
The Phil Silvers Show
1956-1959
TV Series
MP Sgt. Kennedy
The Gambler
2014/III
Ed
Another Happy Day
2011
Joe Baker
The Young and the Restless
2003-2010
TV Series
Albert Miller
Mad Mad Wagon Party
2010
JB Scotch
Six Days in Paradise
2010
Monty Crenshaw
The Man Who Came Back
2008
Judge Duke
Sands of Oblivion
2007
TV Movie
John Tevis
Don’t Come Knocking
2005
Director
Truce
2005
Dr. Peter Gannon
Three Bad Men
2005
Ed Fiske
The Devil’s Due at Midnight
2004
Video short
Professor Zebediah Jones
Monster Makers
2003
TV Movie
Dexter Brisbane
View from the Top
2003
Passenger Requesting Vodka (uncredited)
Men in White
1998
TV Movie
General Vice
Dennis the Menace Strikes Again!
1998
Video
Grandpa
Small Soldiers
1998
Brick Bazooka (voice)
Dallas: War of the Ewings
1998
TV Movie
Carter McKay
Bayou Ghost
1997
Officer Lowe
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
1997
TV Series
Bones Duvalier
Cats Don’t Dance
1997
L.B. Mammoth (voice)
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
1996
TV Series
General Axton
Dallas: J.R. Returns
1996
TV Movie
Carter McKay
Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man
1995
TV Series
Movie Director
The Commish
1995
TV Series
Al Scali
Santo Bugito
1995
TV Series
Ralph
River of Stone
1994
Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult
1994
Ed Hocken
Lonesome Dove: The Series
1994
TV Series
Judge J.T. ‘Rope’ Calder
Distant Justice
1992
Tom Bradfield
Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story
1992
TV Movie
Father Dave
Intensive Care
1991
Dr. Bruckner
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear
1991
Ed Hocken
Driving Me Crazy
1991
John McCready
Dallas
1988-1991
TV Series
Carter McKay
Hangfire
1991
Warden E. Barles
Good Cops, Bad Cops
1990
TV Movie
Kirkland
Mayumi
1990
Hired to Kill
1990
Thomas
Brain Dead
1990
Vance
Esmeralda Bay
1989
Wilson
Ministry of Vengeance
1989
Rev. Hughes
The Terror Within
1989
Hal
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
1988
Ed Hocken
Uninvited
1988
Video
Mike Harvey
Top Line
1988
Heinrich Holzmann
Death Street USA
1988
Sheriff Hanks
Demonwarp
1988
Bill Crafton
Counterforce
1988
Vince Colby
Born to Race
1988
Vincent Duplain
What Price Victory
1988
TV Movie
Big Buck Brayton
Private Road: No Trespassing
1987
Video
Sam Milshaw
Kenny Rogers as The Gambler, Part III: The Legend Continues
1987
TV Movie
Gen. Nelson Miles
The Gunfighters
1987
TV Movie
Deke Turner
Creepshow 2
1987
Ray Spruce (segment “Old Chief Wood’nhead”)
Liberty
1986
TV Movie
Seamus Reilly
The Delta Force
1986
Father O’Malley
Savage Dawn
1985
Tick Rand
Radioactive Dreams
1985
Spade Chandler
International Airport
1985
TV Movie
Rudy Van Leuven
Rigged
1985
Ben
Half Nelson
1985
TV Movie
The Love Boat
1984
TV Series
Erik Larsen
Bolero
1984
Cotton
The Jesse Owens Story
1984
TV Movie
Charles ‘Charley’ Riley
Rare Breed
1984
Nathan Hill
Chattanooga Choo Choo
1984
Bert
Fantasy Island
1983
TV Series
Adam Cobb
Wacko
1982
Mr. Doctor Graves
Just Before Dawn
1981
Roy McLean
The Archer: Fugitive from the Empire
1981
TV Movie
Brakus
Hotwire
1980
Farley & Harley Fontenot
Day of Resurrection
1980
Adm. Conway
Death Ship
1980
Captain Ashland
The Concorde… Airport ’79
1979
Capt. Joe Patroni
Steel
1979
Big Lew Cassidy
Never Say Never
1979
TV Movie
Harry Walter
The Double McGuffin
1979
Chief Talasek
Backstairs at the White House
1979
TV Mini-Series
President Warren G. Harding
Search and Destroy
1979
Anthony Fusqua
Brass Target
1978
Gen. George S. Patton
Death on the Nile
1978
Andrew Pennington
Mean Dog Blues
1978
Captain Omar Kinsman
Ningen no shômei
1977
Ken Shuftan
Airport ’77
1977
Joe Patroni
The ‘Human’ Factor
1975
John Kinsdale
The Eiger Sanction
1975
Ben Bowman
Sonic Boom
1974
Short
Ben Dover
Earthquake
1974
Slade
Airport 1975
1974
Joe Patroni
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
1974
Red Leary
A Cry in the Wilderness
1974
TV Movie
Sam Hadley
Deliver Us from Evil
1973
TV Movie
Walter ‘Cowboy’ McAdams
Cahill U.S. Marshal
1973
Fraser
Lost Horizon
1973
Sam Cornelius
A Great American Tragedy
1972
TV Movie
Brad Wilkes
Sarge
1971-1972
TV Series
Father Samuel Cavanaugh / Sarge Swanson
Ironside
1971
TV Series
Father Samuel Cavanaugh
Fools’ Parade
1971
‘Doc’ Council
Dirty Dingus Magee
1970
Herkimer ‘Hoke’ Birdsill
Zig Zag
1970
Paul R. Cameron
Airport
1970
Patroni
…tick… tick… tick…
1970
John Little
Gaily, Gaily
1969
Axel P. Johanson
The Good Guys and the Bad Guys
1969
McKay
Guns of the Magnificent Seven
1969
Chris
The Boston Strangler
1968
Det. Phil DiNatale
The Legend of Lylah Clare
1968
Matt Burke (uncredited)
The Pink Jungle
1968
Sammy Ryderbeit
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Phil Silvers Show
1956-1959
TV Series technical advisor – 52 episodes
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Vixen Highway 2006: It Came from Uranus!
2010
special thanks
A Natural Born World-Shaker: Making ‘Cool Hand Luke’
2008
Video documentary short special thanks
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
A Natural Born World-Shaker: Making ‘Cool Hand Luke’
2008
Video documentary short
Himself
Greatest Ever Disaster Movies
2007
TV Movie
Himself
Stormy Seas: The Voyage from Bloodstar to Death Ship
2007
Video documentary short
Himself
Armed and Deadly: The Making of ‘The Dirty Dozen’
2006
Video documentary short
Himself
The Complete History of U.S. Wars 1700-2004
2005
TV Series
Himself – Host
The 75th Annual Academy Awards
2003
TV Special
Himself – Past Winner
75 Years of the Academy Awards: An Unofficial History
2003
TV Special documentary
Himself – Interviewee
Dobe and a Company of Heroes
2002
TV Movie
Himself
Hollywood Greats
2002
TV Series documentary
Himself
The O’Reilly Factor
2002
TV Series
Himself
Holy War, Un-Holy Victory
2001
TV Movie documentary
Himself – Host
The 70th Annual Academy Awards
1998
TV Special
Himself – Past Winner (uncredited)
Wings
1996
TV Series
Himself
Summerslam
1994
TV Special
Himself
The Pat Sajak Show
1989
TV Series
Himself
This Is Your Life
1987
TV Special
Himself
The 59th Annual Academy Awards
1987
TV Special
Himself – Audience Member
Good Morning America
1979-1986
TV Series
Himself
Benson
1986
TV Series
Himself
The Jupiter Menace
1982
Documentary
Himself
Counterattack: Crime in America
1982
TV Series documentary
Host
Saturday Night Live
1981
TV Series
Himself – Host / Various
The Alan Thicke Show
1980-1981
TV Series
Himself
Modern Romance
1981
Himself and Zeron
AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to James Stewart