Born: February 18, 1925
Died: February 28, 2016 (at age 91)
Birthplace: New York City, New York, U.S.
George Harris Kennedy, Jr. (February 18, 1925 - February 28, 2016) was an American actor who appeared in more than 200 film and television productions. He is best remembered for portraying "Dragline" opposite Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke (1967), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for the corresponding Golden Globe. He received a second Golden Globe nomination for portraying Joe Patroni in Airport (1970).
Kennedy was the only actor to appear in all four films in the Airport series, having reprised the role of Joe Patroni three times. He was also widely recognized as Police Captain Ed Hocken in the Naked Gun series of comedy films and corrupt oil tycoon Carter McKay on the original Dallas television series.
Kennedy was born on February 18, 1925, in New York City, into a show business family. His father, George Harris Kennedy, a musician and orchestra leader, died when Kennedy was four years old. He was raised by his mother, Helen A. (née Kieselbach), a ballet dancer. His maternal grandfather was a German immigrant; his ancestry also included Irish and English.
Kennedy made his stage debut at age two in a touring company of Bringing Up Father, and by seven was a New York City radio DJ. Joining the U.S. military during World War II, he spent 16 years in that career until the late 1950s, when a back injury prompted him to find other work. He reached a rank of captain. His first notable screen role was a military advisor on the TV sitcom The Phil Silvers Show, where he served as a technical adviser, a role which Kennedy later described as "a great training ground".
After a brief appearance in the 1960 film Spartacus, his film career began in 1961 in The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come. He appeared in several Hollywood movies, including Charade (1963), Strait-Jacket (1964), ed the character "Blodgett" in a 1966 episode "Return to Lawrence" of the ABC western series The Legend of Jesse James. Then came the role for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Cool Hand Luke (1967), that of "Dragline", a chain-gang convict who at first resents the new prisoner in camp played by Paul Newman, then comes to idolize the rebellious Luke.
Kennedy followed this role with films such as The Dirty Dozen, Bandolero!, and The Boston Strangler. In 1970, he appeared in the Academy Award-winning disaster film Airport, in which he played one of its main characters, airline troubleshooter Joe Patroni. He reprised this role in Airport 1975, Airport '77, and The Concorde ... Airport '79.
The Airport franchise helped inspire the Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker satire Airplane!, in which the filmmakers hoped to cast Kennedy as the bumbling plane dispatcher. The role went to Lloyd Bridges, because Kennedy "couldn’t kill off his Airport cash-cow", Jerry Zucker said in 2010.
Kennedy co-starred with Clint Eastwood in two films, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot and The Eiger Sanction, and with ensemble casts in the disaster film Earthquake and the Agatha Christie mystery Death on the Nile.
In 1984, Kennedy starred opposite Bo Derek in the box-office bomb Bolero. He made other minor films including Savage Dawn, The Delta Force, and Creepshow 2, before playing a role in the comedy film The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! in 1988, playing Captain Ed Hocken opposite Leslie Nielsen's comical cop Frank Drebin. There were two sequels in which Kennedy co-starred.
On television, Kennedy starred as Carter McKay in the CBS prime time serial Dallas (1978-1991), appearing from 1988 to 1991. From the mid- to late-1990s, he promoted Breathasure tablets in radio and television commercials. Around this time, he reprised his role as McKay in the television films Dallas: J.R. Returns and Dallas: War of the Ewings. In the late 1970s, Kennedy also appeared as a celebrity guest on the television game show Match Game.
In 1998, he voiced Brick Bazooka for the film Small Soldiers. He then made several independent films, before making a 2003 comeback to television in the soap opera The Young and the Restless, playing the character Albert Miller, the biological father to legendary character Victor Newman. In 2005, he made a cameo appearance in the film Don't Come Knocking, playing the director of an ill-fated western.
Kennedy made his final film appearance in The Gambler (2014) as Ed, the dying grandfather of Mark Wahlberg's Jim Bennett. His role lasts for less than two minutes during the film's opening scene, wherein Ed (moments before his death) bequeaths the responsibilities of patriarch to a heartbroken Jim.
For his contributions to motion pictures, Kennedy received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 6352 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
Kennedy wrote three books. In 1983, he wrote the murder mystery Murder On Location, set on a film shoot. A second novel, Murder on High, was released in 1984. In 2011, he wrote his autobiography, Trust Me.
Kennedy was an aviator who enjoyed flying, and owned a Cessna 210 and Beechcraft Bonanza.
Kennedy was married four times. He married his first wife, Dorothy Gillooly, in the 1940s. He was then married and divorced twice from Norma Wurman, also known as Revel Wurman, with whom he had two children. In 1978, he married Joan McCarthy, who died in September 2015. The couple adopted four children, including granddaughter Taylor, whose mother, one of their children, had drug-abuse issues.
Kennedy resided in Eagle, Idaho, at the time of his death. He died on the morning of Sunday, February 28, 2016, of a heart ailment at an assisted living facility in Middleton, Idaho, at the age of 91. He had a history of heart disease.
At the time of his death, Kennedy was the oldest living Oscar winner in the Best Supporting Actor category. Coincidentally, he died the day of the 88th Academy Awards ceremony.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1960 | Spartacus | Rebel soldier |
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1961 | The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come | Nathan Dillon | CinemaScope film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. |
1962 | Lonely Are the Brave | Deputy Sheriff Gutierrez | Film adaptation of the Edward Abbey novel The Brave Cowboy, and directed by David Miller. |
1963 | The Man from the Diner's Club | George | Comedy film directed by Frank Tashlin. |
Charade | Herman Scobie | Romantic comedy/mystery film directed by Stanley Donen. | |
1964 | McHale's Navy | Henri Le Clerc | Based on the 1962-1966 black and white television sitcom of the same name, and directed by Edward Montagne. |
Island of the Blue Dolphins | Aleut Captain | Drama film directed by James B. Clark. | |
Strait-Jacket | Leo Krause | Thriller film directed and co-produced by William Castle. | |
Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte | Foreman | Psychological thriller film directed and produced by Robert Aldrich. | |
1965 | Mirage | Willard | Thriller film directed by Edward Dmytryk, and based on the novel Fallen Angel written by Howard Fast under the pseudonym Walter Ericson. |
In Harm's Way | Colonel Gregory | Epic war film produced and directed by Otto Preminger. | |
The Flight of the Phoenix | Mike Bellamy | Drama film produced & directed by Robert Aldrich and based on the 1964 novel The Flight of the Phoenix by Elleston Trevor. | |
Shenandoah | Colonel Fairchild | American Civil War film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. | |
The Sons of Katie Elder | Curley | Western film directed by Henry Hathaway. | |
1967 | The Dirty Dozen | Major Max Armbruster | American war film directed by Robert Aldrich. |
Hurry Sundown | Sheriff Coombs | Drama film produced and directed by Otto Preminger. | |
Cool Hand Luke | Dragline | Prison drama film directed by Stuart Rosenberg. | |
The Ballad of Josie | Arch Ogden | Comedy western film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. | |
1968 | The Pink Jungle | Sammy Ryderbeit | Thriller film directed by Delbert Mann. |
The Boston Strangler | Phil DiNatale | Neo-noir film based on the true story of the Boston Strangler and the book by Gerold Frank, and directed by Richard Fleischer. | |
Bandolero! | Sheriff Johnson | Western directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. | |
1969 | The Good Guys and the Bad Guys | Big John McKay | Western film directed by Burt Kennedy. |
Gaily, Gaily | Johanson |
|
|
Guns of the Magnificent Seven | Chris Adams |
|
|
1970 | ...tick...tick...tick... | John Little | Crime drama directed by Ralph Nelson. |
Airport | Joe Patroni | Drama film directed and written by George Seaton, and based on Arthur Hailey's 1968 novel of the same name. | |
Zig Zag | Paul R. Cameron |
|
|
Dirty Dingus Magee | Herkimer "Hoke" Birdsill | Anti-western film directed and produced by Burt Kennedy. | |
1971 | Fools' Parade | Dallas "Doc" Council |
|
1973 | Lost Horizon | Sam Cornelius | Musical film directed by Charles Jarrott. |
Cahill U.S. Marshal | Abe Fraser | Western film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. | |
1974 | Thunderbolt and Lightfoot | Red Leary | Crime film written and directed by Michael Cimino. |
Airport 1975 | Joe Patroni | Air disaster film, and the first sequel to the successful 1970 film, Airport, and directed by Jack Smight. | |
Earthquake | Sergeant Lew Slade | Ensemble disaster film directed and produced by Mark Robson. | |
1975 | The Eiger Sanction | Ben Bowman | Action-thriller film, based on the novel of the same name by Trevanian, and directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. |
The "Human" Factor | John Kinsdale | Drama film directed by Edward Dmytryk. | |
1977 | Airport '77 | Joe Patroni | Air disaster film and the third film of the Airport franchise, and directed by Jerry Jameson. |
Ningen no shōmei | Ken Shuftan |
|
|
1978 | Mean Dog Blues | Captain Omar Kinsman | Drama film directed by Mel Stuart. |
Brass Target | General George S. Patton | Post-war suspense film based on the novel The Algonquin Project by Frederick Nolan, and directed by John Hough. | |
Death on the Nile | Andrew Pennington | British film based on the Agatha Christie mystery novel of the same name, directed by John Guillermin, and adapted by Anthony Shaffer. | |
1979 | Steel | Big Lew Cassidy | Drama film directed by Steve Carver. |
The Concorde ... Airport '79 | Captain Joe Patroni |
|
|
Search and Destroy | Anthony Fusqua | Action-thriller film directed by William Fruet. | |
The Double McGuffin | Chief Talasek | Drama film written and directed by Joe Camp. | |
1980 | Virus | Admiral Conway |
|
Death Ship | Ashland | British-Canadian horror film directed by Alvin Rakoff. | |
1981 | Just Before Dawn | Roy McLean |
|
Modern Romance | Himself; Zoron | Comedy film directed by and starring Albert Brooks. | |
1982 | Wacko | Mr. Doctor Graves | Horror-parody film directed by Greydon Clark. |
The Jupiter Menace | Himself | A documentary, that examines the theory that the world is doomed, and that nothing can be done about it. | |
1984 | Chattanooga Choo Choo | Bert | Comedy film directed by Bruce Bilson. |
Bolero | Cotton | Romantic drama film written and directed by John Derek. | |
1985 | Radioactive Dreams | Spade Chandler | Post-apocalyptic science fiction-comedy film directed by Albert Pyun. |
Savage Dawn | Tick Rand | Action-drama film directed by Simon Nuchtern. | |
1986 | The Delta Force | Father O'Malley | Action-thriller film directed by Menahem Golan. |
1987 | Creepshow 2 | Ray Spruce | Live-action/animated horror comedy anthology film directed by Michael Gornick. |
The Gunfighters | Deke Turner | Western film directed by Clay Borris. | |
1988 | Born to Race | Vincent Duplain | |
Uninvited | Mike Harvey | ||
Counterforce | Vince Colby | ||
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! | Captain Ed Hocken | This film marked the start of the Naked Gun franchise born out of the cancellation of Police Squad!. | |
Demonwarp | Bill Crafton | ||
1989 | The Terror Within | Hal | |
1990 | Brain Dead | Vance | |
Hired to Kill | Thomas | ||
1991 | Intensive Care | Dr. Bruckner | |
Driving Me Crazy | John McCready | ||
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear | Captain Ed Hocken | ||
1992 | Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story | Father Dave | |
1994 | Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult | Captain Ed Hocken | |
1997 | Cats Don't Dance | L.B. Mammoth | Voice |
1998 | Small Soldiers | Brick Bazooka | Voice |
Dennis the Menace Strikes Again | Grandpa Johnson | ||
2005 | Don't Come Knocking | Director | |
2007 | Sands of Oblivion | John Tevis | |
2008 | The Man Who Came Back | Judge Duke | |
2011 | Another Happy Day | Joe | |
2014 | The Gambler | Ed |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1956-1959 | The Phil Silvers Show | MP Sergeant Kennedy | 14 episodes |
1959 | Cheyenne | Lee Nelson | Episode: "Prisoner of Moon Mesa" |
Colt .45 | Hank | Episode: "The Rival Gun" | |
The Deputy | Tex | Episode: "The Big Four" | |
Sugarfoot | Sykes | Episode: "The Canary Kid, Inc." | |
1960 | Gunsmoke | Emil | Episode: "The Blacksmith" |
Peter Gunn | Karl | Episode: "The Crossbow" | |
Sugarfoot | Ross Kuhn | Episode: "Funeral at Forty Mile" | |
Shotgun Slade | Tex | Episode: "The Spanish Box" | |
Laramie | Gallagher Henchman | Episode: "Duel at Alta Mesa" | |
Maverick | Deputy Jones | Episode: "Hadley's Hunters" | |
Lawman | Burt | Episode: "To Capture the West" | |
Have Gun - Will Travel | Tarnitzer | Episode: "The Legacy" | |
Lieutenant John Bryson | Episode: "A Head of Hair" | ||
1961 | Bat Masterson | Sheriff Zeke Armitage | Episode: "The Fourth Man" |
Have Gun - Will Travel | Preston | Episode: "The Road" | |
Deke | Episode: "The Vigil" | ||
Rud Saxon | Episode: "A Proof of Life" | ||
Brother Grace | Episode: "Squatter's Rights" | ||
Gunsmoke | Pat Swooner | Episode: "Big Man" | |
The Untouchables | Birdie | Episode: "The King of Champagne" | |
Gunslinger | Sheriff | Episode: "The Buried People" | |
Bonanza | Peter Long | Episode: "The Infernal Machine" | |
Gunsmoke | Jake Bayloe | Episode: "Kitty Shot" | |
1962 | The Tall Man | Hyram Killgore | Episode: "One for All" |
Rawhide | George Wales | Episode: "The Peddler" | |
Gunsmoke | Hug | Episode: "The Boys" | |
Have Gun - Will Travel | Big John | Episode: "Don't Shoot the Piano Player" | |
Going My Way | Mike | Episode: "A Man for Mary" | |
Death Valley Days | Steamboat Sully | Episode: "Miracle at Whiskey Gulch" | |
Outlaws | Joe Ferris | Episode: "Farewell Performance" | |
1963 | The Andy Griffith Show | State Police Detective | Episode: "The Big House" |
Have Gun - Will Travel | Brother Grace | Episode: "The Eve of St. Elmo" | |
Dr. Kildare | Joe Cramer | Episode: "To Each His Own Prison" | |
Perry Mason | George Spangler | Episode: "The Case of the Greek Goddess" | |
The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters | Angus | Episode: "The Day of the Long Night" | |
1963-1964 | McHale's Navy | Big Frenchy | Episodes: "French Leave for McHale", "The Return of Big Frenchy" |
1964 | Gunsmoke | Cyrus | Episode: "Crooked Mile" |
Bonanza | Waldo | Episode: "The Scapegoat" | |
The Virginian | Jack Marshman | Episode: "A Gallows for Sam Horn" | |
Gunsmoke | Warden Stryker | Episode: "The Warden" | |
1965 | Daniel Boone | Zach Morgan | Episode: "A Rope for Mingo" |
Laredo | Jess Moran | Episode: "Pride of the Rangers" | |
The Virginian | Tom "Bear" Suchette | Episode: "Nobility of Kings" | |
A Man Called Shenandoah | Mitchell Canady | Episode: "A Special Talent for Killing" | |
1966 | Gunsmoke | Ben Payson | Episode: "Harvest" |
The Legend of Jesse James | Blodgett | Episode: "Return to Lawrence" | |
Dr. Kildare | Sergeant Hensley | Episodes: "Mercy or Murder", "Strange Sort of Accident" | |
The Virginian | Huck Harkness | Episode: "The Trail to Ashley Mountain" | |
The Big Valley | Jack Thatcher | Episode: "Barbary Red" | |
1967 | Tarzan | Crandell | Episode: "Thief Catcher" |
1971 | Ironside | Father Samuel Cavanaugh |
|
Sarge | Father Samuel Patrick "Sarge" Cavanaugh (Swanson) | 16 episodes | |
1975 | The Blue Knight | Bumper Morgan | 24 episodes |
1979 | Backstairs at the White House | President Warren G. Harding | Episode: #1.2 |
1981 | Saturday Night Live | Himself/Host | Episode: "George Kennedy/Miles Davis" |
1983 | Fantasy Island | Adam Cobb | Episode: "God Child/Curtain Call" |
1988-1991 | Dallas | Carter McKay | 67 episodes |
1994 | Lonesome Dove | Judge J.T. "Rope" Calder | Episode: "Judgement Day" |
1995 | The Gambler Part III: The Legend Continues | General Nelson Miles | Television miniseries |
1996 | Wings | Himself | Episode: "What About Larry?" |
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest | General Axton | Episode: "DNA Doomsday" | |
Dallas: J.R. Returns | Carter McKay | Television film | |
1998 | Dallas: War of the Ewings | Carter McKay | Television film |
2003 | The Young and the Restless | Albert Miller | Episodes: #1.7762, #1.7763, #1.7764 |
2010 | Albert Miller (ghost) | Episode: #1.9553 |
Year | Category | Award | Work | Role | Result | ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1968 | Academy Award | Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor | Cool Hand Luke | Dragline | Won | |
Laurel Award | Male Supporting Performance | Won | ||||
Golden Globe Award | Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture | Nominated | ||||
1971 | Golden Globe Award | Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture | Airport | Joe Patroni | Nominated | |
Laurel Award | Male Supporting Performance | Nominated |