George Kennedy
| George Kennedy | |
|---|---|
Publicity photo of George Kennedy, 1975
|
|
| Born |
George Harris Kennedy Jr. February 18, 1925 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | February 28, 2016 (aged 91) Middleton, Idaho, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart disease |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1956–2016 |
| Spouse(s) | Dorothy Gillooly (m. 1946–1959; divorced) Norma Wurman (m. 1959–1971; divorced) Norma Wurman (m. 1973–1978; divorced) Joan McCarthy (m. 1978–2015; her death) |
| Children | 6 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Rank | Captain |
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 other ancestry was 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".
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