Christopher George

Christopher George
Christopher George as Sgt. Troy in The Rat Patrol, 1967.
Born	Christopher John George (1931-02-25)February 25, 1931 Royal Oak, Michigan, U.S.
Died	November 28, 1983(1983-11-28) (aged 52) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Heart attack
Years active	1965–83
Spouse(s)	Lynda Day George (1970–83; his death); 1 child

Christopher John George (February 25, 1931 – November 28, 1983) was an American television and film actor who was perhaps best known for his starring role in the 1966–68 TV series The Rat Patrol. He was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1967 as Best TV Star for his performance in the series. He was also the recipient of a New York Film Festival award as the Best Actor in a Television Commercial. George was married to actress Lynda Day George.

Christopher George was born in Royal Oak, Michigan, on February 25, 1931, the son of Greek immigrants John and Vaseleke George. John George was born in Thebes, Greece, and was a veteran of World War I, and Vaseleke was born in Athens.

George could not speak English until he was six years old, because his family only spoke Greek at home. His father was a traveling salesman during his childhood. He accompanied his father on selling trips to cities such as Akron, New York City, Chicago, St. Louis, Memphis, and Detroit.

From Michigan, the family moved to Mountain Lakes, New Jersey. Once he began learning to speak English, his father enrolled him in Greek school in addition to his regular school so that he would not forget the Greek language. That was where George first became interested in acting; at Greek school they performed Greek plays and recited Greek poetry.

When he was 14, he and his family moved to Miami, Florida. As a child, he lived in the Coconut Grove section of Miami and attended Shenandoah Elementary School and Miami Senior High School. In school, he played soccer, football and baseball and ran track. While in Florida, he used to hunt for alligators in the Everglades. After obtaining his driver's license, he worked for his father, driving trucks between Miami and other cities along the Eastern seaboard.