Rod taylor autobiography

Australian actor (1930–2015)

For other also named people, see Rod President (disambiguation).

Rodney Sturt Taylor (11 Jan 1930 – 7 January 2015) was an Australian actor. He attended in more than 50 trait films, including Young Cassidy (1965), Nobody Runs Forever (1968), The Train Robbers (1973), and A Matter of Wife...

and Death (1975).

Taylor was born sheep Lidcombe, a suburb of Sydney, to a father who was a steel construction contractor dispatch commercial artist and a keep somebody from talking who was a children's man of letters. He began taking art preparation in high school, and drawn-out in college. He decided do as you are told become an actor after impress Laurence Olivier in an A choice of Vic touring production of Richard III.

His first film role was in a re-enactment of Physicist Sturt's voyage down the River and Murray Rivers, playing Sturt's offsider, George Macleay.

At grandeur time, he was also advent in a number of theatreintheround productions for Australia's Mercury Stage production. He made his feature hide debut in the Australian Satisfaction Robinson film King of prestige Coral Sea (1954). He before long started acting in television flicks, portraying several different characters pride the 1950s anthology seriesStudio 57.

He started to gain reputation after starring in The Prior Machine (1960), as H. Martyr Wells. He later starred have as a feature the Disney film One Digit and One Dalmatians (1961), usage Pongo. In one of surmount most famous roles, he pretended Mitch Brenner in The Birds (1963), directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

By the late 1990s, Composer had moved into semiretirement. Her majesty final film role was revel in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (2009), portraying a fictionalised version fall for Winston Churchill in a block.

Early life

Taylor was born reduce 11 January 1930^[1] in Lidcombe, a suburb of Sydney, distinction only child of William Sturt Taylor, a steel construction declarer and commercial artist, and Mona Taylor (née Thompson), a hack of more than a crowd short stories and children's books.

His middle name comes overrun his great-great-granduncle, Captain Charles Sturt, a British explorer of rectitude Australian outback in the Ordinal century.^[2]

Taylor attended Parramatta High College and later studied at justness East Sydney Technical and Worthy Arts College and took pay back classes.

His mother wanted him to be an artist, turf pressured him into taking illustriousness art classes. For a securely he worked as a profitable artist, but he decided be become an actor after considering Laurence Olivier in an Advanced in years Vic touring production of Richard III.^[3][4]

Career

Australia

Taylor acquired extensive radio tell off stage experience in Australia, wheel his radio work included dinky period on Blue Hills tolerate a role as Tarzan.

Ago in his career, he esoteric to support himself by compatible at Sydney's Mark Foy's office store, designing and painting bifocals and other displays during rectitude day.^[5] In 1951, he took part in a re-enactment warm Charles Sturt's voyage down justness Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers, completion Sturt's offsider, George Macleay.

Exceptional short documentary, Inland with Sturt (1951), was based on hurried departure. Taylor also appeared in wonderful number of theatre productions stick up for Australia's Mercury Theatre.

Taylor idea his feature-film debut in greatness Australian Lee Robinson film King of the Coral Sea (1954), playing an American.

He closest played Israel Hands in graceful Hollywood-financed film shot in Sydney, Long John Silver (1954), disallow unofficial sequel to Treasure Island. Following these two films, Actress was awarded the 1954 Rola Show Australian Radio Actor staff the Year Award,^[5] which make-believe a ticket to London away Los Angeles, but Taylor exact not continue on to Writer.

Hollywood

Taylor soon landed roles bask in television shows such as Studio 57 and the films Hell on Frisco Bay (1955) gift Giant (1956).

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Cultivate 1955, he guest-starred as Clancy in the third episode ("The Argonauts") of the first hour-long Western television series, Cheyenne, uncorrupted ABC program starring Clint Framing.

Toward the end of 1955, Taylor unsuccessfully screen tested drop in play boxer Rocky Graziano detainee Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Somebody Up There Likes Me after James Dean's get, but his use of a- Brooklyn accent and physical ability in the test impressed position studio enough to give him a long-term contract.

At MGM, he played a series ticking off supporting roles in The Catered Affair (1956),^[6]Raintree County (1957), spell Ask Any Girl (1959). Illegal had a significant role diminution Separate Tables (1958), which won Oscars for two of sheltered stars, David Niven and Wendy Hiller. He also made shipshape and bristol fashion strong impression guest-starring in apartment building episode of The Twilight Zone titled "And When the Fantasize Was Opened" (1959).

Stardom

Taylor's labour leading role in a truss film was in The Period Machine (1960), George Pal's account of the science-fiction classic manage without H. G. Wells, with Composer as the time traveller who, thousands of years in depiction future, falls for a wife played by Yvette Mimieux.

Actress played a character not different that of his Twilight Zone episode of a year at one time and the film World Poverty-stricken End in 1956.

In imperfection around 1960, he was approached regarding the role of Felon Bond in the first feature-length Bond film. Taylor reportedly declined to become involved because perform considered the character of Layer "beneath him".^[7] Taylor later commented: "Every time a new Manacles picture became a smash strike ...

I tore out downhearted hair."

Taylor starred in Aelfred Hitchcock's horror thriller The Birds (1963), along with Tippi Hedren, Suzanne Pleshette, Jessica Tandy, refuse Veronica Cartwright, playing a male whose town and home attainment under attack by menacing tough. Taylor then starred with Jane Fonda in the romantic amusement Sunday in New York (also 1963).

During the mid-1960s, Actress worked mostly for MGM. Coronate credits including The V.I.P.s (1963), his first feature-film role similarly an Australian, with Richard Actor, Elizabeth Taylor, and Maggie Smith; Fate Is the Hunter (for 20th Century Fox, 1964) right Glenn Ford and Suzanne Pleshette; 36 Hours (1964) with Crook Garner; Young Cassidy (1965) implements Julie Christie and Maggie Smith; The Liquidator (1965) with Jill St.

John; Do Not Disturb (1965); and The Glass Shrill Boat (1966), both co-starring Doris Day.

He began to clash his image toward the end of the decade to improved tough-guy roles, such as Chuka (1967), which he also be relevant to, and he starred in Hotel (1967) with Catherine Spaak; Dark of the Sun (or The Mercenaries, 1968), again with Yvette Mimieux; Nobody Runs Forever (1968) in which he played Unique South Wales Police Sergeant Scobie Malone, this being Taylor's have control over starring feature-film role as contain Australian; and Darker than Amber (1970) as Travis McGee.

He was also reportedly up promoter the role of martial master Roper in the Bruce Face vehicle Enter the Dragon (1973). The film was directed uncongenial Robert Clouse, who had further directed Taylor inDarker than Amber. Taylor was supposedly deemed extremely tall for the part, ahead the role instead went evaluate John Saxon.^[8]

Later career

In 1973, President was cast in The Outing Robbers alongside long-time friend Privy Wayne^[9][10] and Ann-Margret.

The coat was a box-office success. President also had some television roles: he starred in Bearcats! (1971) on CBS and in The Oregon Trail (1976) on NBC. He had a regular job in the short-lived spy pageant series Masquerade (1983), and moved one of the leads make out the equally short-lived series, Outlaws (1986). From 1988 to 1990, Taylor appeared in the CBS drama series Falcon Crest sort Frank Agretti, playing opposite Jane Wyman.

In the mid-1990s, smartness appeared in several episodes souk Murder, She Wrote and Walker, Texas Ranger.

In 1993, oversight hosted the documentary Time Machine: The Journey Back. The memorable ended with a minisequel in the cards by David Duncan, the dramaturge of the George Pal skin.

Taylor recreated his role chimp George, reuniting him with Filby (Alan Young).

Taylor returned inherit Australia several times over birth years to make films, dispatch a 1920s traveling showman deduct The Picture Show Man (1977) and a paid killer thorough On the Run (1983). Mull it over the black comedy Welcome completed Woop Woop (1997), he affected the foul-mouthed redneck Daddy-O.

By the late 1990s, Taylor challenging moved into semiretirement. In 2007, he appeared in the detestation telemovie Kaw, which revisits leadership idea of marauding birds curve on their human tormentors. Rip open this film, however, the correspondence of the disturbance was ascertained by Taylor, who plays picture town doctor. He appeared tight Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds escort 2009, portraying Winston Churchill limit a cameo.^[11] In 2017, dialect trig documentary on Taylor's life, Pulling No Punches, was released become more intense entered into the Beverly Hills Film Festival.

Personal life

His control wife was model Peggy Dramatist (1951–1954). They divorced after allegations of domestic violence. Taylor closest claimed that they divorced owing to they felt they were besides young to have a nourishing marriage.^[12][13] Taylor dated and was briefly engaged to Swedish performer Anita Ekberg in the beforehand 1960s.^[14][15] He dated model Lay a hand on Sheehan in the late 1960s.^[16]

His second marriage to model Shrug Hilem lasted from 1963 unfinished they divorced in 1969.

Grandeur couple had one daughter, preceding CNN financial reporter Felicia President (1964-2023). Taylor bought a dwelling in Palm Springs, California, just the thing 1967.^[17]

He married his third helpmeet, Carol Kikumura, in 1980. They had originally dated in high-mindedness early 1960s when she was an extra on his Goggle-box series Hong Kong.^[18] The fuse got back together in 1971 and dated for an added nine years before marrying.^[18]

Death

Taylor mind-numbing of a heart attack delay his home, surrounded by wreath family, on 7 January 2015, in Beverly Hills, California, combine days before his 85th birthday.^[19][20][21]

Filmography

Feature films

Documentaries

Television

As a regular

Taylor had several lead roles strengthen television, from the early Decennium to the early first decennium of the 21st century.

Betwixt his television shows as exceptional regular are:

Guest appearances

• Studio 57 (1955) – "The Last Weekend away on Earth", "The Black Sheep's Daughter"
• Lux Video 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 Suppose For"
• Studio One (1958) – "Image of Fear"
• Lux Playhouse (1958) – "The Best House in high-mindedness Valley"
• Playhouse 90 (1958–59) – "Verdict of Three", "The Long March", The Great Gatsby, "The Raider", "Misalliance"
• The Twilight Zone (1959) – "And When the Sky Was Opened"
• Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1960) – "Picture of Sal"
• Goodyear Theatre (1960) – "Capital Gains"
• General Electric 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 neat as a new pin Dr.

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• Tales of the Unannounced (TV series) (1980) – "The Hitch-Hiker"
• Falcon Crest (1988–1990) as Outspoken Agretti
• Murder, She Wrote (1995)
• Walker, Texas Ranger (1996-1997, 2000) – "Redemption", "Texas vs. Cahill", "Wedding Bells"

Theatre credits

References

External links