GK
George Kennedy
Actor
Died February 28, 2016 (91 years)
Sandy-haired, tall and burly George Harris Kennedy, Jr. was born in New York City, to Helen A. (Kieselbach), a ballet dancer, and George Harris Kennedy, an orchestra leader and musician. He had German, Irish, and English ancestry. A World War II veteran, Kennedy at one stage in his career cornered the market at playing tough, no-nonsense characters who were either quite crooked or possessed hearts of gold. Kennedy notched up an impressive 200+ appearances in both TV and film, and was well respected within the Hollywood community. He started out in TV westerns in the late 1950s and early 1960s: Have Gun - Will Travel (1957), Rawhide (1959), Maverick (1957), Colt .45 (1957), among others; before scoring minor roles in films including Lonely Are the Brave (1962), The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) and The Flight of the Phoenix (1965). The late 1960s was a very busy period for Kennedy, and he was strongly in favor with casting agents, appearing in Hurry Sundown (1967), The Dirty Dozen (1967) and scoring an Oscar win as Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Cool Hand Luke (1967). The disaster film boom of the 1970s was kind to Kennedy, too, and his talents were in demand for Airport(1970) and the three subsequent sequels, as a grizzled cop in Earthquake (1974), plus the buddy/road film Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) as vicious bank robber Red Leary.
The 1980s saw Kennedy appear in a mishmash of roles, playing various characters; however, Kennedy and Leslie Nielsen surprised everyone with their comedic talents in the hugely successful The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988), and the two screen veterans hammed it up again in, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991), plus Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994).
Kennedy remained busy in Hollywood and lent his distinctive voice to the animated Cats Don't Dance (1997) and the children's action film Small Soldiers (1998). A Hollywood stalwart for nearly 50 years, he is one of the most enjoyable actors to watch on screen. His last role was in the film The Gambler (2014), as Mark Wahlberg's character's grandfather.
George Kennedy died on February 28, 2016 in Middleton, Idaho.
Filmography
| 2014 | The Gambler · as Ed |
| 2011 | Another Happy Day · as Joe Baker |
| 2008 | The Man Who Came Back · as Judge Duke |
| 2008 | The Boneyard Collection · as Professor Zebediah Jones (segment "The Devil's Due at Midnight") |
| 2007 | Sands of Oblivion · as John Tevis |
| 2005 | Don't Come Knocking · as Director |
| 2005 | Three Bad Men · as Ed Fiske |
| 2003 | View from the Top · as Passenger Requesting Vodka (uncredited) |
| 2003 | Monster Makers · as Dexter Brisbane |
| 1998 | Small Soldiers · as Brick Bazooka |
| 1998 | Dennis the Menace Strikes Again! · as Mr. Johnson |
| 1998 | Dallas: War of the Ewings · as Carter McKay |
| 1997 | Cats Don't Dance · as L.B. Mammoth (voice) |
| 1996 | Dallas: J.R. Returns · as Carter McKay |
| 1996 | The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (TV Series) · as General Axton (voice) |
| 1994 | Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult · as Ed Hocken |
| 1994 | Duckman (TV Series) · as Movie Director |
| 1994 | Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (TV Series) · as Bones Duvalier |
| 1992 | Distant Justice · as Tom Bradfield |
| 1992 | Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story · as Father Dave |
| 1991 | The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear · as Captain Ed Hocken |
| 1991 | Hangfire · as Unknown |
| 1991 | Driving Me Crazy · as John McCready |
| 1991 | The Commish (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1990 | Hired to Kill · as Thomas |
| 1990 | Good Cops, Bad Cops · as Unknown |
| 1990 | Countdown to Esmeralda Bay · as Wilson |
| 1990 | Brain Dead · as Vance |
| 1990 | Wings (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1989 | The Terror Within · as Hal |
| 1989 | Ministry of Vengeance · as Rev. Hughes |
| 1988 | Demonwarp · as Bill Crafton |
| 1988 | The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! · as Capt. Ed Hocken |
| 1988 | Nightmare at Noon · as Sherrif Hanks |
| 1988 | Top Line · as Heinrich Holzmann |
| 1988 | Born to Race · as Vincent Duplain |
| 1988 | Private Road: No Trespassing · as Sam Milshaw |
| 1988 | Counterforce · as Unknown |
| 1987 | |
| 1987 | The Gunfighters · as Deke Turner |
| 1987 | Kenny Rogers as The Gambler, Part III: The Legend Continues · as General Nelson Miles |
| 1987 | Creepshow 2 · as Ray Spruce (segment "Old Chief Wood'nhead") |
| 1986 | The Delta Force · as Father O'Malley |
| 1986 | Rigged · as Ben |
| 1985 | Radioactive Dreams · as Spade Chandler |
| 1985 | Savage Dawn · as Tick Rand |
| 1985 | International Airport · as Rudy Van Leuven |
| 1984 | The Jesse Owens Story · as Charles 'Charley' Riley |
| 1984 | Chattanooga Choo Choo · as Bert |
| 1984 | Bolero · as Cotton |
| 1984 | Rare Breed · as Unknown |
| 1982 | Wacko · as Mr. Doctor Graves |
| 1981 | Just Before Dawn · as Roy McLean |
| 1981 | The Archer: Fugitive from the Empire · as Brakus |
| 1980 | Death Ship · as Captain Ashland |
| 1980 | Virus: Day of Resurrection · as Admiral Conway |
| 1980 | Hotwire · as Farley & Harley Fontenot |
| 1979 | The Double McGuffin · as Chief Talasek |
| 1979 | Search and Destroy · as Anthony Fusqua |
| 1979 | Steel · as Big Lew Cassidy |
| 1979 | Benson (TV Series) · as George Kennedy |
| 1979 | The Concorde... Airport '79 · as Joe Patroni |
| 1978 | Death on the Nile · as Andrew Pennington |
| 1978 | Brass Target · as Gen. George S. Patton |
| 1978 | Mean Dog Blues · as Captain Omar Kinsman |
| 1978 | Dallas (TV Series) · as Carter McKay |
| 1977 | Airport '77 · as Joe Patroni |
| 1977 | Proof of the Man · as Ken Shuftan |
| 1977 | Fantasy Island (TV Series) · as Adam Cobb |
| 1977 | The Love Boat (TV Series) · as Erik Larsen |
| 1975 | The Eiger Sanction · as Ben Bowman |
| 1975 | The 'Human' Factor · as John Kinsdale |
| 1975 | Sonic Boom · as Ben Dover |
| 1974 | Earthquake · as Sgt. Lew Slade |
| 1974 | Airport 1975 · as Joe Patroni |
| 1974 | Thunderbolt and Lightfoot · as Red Leary |
| 1973 | Cahill U.S. Marshal · as Abe Fraser |
| 1973 | Lost Horizon · as Sam Cornelius |
| 1973 | The Young and the Restless (TV Series) · as Albert Miller |
| 1972 | The Bull of the West · as 'Bear' Suchette |
| 1971 | Fools' Parade · as Dallas 'Doc' Council |
| 1970 | Airport · as Joe Patroni |
| 1970 | Dirty Dingus Magee · as Herkimer 'Hoke' Birdsill |
| 1970 | Zig Zag · as Paul R. Cameron |
| 1970 | Tick, Tick, Tick · as John Little |
| 1969 | Guns of the Magnificent Seven · as Chris |
| 1969 | The Good Guys and the Bad Guys · as McKay |
| 1968 | Bandolero! · as Sheriff July Johnson |
| 1968 | The Legend of Lylah Clare · as Matt Burke (uncredited) |
| 1968 | The Boston Strangler · as Det. Phil DiNatale |
| 1967 | Cool Hand Luke · as Dragline |
| 1967 | The Dirty Dozen · as Major Max Armbruster |
| 1967 | The Ballad of Josie · as Arch Ogden |
| 1967 | Hurry Sundown · as Sheriff Coombs |
| 1967 | Ironside (TV Series) · as Father Samuel Cavanaugh |
| 1966 | Tarzan (1966) (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1965 | The Flight of the Phoenix · as Bellamy |
| 1965 | The Sons of Katie Elder · as Curley |
| 1965 | In Harm's Way · as Colonel Gregory |
| 1965 | Mirage · as Willard |
| 1965 | Laredo (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1965 | The Big Valley (TV Series) · as Thatcher |
| 1965 | Shenandoah · as Col. Fairchild |
| 1964 | Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte · as Foreman |
| 1964 | Strait-Jacket · as Leo Krause |
| 1964 | McHale's Navy · as Henri Le Clerc |
| 1964 | Daniel Boone (TV Series) · as Zach Morgan |
| 1964 | The Rogues (TV Series) · as Major Vyx |
| 1963 | |
| 1963 | The Man from the Diners' Club · as George |
| 1962 | Lonely Are the Brave · as Deputy Sheriff Gutierrez |
| 1962 | McHale's Navy (TV Series) · as Big Frenchy |
| 1962 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (TV Series) · as George Martin |
| 1962 | The Virginian (TV Series) · as Jack Marshman |
| 1961 | Gunfight at Black Horse Canyon · as Hawk |
| 1961 | The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come · as Nathan Dillon |
| 1960 | Spartacus · as Rebel Soldier (uncredited) |
| 1960 | The Andy Griffith Show (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1960 | Thriller (TV Series) · as John Paterson |
| 1960 | Route 66 (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1960 | The Tall Man (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1959 | Riverboat (TV Series) · as Gunner Slagle |
| 1959 | Rawhide (TV Series) · as George Wales |
| 1959 | |
| 1959 | The Deputy (TV Series) · as Tex |
| 1959 | Laramie (TV Series) · as Gene |
| 1959 | Shotgun Slade (TV Series) · as Tex |
| 1959 | The Untouchables (TV Series) · as Birdie |
| 1958 | 77 Sunset Strip (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1958 | Lawman (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1958 | Bat Masterson (TV Series) · as Sheriff Zeke Armitage |
| 1958 | Peter Gunn (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1957 | Have Gun, Will Travel (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1957 | Perry Mason (TV Series) · as George Spangler |
| 1957 | Maverick (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1957 | Tales of Wells Fargo (TV Series) · as Hawk |
| 1957 | Sugarfoot (TV Series) · as Ross Kuhn |
| 1955 | Gunsmoke (TV Series) · as Swarner |
| 1955 | The Phil Silvers Show (TV Series) · as MP Sgt. Kennedy |
| 1955 | Cheyenne (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1952 | Death Valley Days (TV Series) · as Steamboat Sully |
| 1951 | The Red Skelton Show (TV Series) · as Ship's Purser |