George Kennedy (George Harris Kennedy Jr.) is an Actor, Miscellaneous who was born on February 18, 1925, in New York City, New York, USA. Learn about George Kennedy’s biography, dating/affairs, family, and career. Learn how wealthy He is this year and how He spends his money. Also, find out how he made the majority of George Kennedy’s net worth.
Early Life of George Kennedy
George Kennedy was born in New York City on February 18, 1925. George Harris Kennedy was his father. He was a musician and led an orchestra. But, sadly, he died when Kennedy was only four years old, leaving Kennedy to be raised by his ballet dancer mother, Helen.
Kennedy made his first appearance on stage when he was only two years old. He went to Long Island, New York’s Chaminade High School, and graduated in 1943. Afterward, he joined the U.S. Army during World War II. He served for 16 years and became a captain at the end. He worked for George S. Patton and also fought in the Battle of the Bulge. After the war ended, he signed up again, but a back injury forced him out in the late 1950s.
Personal Life of George Kennedy
During his life, George Kennedy got married four times. He married Dorothy Gillooly, who was in the Women’s Army Corps, in the 1940s. Before they split up in the 1950s, they had a son named Kevin. In 1959, Kennedy took Norma Wurman as his wife. Christopher and Karianna were their children.
They got a divorce in 1971, but in 1973 they got back together. But in 1978, they split up for the second time. Kennedy married Joan McCarthy the same year. They stayed married until September 2015, when McCarthy died. The couple adopted three children while they were married.
Kennedy was enthusiastic about aviation. He possessed a pilot’s license and several aircraft, including a Cessna 210 and a Beechcraft Bonanza.
Later in life, Kennedy resided in Eagle, Idaho. Kennedy passed away at an assisted living facility on February 28, 2016, due to a heart condition. He had 91 years of age.
Net Worth of George Kennedy
George Kennedy was an American actor who passed away in 2016 with a net worth of $5 million. On February 28, 2016, George Kennedy passed away at the age of 91. George Kennedy began his acting career as a toddler in the theatre. He then pursued a successful radio career before leaving the entertainment industry to serve in the United States Army. After sixteen years in the military, he retired and began working in Hollywood as a technical advisor.
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As an adult, he began his professional acting career with small speaking roles in films such as “Sargeant Bilko” and “Spartacus.” By the mid-1960s, he had played supporting and co-starring roles in films such as “Charade,” “The Flight of the Phoenix,” and “In Harm’s Way.”
Career Life of George Kennedy
Kennedy began acting almost immediately after his military service ended. On the TV comedy series The Phil Silvers Show, he made his acting debut as a police officer. He was also a technical advisor on the show. The following year, in 1961, he got his first acting role in the film “The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come.” In the years that followed, he was in numerous films, including “Lonely Are the Brave,” “Charade,” and “Strait-Jacket.” The likes of Cary Grant and Kirk Douglas were among the stars he collaborated with.
Kennedy co-starred with Gregory Peck in the 1965 film “Mirage.” In the same year, he co-starred with James Stewart and John Wayne in “The Flight of the Phoenix,” “In Harm’s Way,” and “The Sons of Katie Elder.” In 1966, he made an appearance in “The Legend of Jesse James,” an ABC Western series.
His 1967 performance alongside Paul Newman in “Cool Hand Luke” established him as a credible serious actor. He portrayed a convict on a chain gang named Dragline in the movie. He received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance. After “The Dirty Dozen,” “Bandolero!” and “The Boston Strangler,” Kennedy continued to land major film roles.
As a cast member, he helped save the day in the 1970 disaster film Airport, which went on to win an Oscar. Joe Patroni, a pivotal role in the film, was portrayed by him. After “Airport 1975,” “Airport ’77,” and “The Concorde…Airport ’79,” he played the same character again. Only one of the original cast members made an appearance in every installment.
Kennedy went on to co-star in two additional films with Clint Eastwood. “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot” and “The Eiger Sanction” featured his acting. He also appeared in “Earthquake” and “Death on the Nile” alongside large ensemble casts. He starred in the television series “Sarge” from 1971 to 1972 and “Blue Knight” from 1975 to 1976.
In “Proof of the Man” (1977) and “Virus” (1980), Kennedy played the lead role. Haruki Kadokawa was the man in charge of making both of the movies. The movies had a lot of international actors and actresses in them, and they were shot in many different countries. Even though the movies didn’t do well in the US, Kennedy had a great time making them and stayed interested in Japan and Japanese culture for the rest of his life.
“Bolero,” which Kennedy was in with Bo Derek in 1984, was a box office flop. He was also in the movies “Savage Dawn,” “The Delta Force,” and “Creepshow 2” during the rest of the 1980s. Then, in 1988, he got a leading part in the comedy “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!”
He was on the other side of the screen from Leslie Nielsen, and he played Captain Ed Hocken again in the next two movies. He was also the main character on the TV show “Dallas” from 1988 to 1991. At the end of the 1990s, he played the same character in the TV movies “Dallas: J.R. Returns” and “Dallas: War of the Ewings.”
Kennedy made a number of independent films during the 2000s. Then, he came back to TV in “The Young and the Restless,” a soap opera. He had a small role in the 2005 movie “Don’t Come Knocking.” His last movie role was in 2014’s “The Gambler.” He played Mark Wahlberg’s dying grandfather in the movie.
Final Words
Kennedy was born on February 18, 1925, in New York City. His father, George Harris Kennedy, was a musician and orchestra leader. Kennedy was raised by his ballet dancer mother, Helen. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and later worked in Hollywood.
Kennedy played supporting and co-starring roles in films such as “Charade,” “The Flight of the Phoenix,” and “In Harm’s Way”. His 1967 performance alongside Paul Newman in “Cool Hand Luke” established him as a credible serious actor.
