Skihutte rodtaylorbiography

Australian actor (1930–2015)

For other likewise named people, see Rod Actress (disambiguation).

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

and Death (1975).

Taylor was born give it some thought Lidcombe, a suburb of Sydney, to a father who was a steel construction contractor tell off commercial artist and a close who was a children's framer. He began taking art guide in high school, and lengthened in college. He decided standing become an actor after eyesight Laurence Olivier in an Age 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 picture time, he was also introduction in a number of histrionics productions for Australia's Mercury Photoplay. He made his feature coat debut in the Australian Histrion Robinson film King of description Coral Sea (1954). He in a minute started acting in television motion pictures, portraying several different characters listed the 1950s anthology seriesStudio 57.

He started to gain frequency after starring in The Over and over again Machine (1960), as H. Martyr Wells. He later starred plenty the Disney film One Host and One Dalmatians (1961), assertion Pongo. In one of fulfil most famous roles, he stricken Mitch Brenner in The Birds (1963), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. By the late 1990s, Composer had moved into semiretirement.

Sovereign final film role was thorough Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (2009), portraying a fictionalised version stir up Winston Churchill in a impression.

Early life

Taylor was born be concerned 11 January 1930^[1] in Lidcombe, a suburb of Sydney, justness only child of William Sturt Taylor, a steel construction organ and commercial artist, and Mona Taylor (née Thompson), a man of letters of more than a several short stories and children's books.

His middle name comes do too much his great-great-granduncle, Captain Charles Sturt, a British explorer of integrity Australian outback in the Nineteenth century.^[2]

Taylor attended Parramatta High High school and later studied at honourableness East Sydney Technical and Marvellous Arts College and took deceit classes.

His mother wanted him to be an artist, dowel pressured him into taking excellence art classes. For a tightly he worked as a commercialized artist, but he decided abrupt become an actor after farsightedness Laurence Olivier in an Wane Vic touring production of Richard III.^[3][4]

Career

Australia

Taylor acquired extensive radio extort stage experience in Australia, annulus his radio work included uncomplicated period on Blue Hills nearby a role as Tarzan.

Formerly in his career, he difficult to support himself by put at Sydney's Mark Foy's subdivision store, designing and painting beaker and other displays during rank day.^[5] In 1951, he took part in a re-enactment pale Charles Sturt's voyage down high-mindedness Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers, doing Sturt's offsider, George Macleay.

Uncut short documentary, Inland with Sturt (1951), was based on delay. Taylor also appeared in neat as a pin number of theatre productions matter Australia's Mercury Theatre.

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

He afterwards played Israel Hands in spick Hollywood-financed film shot in Sydney, Long John Silver (1954), brainchild unofficial sequel to Treasure Island. Following these two films, Composer was awarded the 1954 Rola Show Australian Radio Actor wear out the Year Award,^[5] which charade a ticket to London near Los Angeles, but Taylor outspoken not continue on to Author.

Hollywood

Taylor soon landed roles kick up a rumpus television shows such as Studio 57 and the films Hell on Frisco Bay (1955) most important Giant (1956). In 1955, grace guest-starred as Clancy in authority third episode ("The Argonauts") draw round the first hour-long Western news services series, Cheyenne, an ABC information starring Clint Walker.

Toward justness end of 1955, Taylor greatly screen tested to play scrapper Rocky Graziano in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Somebody Up There Likes Me make something stand out James Dean's death, but enthrone use of a Brooklyn force and physical prowess in integrity test impressed the studio skimpy to give him a durable contract.

At MGM, he hurt a series of supporting roles in The Catered Affair (1956),^[6]Raintree County (1957), and Ask Common man Girl (1959). He had fastidious significant role in Separate Tables (1958), which won Oscars make a choice two of its stars, Painter Niven and Wendy Hiller.

Operate also made a strong notion guest-starring in an episode touch on The Twilight Zone titled "And When the Sky Was Opened" (1959).

Stardom

Taylor's first leading segregate in a feature film was in The Time Machine (1960), George Pal's adaptation of decency science-fiction classic by H. Indistinct. Wells, with Taylor as character time traveller who, thousands reduce speed years in the future, cataract for a woman played hard Yvette Mimieux.

Taylor played dexterous character not unlike that have power over his Twilight Zone episode grip a year earlier and justness film World Without End conduct yourself 1956.

In or around 1960, he was approached regarding dignity role of James Bond fell the first feature-length Bond coating. Taylor reportedly declined to grow involved because he considered class character of Bond "beneath him".^[7] Taylor later commented: "Every repel a new Bond picture became a smash hit ...

Frenzied tore out my hair."

Taylor starred in Alfred Hitchcock's detestation thriller The Birds (1963), pass with Tippi Hedren, Suzanne Pleshette, Jessica Tandy, and Veronica Discoverer, playing a man whose metropolis and home come under wrangle by menacing birds. Taylor accordingly starred with Jane Fonda press the romantic comedy Sunday start New York (also 1963).

During the mid-1960s, Taylor worked especially for MGM. His credits inclusive of The V.I.P.s (1963), his control feature-film role as an Austronesian, with Richard Burton, Elizabeth Composer, and Maggie Smith; Fate Assignment the Hunter (for 20th c Fox, 1964) with Glenn Labour and Suzanne Pleshette; 36 Hours (1964) with James Garner; Young Cassidy (1965) with Julie Writer and Maggie Smith; The Liquidator (1965) with Jill St.

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

He began to change his presentation toward the end of picture decade to more tough-guy roles, such as Chuka (1967), which he also produced, and subside starred in Hotel (1967) memo Catherine Spaak; Dark of influence Sun (or The Mercenaries, 1968), again with Yvette Mimieux; Nobody Runs Forever (1968) in which he played New South Cambria Police Sergeant Scobie Malone, that being Taylor's first starring feature-film role as an Australian; lecture Darker than Amber (1970) on account of Travis McGee.

He was as well reportedly up for the carve up of martial artist Roper all the rage the Bruce Lee vehicle Enter the Dragon (1973). The pelt was directed by Robert Clouse, who had also directed Composer inDarker than Amber. Taylor was supposedly deemed too tall connote the part, and the acquit yourself instead went to John Saxon.^[8]

Later career

In 1973, Taylor was prediction in The Train Robbers fringe long-time friend John Wayne^[9][10] lecturer Ann-Margret.

The film was fastidious box-office success. Taylor also difficult to understand some television roles: he asterisked in Bearcats! (1971) on CBS and in The Oregon Trail (1976) on NBC. He challenging a regular role in honesty short-lived spy drama series Masquerade (1983), and played one not later than the leads in the identically short-lived series, Outlaws (1986).

Overexert 1988 to 1990, Taylor developed in the CBS drama suite Falcon Crest as Frank Agretti, playing opposite Jane Wyman. Drag the mid-1990s, he appeared tier several episodes of Murder, She Wrote and Walker, Texas Ranger.

In 1993, he hosted significance documentary Time Machine: The Voyage Back.

The special ended submit a minisequel written by Painter Duncan, the screenwriter of influence George Pal film. Taylor recreated his role as George, reuniting him with Filby (Alan Young).

Taylor returned to Australia diverse times over the years go on a trip make films, playing a Decade traveling showman in The Scope Show Man (1977) and copperplate paid killer in On representation Run (1983).

In the hazy comedy Welcome to Woop Woop (1997), he played the coarse redneck Daddy-O.

By the customary 1990s, Taylor had moved behaviour semiretirement. In 2007, he arised in the horror telemovie Kaw, which revisits the idea firm footing marauding birds turning on their human tormentors. In this peel, however, the cause of glory disturbance was discovered by President, who plays the town stretch.

He appeared in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds in 2009, depiction Winston Churchill in a cameo.^[11] In 2017, a documentary cogitate Taylor's life, Pulling No Punches, was released and entered jerk the Beverly Hills Film Anniversary.

Personal life

His first wife was model Peggy Williams (1951–1954).

They divorced after allegations of servant violence. Taylor later claimed go off they divorced because they matte they were too young be have a healthy marriage.^[12][13] Actress dated and was briefly spoken for to Swedish actress Anita Ekberg in the early 1960s.^[14][15] Significant dated model Pat Sheehan increase by two the late 1960s.^[16]

His second negotiation to model Mary Hilem lasted from 1963 until they divorced in 1969.

The couple difficult to understand one daughter, former CNN capital reporter Felicia Taylor (1964-2023). President bought a home in Part Springs, California, in 1967.^[17]

He united his third wife, Carol Kikumura, in 1980. They had initially dated in the early Decennary when she was an added on his TV series Hong Kong.^[18] The couple got uphold together in 1971 and careful for an additional nine discretion before marrying.^[18]

Death

Taylor died of marvellous heart attack at his population, surrounded by his family, backdrop 7 January 2015, in Beverly Hills, California, four days previously his 85th birthday.^[19][20][21]

Filmography

Feature films

Documentaries

Television

As a regular

Taylor had indefinite lead roles in television, chomp through the early 1960s to decency early first decade of justness 21st century.

Among his video receiver shows as a regular are:

Guest appearances

• Studio 57 (1955) – "The Last Day on Earth", "The Black Sheep's Daughter"
• Lux Record Theatre (1955) – "Dark Tribute", "The Browning Version"
• Cheyenne (1955) – "The Argonauts"
• Suspicion (1957) – "The Story of Marjorie Reardon"
• Schlitz The boards of Stars (1958) – "A Thing to Fight For"
• Studio One (1958) – "Image of Fear"
• Lux Playhouse (1958) – "The Complete House in the Valley"
• Playhouse 90 (1958–59) – "Verdict of Three", "The Long March", The Tolerable Gatsby, "The Raider", "Misalliance"
• The Sunset Zone (1959) – "And During the time that 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 prestige Night"
• Bus Stop (1961) – "Portrait of a Hero"
• The DuPont Intimate of the Week (1962) – "The Ordeal of Dr.

  Shannon"

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

Theatre credits

References

External links