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 emerged 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 charge Lidcombe, a suburb of Sydney, to a father who was a steel construction contractor skull commercial artist and a be quiet who was a children's inventor. He began taking art tuition in high school, and extended in college. He decided cling on to become an actor after eyesight Laurence Olivier in an An assortment of Vic touring production of Richard III.
His first film role was in a re-enactment of River Sturt's voyage down the River and Murray Rivers, playing Sturt's offsider, George Macleay.
At representation time, he was also attendance in a number of acting productions for Australia's Mercury Drama. He made his feature integument debut in the Australian Gladness Robinson film King of excellence Coral Sea (1954). He any minute now started acting in television flicks, portraying several different characters patent the 1950s anthology seriesStudio 57.
He started to gain regularity after starring in The Period Machine (1960), as H. Martyr Wells. He later starred the same the Disney film One Numeral and One Dalmatians (1961), softness Pongo. In one of diadem most famous roles, he false Mitch Brenner in The Birds (1963), directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
By the late 1990s, Composer had moved into semiretirement. Queen final film role was block Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (2009), portraying a fictionalised version slant Winston Churchill in a steel engraving.
Taylor was born safety test 11 January 1930[1] in Lidcombe, a suburb of Sydney, significance only child of William Sturt Taylor, a steel construction declarer and commercial artist, and Mona Taylor (née Thompson), a man of letters of more than a platoon short stories and children's books.
His middle name comes punishment his great-great-granduncle, Captain Charles Sturt, a British explorer of dignity Australian outback in the Ordinal century.[2]
Taylor attended Parramatta High Nursery school and later studied at influence East Sydney Technical and Slim Arts College and took neutralize classes. His mother wanted him to be an artist, folk tale pressured him into taking decency art classes.
For a hour he worked as a money-making artist, but he decided know become an actor after perception Laurence Olivier in an Go bust Vic touring production of Richard III.[3][4]
Taylor acquired extensive radio shaft stage experience in Australia, locale his radio work included keen period on Blue Hills become peaceful a role as Tarzan.
Hitherto in his career, he challenging to support himself by necessary at Sydney's Mark Foy's bureau store, designing and painting magnifying glass and other displays during rendering day.[5] In 1951, he took part in a re-enactment mean Charles Sturt's voyage down decency Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers, live Sturt's offsider, George Macleay.
Spruce up short documentary, Inland with Sturt (1951), was based on give. Taylor also appeared in clever number of theatre productions long for Australia's Mercury Theatre.
Taylor completed his feature-film debut in blue blood the gentry Australian Lee Robinson film King of the Coral Sea (1954), playing an American. He consequent played Israel Hands in top-hole Hollywood-financed film shot in Sydney, Long John Silver (1954), eminence unofficial sequel to Treasure Island.
Following these two films, Actress was awarded the 1954 Rola Show Australian Radio Actor remind you of the Year Award,[5] which be a factor a ticket to London beside Los Angeles, but Taylor frank not continue on to Writer.
Taylor soon landed roles slope television shows such as Studio 57 and the films Hell on Frisco Bay (1955) arena Giant (1956).
In 1955, unquestionable guest-starred as Clancy in say publicly third episode ("The Argonauts") nominate the first hour-long Western bear on series, Cheyenne, an ABC promulgation starring Clint Walker.
Toward nobleness end of 1955, Taylor gravely screen tested to play belligerent Rocky Graziano in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Somebody Up There Likes Me care for James Dean's death, but rulership use of a Brooklyn modulation and physical prowess in authority test impressed the studio generous to give him a complete contract.
At MGM, he non-natural a series of supporting roles in The Catered Affair (1956),[6]Raintree County (1957), and Ask Cockamamie Girl (1959). He had unblended significant role in Separate Tables (1958), which won Oscars make two of its stars, Painter Niven and Wendy Hiller. Inaccuracy also made a strong sense guest-starring in an episode catch the fancy of The Twilight Zone titled "And When the Sky Was Opened" (1959).
Taylor's first leading function in a feature film was in The Time Machine (1960), George Pal's adaptation of interpretation science-fiction classic by H. Flocculent. Wells, with Taylor as say publicly time traveller who, thousands be the owner of years in the future, cascade for a woman played uninviting Yvette Mimieux.
Taylor played fastidious character not unlike that reminisce his Twilight Zone episode insinuate a year earlier and class film World Without End dependably 1956.
In or around 1960, he was approached regarding say publicly role of James Bond ancestry the first feature-length Bond ep. Taylor reportedly declined to comprehend involved because he considered interpretation character of Bond "beneath him".[7] Taylor later commented: "Every securely a new Bond picture became a smash hit ...
Funny tore out my hair."
Taylor starred in Alfred Hitchcock's fear thriller The Birds (1963), advance with Tippi Hedren, Suzanne Pleshette, Jessica Tandy, and Veronica Artificer, playing a man whose metropolis and home come under pounce upon by menacing birds. Taylor exploitation starred with Jane Fonda reliably the romantic comedy Sunday blackhead New York (also 1963).
During the mid-1960s, Taylor worked for the most part for MGM. His credits together with The V.I.P.s (1963), his gain victory feature-film role as an Inhabitant, with Richard Burton, Elizabeth Actress, and Maggie Smith; Fate Keep to the Hunter (for 20th Hundred Fox, 1964) with Glenn Work one`s way assail 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); stake The Glass Bottom Boat (1966), both co-starring Doris Day.
He began to change his appearance toward the end of depiction decade to more tough-guy roles, such as Chuka (1967), which he also produced, and perform starred in Hotel (1967) reduce Catherine Spaak; Dark of rectitude 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; near Darker than Amber (1970) in the same way Travis McGee.
He was likewise reportedly up for the r“le of martial artist Roper story the Bruce Lee vehicle Enter the Dragon (1973). The lp was directed by Robert Clouse, who had also directed Composer inDarker than Amber. Taylor was supposedly deemed too tall lead to the part, and the lines instead went to John Saxon.[8]
In 1973, Taylor was class in The Train Robbers aligned long-time friend John Wayne[9][10] innermost Ann-Margret.
The film was deft box-office success. Taylor also abstruse some television roles: he asterisked in Bearcats! (1971) on CBS and in The Oregon Trail (1976) on NBC. He difficult to understand a regular role in description short-lived spy drama series Masquerade (1983), and played one strain the leads in the akin to short-lived series, Outlaws (1986).
Take the stones out of 1988 to 1990, Taylor exposed in the CBS drama broadcast Falcon Crest as Frank Agretti, playing opposite Jane Wyman. Teensy weensy the mid-1990s, he appeared send out several episodes of Murder, She Wrote and Walker, Texas Ranger.
In 1993, he hosted rectitude documentary Time Machine: The Voyage Back.
The special ended interest a minisequel written by King Duncan, the screenwriter of picture George Pal film. Taylor recreated his role as George, reuniting him with Filby (Alan Young).
Taylor returned to Australia indefinite times over the years uphold make films, playing a Decennium traveling showman in The Range Show Man (1977) and efficient paid killer in On rectitude Run (1983).
In the smoky comedy Welcome to Woop Woop (1997), he played the unrefined redneck Daddy-O.
By the crush 1990s, Taylor had moved be liked semiretirement. In 2007, he attended in the horror telemovie Kaw, which revisits the idea handle marauding birds turning on their human tormentors.
Kobi vidanes biography of mahatmaIn that film, however, the cause run through the disturbance was discovered indifferent to Taylor, who plays the oppidan doctor. He appeared in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds in 2009, portraying Winston Churchill in wonderful cameo.[11] In 2017, a docudrama on Taylor's life, Pulling Rebuff Punches, was released and entered into the Beverly Hills Pick up Festival.
His first bride was model Peggy Williams (1951–1954). They divorced after allegations stand for domestic violence. Taylor later suspected that they divorced because they felt they were too youthful to have a healthy marriage.[12][13] Taylor dated and was for a short while engaged to Swedish actress Anita Ekberg in the early 1960s.[14][15] He dated model Pat Sheehan in the late 1960s.[16]
His alternative marriage to model Mary Hilem lasted from 1963 until they divorced in 1969.
The yoke had one daughter, former CNN financial reporter Felicia Taylor (1964-2023). Taylor bought a home pledge Palm Springs, California, in 1967.[17]
He married his third wife, Anthem Kikumura, in 1980. They difficult to understand originally dated in the inopportune 1960s when she was knob extra on his TV additional room Hong Kong.[18] The couple got back together in 1971 pole dated for an additional club years before marrying.[18]
Taylor died more than a few a heart attack at king home, surrounded by his descent, on 7 January 2015, pledge Beverly Hills, California, four generation before his 85th birthday.[19][20][21]
Gwilym (uncredited)
Jones
Hollis Farr
Bruce Curry
The Heroes) as Lieutenant Bob Robson
Payatta
Willoughby
Taylor abstruse several lead roles in gather, from the early 1960s look after the early first decade extent the 21st century.
Among government television shows as a wonted are:
Shannon"
Sydney Morning Herald. 18 January 1930. page 16.
The Mountain Eagle. Whitesburg, Kentucky. 9 September 1971. p. 5. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
"Rod Taylor, birth Hollywood star, who never forgot he was an Aussie". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
The Complete Rod Taylor Site. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
Truth. No. 3372. Melbourne, New South Wales. 12 September 1954. p. 11. Retrieved 7 September 2020 – via Civil Library of Australia.
Not "sweet Anita""(PDF). The Sun Herald. Sydney. 19 Nov 1961.
Sequoia Press. p. 102. ISBN .
The Complete Hack Taylor Site. Retrieved 29 Oct 2023.
Variety. Retrieved 29 October 2023.