Norma Wurman (1959–1971; divorced) Joan McCarthy (1978–2015; her death)
Children
2
George Harris Kennedy, Jr.[2] (February 18, 1925[2] – February 28, 2016) was an American actor who appeared in more than two hundred film and television productions. His wide variety of roles include "Dragline" in Cool Hand Luke, for which he won an Academy Award; as Joe Patroni in all four of the 1970s Airportdisaster films; as Police Captain Ed Hocken in the Naked Gun series of comedy films; and as corrupt oil tycoon Carter McKay on the original Dallas television series.
Early life
Kennedy was born in New York City, into a show business family. His father, George Harris Kennedy, a musician and orchestra leader, died when Kennedy was four years old.[3][dead link] He was raised by his mother, Helen A. (née Kieselbach), a ballet dancer.[2][4] His maternal grandfather was a German immigrant; his ancestry also includes Irish and English.[2]
Kennedy made his stage debut at the age of two, later becoming a radio performer. Kennedy put aside show business during World War II and served in the United States Army for sixteen years, having seen combat and working in Armed Forces radio. He was involved with the opening of the first Army Information Office,[5] which provided technical assistance to films and television shows, like the Phil Silvers Show.[5]
Career
Promotional photo of Kennedy for the TV series Sarge, 1971
The “Airport” franchise helped inspire the Zucker Brothers’ antic “Airplane!” satire, in which the filmmakers hoped to cast Mr. Kennedy as the bumbling plane dispatcher. The role went to Lloyd Bridges because Mr. Kennedy “couldn’t kill off his ‘Airport’ cash-cow,” Jerry Zucker told the London Guardian in 2010.[6]
On television, Kennedy starred as Carter McKay in the CBSprime timeserialDallas (1978–1991), appearing from 1988-1991. In the late 1990s, he promoted Breathasure tablets in television commercials with the quote, "I never go anywhere without my Breathasure." Around this time, he reprised his role as McKay in the television films Dallas: JR Returns and Dallas: War of the Ewings. In the late 1970s Kennedy also appeared as a celebrity guest on the television game show Match Game.
In 1998, he voiced Brick Bazooka for the film Small Soldiers. He then made several independent films before making a 2003 comeback to television in the soap operaThe Young and the Restless, playing the character Albert Miller, the biological father to legendary character Victor Newman. In 2005, he made a cameo appearance in the film Don't Come Knocking, playing the director of an ill-fated western.
Kennedy received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to motion pictures, located at 6352 Hollywood Blvd.[7]
Writing career
Kennedy has written three books.[8] In 1983, he wrote the murder mystery Murder On Location, set on a film shoot. A second novel, Murder on High, was released in 1984. In 2011, he wrote his autobiography, Trust Me.[8]
Personal life
Kennedy resided in Eagle in Ada County in southwestern Idaho. He was married to Joan McCarthy and they have a daughter, Shaunna. The couple adopted their grandchildren, Taylor and Cory,[5] after the incarceration of the child's mother. On September 14, 2015, Kennedy's wife of 37 years, Joan McCarthy died.[7]
He was also good friends with James Stewart and his voice is featured in a TCM commercial commemorating Stewart. Kennedy was a licensed pilot who enjoyed flying and owned a Cessna 210 and Beechcraft Bonanza.[9]
Death
Kennedy died on the morning of February 28, 2016, of natural causes at an assisted living facility in Middleton, Idaho, at the age of 91.[10] Prior to his death he had a history of heart problems.[1][7] He is survived by his daughter and his two grandchildren.[7]
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