John Gavin
John Gavin (* 8. April 1931 in Los Angeles , California as John Anthony Golenor ; † 9. February 2018 in Beverly Hills , California) was an American actor , who also serves as president of the Screen Actors Guild and as ambassador in Mexico acted.
Life
Gavin was born to Herald Ray Golenor and his Mexican wife Delia Diana Pablos. He first began studying Latin American economic history at Stanford University , from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts . He then did a four-year military service as a reconnaissance officer in the US Navy (1952–1955).
Hollywood
Following his military service, John Gavin went to Hollywood, where he made his film acting debut alongside Rory Calhoun on the Western Raw Edge in 1956 . The actor corresponded to the common ideal of beauty of the time - tall, dark-haired, strong chin area - and therefore mostly embodied straightforward, upright characters. His breakthrough came in 1958 alongside Liselotte Pulver in Douglas Sirk's war drama Time to Live and Time to Die . For this appearance as a German soldier he received the Golden Globe Award for Best Young Actor . A year later, Gavin also played the male lead in Sirk's last film, the social drama As long as there are people with Lana Turner . His film studio Universal planned to build Gavin to replace Rock Hudson .
In 1960 Gavin played the role of Sam Loomis in Alfred Hitchcock 's classic thriller Psycho , whose lover is murdered by hotel owner Norman Bates. Director Hitchcock (as well as many film critics) felt Gavin as rather wooden actor and therefore gave him the nickname The Stiff (The stiffness) . Also in 1960 he played the Roman general Julius Caesar in Stanley Kubrick's monumental film Spartacus . He also starred alongside Doris Day in the thriller Mitternachtsspitzen (1960) and in Peter Ustinov's comedy Romanoff and Julia (1961). In search of better roles he left his film studio Universal in 1962, but as a freelance actor he hardly got any film offers. Even his return to Universal did not give his career a boost. From the mid-1960s, he mainly worked as a television actor.
In 1971 Gavin received a contract as James Bond for the film production Diamond Fever, succeeding George Lazenby . However, after Sean Connery had signaled his willingness to return as Bond, the already signed contract with Gavin was canceled. The money was paid to Gavin anyway. Also in 1971, Gavin was named president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) selected. He held the office until 1973. He then tried his hand at acting as a theater actor on Broadway ( Seesaw , 1973). He had his last acting role in 1981 in the television series Fantasy Island .
Diplomatic career and later life
In 1981, his fellow actor and predecessor as President of the Acting Union, Ronald Reagan , suggested Gavin for the office of Ambassador to Mexico. In addition, Gavin's excellent language skills predestined him - his mother was of Mexican descent and had raised him bilingually. From June 1981 to June 1986 he held this office. Since 1986 he worked as a businessman in the private sector.
Since 1974 Gavin was married to the actress Constance Towers in second marriage . The couple had two children together and two children from Towers' first marriage. John Gavin, who last suffered from leukemia, died in February 2018 at the age of 86 of complications from pneumonia.
Filmography
- 1956: The Pack Lurks Everywhere (Raw Edge)
- 1956: Behind the High Wall
- 1957: For Whom the Stars Shine (Four Girls in Town)
- 1957: Quantez, the dead city (Quantez)
- 1958: A Time to Love and a Time to Die (A Time to Love and a Time to Die)
- 1959: As long as there are people (Imitation of Life)
- 1960: Princess Olympia (A Breath of Scandal)
- 1960: Psycho
- 1960: Spartacus
- 1960: Mitternachtsspitzen (Midnight Lace)
- 1960: Thoughtful Stories ( Insight ; TV series, 1 episode)
- 1961: Romanoff and Julia (Romanoff and Juliet)
- 1961: Tammy Tell Me True
- 1961: Paris terminus (Back Street)
- 1962: Alcoa Premiere (TV series, 1 episode)
- 1963/1965: The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (TV series, 2 episodes)
- 1964: Destry (TV series, 13 episodes)
- 1964: The People at Shiloh Ranch ( The Virginian ; TV series, 1 episode)
- 1964: The Hour of Decision ( Kraft Suspense Theater ; TV series, 2 episodes)
- 1965: Convoy (TV series, 13 episodes)
- 1967: Pedro Páramo
- 1967: Modern Millie - Thoroughly Modern Millie
- 1968: No roses for OSS 117 (Pas de roses pour OSS 117)
- 1969: The Madwoman of Chaillot (The Madwoman of Chaillot)
- 1970: Cutter does not condone murder ( Cutter's Trail ; TV movie)
- 1970: Pussycat, Pussycat - I Love You (Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You)
- 1971: The Doris Day Show (TV series, 1 episode)
- 1973: Mannix (TV series, 1 episode)
- 1973: Keep It in the Family
- 1973: Nefertiti y Aquenatos (short film)
- 1974: The Wide World of Mystery (TV series, 1 episode)
- 1975: The Lives of Jenny Dolan (TV movie)
- 1976: Medical Center (TV series, 1 episode)
- 1976: Trace of blood into the realm of the dead (La casa de las sombras)
- 1977: Love Boat (TV series, 1 episode)
- 1978: Doctors' Private Lives (TV movie)
- 1978: Jennifer
- 1978: The dearest stewardesses ( Flying High ; TV series, 1 episode)
- 1978: The New Adventures of Heidi (TV movie)
- 1978/1981: Fantasy Island (TV series, 2 episodes)
- 1979: Doctors' Private Lives (four-part television miniseries)
- 1980: Sophia Loren - My Life ( Sophia Loren: Her Own Story ; TV film)
- 1980: Hard but warm (TV series, 1 episode)
Web links
- John Gavin in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- John Gavin in nndb (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ The birth of John Golenor . California Birth Index , accessed February 10, 2018.
- ↑ Kyle O'Sullivan: Psycho star John Gavin dead at 86 after leukemia battle . In: mirror . February 9, 2018 ( mirror.co.uk [accessed February 11, 2018]).
- ↑ Destry (TV Series 1964–) in the Internet Movie Database (English), cf. also Destry (TV series)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Gavin, John |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Golenor, John Anthony (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American actor and diplomat |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 8, 1931 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Los Angeles , California |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 9, 2018 |
| Place of death | Beverly Hills , California |