Known for movies
The Fugitive (1963-1967)
as Dr. Richard Kimble / Jeff Cooper / Nick Walker / S
Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1957-1960)
as Richard Diamond / Chuck Garrett
Harry O (1973-1976)
as Harry Orwell
The Green Berets (1968)
as George Beckworth
Short Info
| Died | February 13, 1980, Malibu, California, United States |
| Spouse | Dani Crayne, Ellie Graham |
| Mark | Quiet, low-key acting style |
| Fact | Was also a songwriter. |
David Janssen was an American actor who is best known for his role as Dr. Richard Kimble in the television series The Fugitive. He was born on March 27, 1931 in Naponee, Nebraska, the only child of Berniece (née Zehner) and Harold Edward Janssen. His father was a lawyer and his mother was a schoolteacher. Janssen’s father died when he was four years old and his mother moved the family to Hollywood, California. Janssen attended Fairfax High School where he excelled in sports and was a member of the track team. After graduation, he enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles on a track scholarship. However, he dropped out after one semester to pursue a career in acting.
Janssen began his acting career in the 1950s with guest starring roles on various television series. His first film role was in the 1956 film noir The Killer Is Loose. In 1963, he was cast as Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive. The series ran for four seasons and ended in 1967. Janssen reprised his role in the 1993 film adaptation of The Fugitive. He also appeared in films such as The Green Berets (1968), Airport (1970), and The Swiss Conspiracy (1976).
In the 1980s, Janssen starred in the television series Harry O. He also had a recurring role on Magnum, P.I. as Jonathan Quayle Higgins III. Janssen’s final television appearance was in an episode of Diagnosis: Murder in 1996. He retired from acting after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Janssen died from the disease on February 13, 1980 at the age of 48.
During his career, Janssen appeared in over 50 films and television series. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama for his work on The Fugitive. Janssen had a net worth of $5 million at the time of his death.
General Info
| Full Name | David Janssen |
| Died | February 13, 1980, Malibu, California, United States |
| Height | 1.83 m |
| Profession | Actor, Songwriter |
| Education | Fairfax High School |
| Nationality | American |
Family
| Spouse | Dani Crayne, Ellie Graham |
| Parents | Berniece Graf, Harold Edward Meyer |
| Siblings | Jill Janssen, Teri Janssen |
Accomplishments
| Awards | Golden Globe Award for Best TV Star - Male |
| Nominations | Golden Globe Award for Best New Star of the Year – Actor, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Series, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series |
| Movies | The Green Berets, Hell to Eternity, Once Is Not Enough, Marooned, Birds of Prey, Warning Shot, Two-Minute Warning, The Shoes of the Fisherman, Macho Callahan, Nowhere to Run, Ring of Fire, The Swiss Conspiracy, Man-Trap, A Sensitive, Passionate Man, To Hell and Back, Moon of the Wolf, Inchon, Twenty... |
| TV Shows | Centennial, Harry O, O'Hara, U.S. Treasury, The Fugitive, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, Biography, The Word (US) |
Social profile links
Marks
| # | Marks / Signs |
|---|---|
| 1 | Deep, whiskey-tinged voice |
| 2 | Quiet, low-key acting style |
Quotes
| # | Quote |
|---|---|
| 1 | [on Fred Silverman, ABC's programming chief, who canceled Harry O (1973) after two seasons] Silverman wanted more sex and violence in the show. I wanted more humor - more relationship between myself and Anthony Zerbe. |
| 2 | [on high school athletics] I broke a cartilage in my left knee cap while pole vaulting. Calcium formed in my knee, and it is still very painful at times. As for being against athletics in high school - on the contrary, I'm all for it! We don't want to produce a generation of eggheads, do we? |
| 3 | Good living I've learned, not inherited. |
| 4 | [on Jack Webb, the producer of O'Hara, U.S. Treasury (1971)] Jack Webb marches to a drummer that is not my drummer. |
| 5 | [on why he takes so many acting roles]: I have always considered myself basically unemployed. I'm from Nebraska and I feel guilty when I'm not working. |
| 6 | [on his divorce from his first wife Ellie]: After 11 years of marriage I dived into what I considered a newfound freedom. I was working hard and playing hard. Flying my own plane to parties all over the country and down to Mexico, having what I thought was a great time. I participated in life on what might be considered the grand scale, before I decided I had one hangover too many, one party too many, one charted plane and 14 servants too many. Too many cars that I never got around to drive. |
| 7 | TV is my sleeping pill. |
Facts
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | Close friend of Jerry Orbach, whom he met doing a stage play in Dayton, Ohio, during the summer of 1959. Janssen had the lead in Mister Roberts and Orbach appeared as the character Mannion. |
| 2 | Younger half-brothers: Larry and Lee Meyer (twins born in 1942). |
| 3 | Quinn Martin's eulogy for David Janssen on February 17, 1980: He was a true professional, a superstar. |
| 4 | Patrick Macnee on David Janssen: The best television actor by far of anybody was David Janssen. |
| 5 | On ice skates, David Janssen hosted "Highlights of the Ice Capades" (NBC-TV, Nov. 4, 1970). |
| 6 | Was also a songwriter. |
| 7 | Linda Evans on David Janssen: I never met anyone who didn't adore David. To this day I still miss that guy; he was one of a kind. (from Evans' 2011 memoir "Recipes for Life"). |
| 8 | Linda Evans, his costar in Harry O: Guardian at the Gates (1974), and Jean Seberg, his costar in Macho Callahan (1970), both have said that David Janssen was their moms' favorite actor. |
| 9 | Advised Farrah Fawcett to turn down Charlie's Angels (1976). |
| 10 | 18-year old David held a 3-year-old Cher when her mother Georgia Holt couldn't get a babysitter while filming a watch commercial. |
| 11 | Was a voracious reader. He'd buy two copies of whatever book he wanted to read, one for his home in L.A. and one for his home in Palm Springs. |
| 12 | He was against the Vietnam War, although his involvement in The Green Berets (1968) caused many to think he supported US involvement in the conflict. |
| 13 | David was the son of Berniece Mae (Graf) and Harold Edward Meyer. He took on the surname of his stepfather, Eugene Janssen. His paternal grandparents were William Meyer and Myra Angela Wert. His maternal grandparents were Werner Daniel Graf and Verna Eliza Waggoner. His ancestry was German, and some Swiss-German and Scottish-Irish. |
| 14 | Contributed a turkey pot pie recipe to Diana Millay's cookbook "I'd Rather Eat Than Act." Diana Millay was his co-star in Target: The Corruptors: The Middle Man (1962). |
| 15 | Frank Liberman, a veteran Hollywood publicist who had many famous clients, represented David Janssen for 16 years and has cited Janssen as one of his favorite clients: "He was wonderful. He was one of the brightest men I've ever known. Very articulate.". |
| 16 | Excelled at basketball in high school. |
| 17 | Pallbearers at his funeral on February 17, 1980 included Rod Stewart, Gregory Peck, Gene Kelly, Richard Harris, Milton Berle, Linda Evans's husband Stan Herman, and Suzanne Pleshette's husband Tom Gallagher. |
| 18 | He did a lot of his own flying in Birds of Prey (1973) (Flying Magazine, June 1988, p.30). |
| 19 | Angie Dickinson on David Janssen: He was a great gentleman, a great date, and a great love. [Vanity Fair, December 31, 2007]. |
| 20 | Deborah Raffin on David Janssen: I was frightened by his rough, tough image. He's totally different, sensitive, considerate, a true gentleman. (The Indianapolis Star, July 26, 1975, p. 14). |
| 21 | He was a top track star at school. |
| 22 | Called his highly successful TV series "The Fuge.". |
| 23 | Worked frequently for Dick Powell on TV. |
| 24 | Made 21 TV movies, which includes two mini-series. |
| 25 | A close friend of Richard Harris, who was so upset by Janssen's death that he sat outside a cathedral in New York for hours in the snow upon hearing the news. |
| 26 | Was close friends with Stuart Whitman. |
| 27 | Best remembered by the public for his starring role as Dr. Richard Kimble on The Fugitive (1963). |
| 28 | As a contract player at Universal-International in the 1950s, he attended Universal's acting classes with a fellow Universal contractee, Clint Eastwood. The two became friends, and Eastwood is still friends with Janssen's widow, Dani. |
| 29 | Mother, Berniece Janssen. |
| 30 | His last role was in the film Inchon (1981). Even though he died before the movie was completed, his part was not deleted (this was a widespread rumor). |
| 31 | Brother of Teri Janssen and Jill Janssen. |
| 32 | Twisted his right knee in 1948 while pole vaulting for reporters from the Hollywood Citizen News. |
| 33 | He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, only about a block away from the Chinese Theater. When it was placed there, it was in front of David's favorite ice cream shops as a child. The star dedication was on his mother's birthday in 1989. |
| 34 | His mother and both of his sisters appeared as extras in The Fugitive (1963). |
| 35 | Born at 10:00am-CST. |
Pictures
Movies
Actor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inchon | 1981 | David Feld | |
| City in Fear | 1980 | TV Movie | Vince Perrino |
| High Ice | 1980 | TV Movie | Glencoe MacDonald |
| The Golden Gate Murders | 1979 | TV Movie | Det. Sgt. Paul Silver |
| S.O.S. Titanic | 1979 | TV Movie | John Jacob Astor |
| Centennial | 1978-1979 | TV Mini-Series | Paul Garrett / Narrator |
| Biography | 1979 | TV Series | Host |
| The Word | 1978 | TV Mini-Series | Steve Randall |
| Covert Action | 1978 | Lester Horton | |
| Nowhere to Run | 1978 | TV Movie | Harry Adams |
| Superdome | 1978 | TV Movie | Mike Shelley |
| Golden Rendezvous | 1977 | Charles Conway | |
| Police Story | 1977 | TV Series | Sgt. Joe Wilson |
| A Sensitive, Passionate Man | 1977 | TV Movie | Michael Delaney |
| Warhead | 1977 | Tony Stevens | |
| Mayday at 40,000 Feet! | 1976 | TV Movie | Captain Pete Douglass |
| Two-Minute Warning | 1976 | Steve | |
| Stalk the Wild Child | 1976 | TV Movie | Dr. James Hazard |
| Harry O | 1973-1976 | TV Series | Harry Orwell |
| The Swiss Conspiracy | 1976 | David Christopher | |
| Once Is Not Enough | 1975 | Tom Colt | |
| Fer-de-Lance | 1974 | TV Movie | Russ Bogan |
| Smile Jenny, You're Dead | 1974 | TV Movie | Harry Orwell |
| Little Boy Lost | 1974 | Short | Eddie Loman |
| Pioneer Woman | 1973 | TV Movie | Robert Douglas |
| Hijack! | 1973 | TV Movie | Jake Wilkenson |
| Cannon | 1973 | TV Series | Ian Kirk |
| Birds of Prey | 1973 | TV Movie | Harry Walker |
| Moon of the Wolf | 1972 | TV Movie | Sheriff Aaron Whitaker |
| The Longest Night | 1972 | TV Movie | Alan Chambers |
| Night Chase | 1970 | TV Movie | Adrian Vico |
| Macho Callahan | 1970 | Diego Callahan | |
| Generation | 1969 | Jim Bolton | |
| Marooned | 1969 | Ted Dougherty | |
| Where It's At | 1969 | A.C. | |
| The Shoes of the Fisherman | 1968/I | George Faber | |
| The Green Berets | 1968 | George Beckworth | |
| The Fugitive | 1963-1967 | TV Series | Dr. Richard Kimble / Thomas Barrett / Steve Carver / ... |
| Warning Shot | 1967 | Sgt. Tom Valens | |
| My Six Loves | 1963 | Marty Bliss | |
| Naked City | 1961-1963 | TV Series | Carl Ashland / Blair Cameron |
| The Dick Powell Theatre | 1963 | TV Series | Kenneth 'Ken' Morgan |
| The Fugitive | 1963 | TV Movie | Dr. Richard Kimble / James Lincoln |
| The Eleventh Hour | 1962 | TV Series | Hal Kincaid |
| Route 66 | 1962 | TV Series | Karno Starling |
| Kraft Mystery Theater | 1962 | TV Series | |
| Belle Sommers | 1962 | TV Movie | Danny Castle |
| Cain's Hundred | 1962 | TV Series | Dan Mullin |
| Checkmate | 1962 | TV Series | Len Kobalsky |
| Follow the Sun | 1962 | TV Series | Johnny Sadowsky |
| General Electric Theater | 1962 | TV Series | Pat Howard |
| Target: The Corruptors | 1962 | TV Series | Robbie Wilson |
| Adventures in Paradise | 1961 | TV Series | Scotty Bell |
| Man-Trap | 1961 | Vince Biskay | |
| Twenty Plus Two | 1961 | Tom Alder | |
| Ring of Fire | 1961 | Sergeant Steve Walsh | |
| King of the Roaring 20's: The Story of Arnold Rothstein | 1961 | Arnold Rothstein | |
| Dondi | 1961 | Dealey | |
| Death Valley Days | 1961 | TV Series | Dr. Bill Breckenridge |
| Richard Diamond, Private Detective | 1957-1960 | TV Series | Richard Diamond / Chuck Garrett |
| Hell to Eternity | 1960 | Sgt. Bill Hazen | |
| Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse | 1959 | TV Series | Ross Ingraham |
| Zane Grey Theater | 1957-1959 | TV Series | Dix Porter / Seth Larker / Tod Owen / ... |
| The Millionaire | 1957-1958 | TV Series | David Barrett / Peter Miller |
| Alcoa Theatre | 1957-1958 | TV Series | Jim McCandless / Mike Harper |
| Lafayette Escadrille | 1958 | Duke Sinclair | |
| You Are There | 1957 | TV Series | Grat Dalton |
| Conflict | 1957 | TV Series | Sid Lukes |
| The Girl He Left Behind | 1956 | Capt. Genaro | |
| Showdown at Abilene | 1956 | Verne Ward | |
| Mr. Black Magic | 1956 | Short | Master of Ceremonies |
| The Sheriff of Cochise | 1956 | TV Series | Arnie Hix |
| Away All Boats | 1956 | Talker (uncredited) | |
| Matinee Theatre | 1956 | TV Series | Paul Merrick |
| Francis in the Haunted House | 1956 | Police Lieutenant Hopkins | |
| The Toy Tiger | 1956 | Larry Tripps | |
| Lux Video Theatre | 1955-1956 | TV Series | Johnny Reynolds Jr. / Joe Davies / Ralph |
| Never Say Goodbye | 1956 | Dave Heller | |
| The Square Jungle | 1955 | Jack Lindsay | |
| The Nat 'King' Cole Musical Story | 1955 | Short | Narrator (uncredited) |
| All That Heaven Allows | 1955 | Freddie Norton (uncredited) | |
| To Hell and Back | 1955 | Lieutenant Lee | |
| The Private War of Major Benson | 1955 | Young Lieutenant | |
| Francis in the Navy | 1955 | Lt. Anders | |
| Cult of the Cobra | 1955 | Rico Nardi | |
| Chief Crazy Horse | 1955 | Lt. Colin Cartwright | |
| Leave It to Harry | 1954 | Short | Quiz Show Host |
| Back at the Front | 1952 | Soldier (uncredited) | |
| Yankee Buccaneer | 1952 | Beckett | |
| Bonzo Goes to College | 1952 | Jack (uncredited) | |
| Untamed Frontier | 1952 | Lottie's Dance Partner (uncredited) | |
| Francis Goes to West Point | 1952 | Cpl. Thomas (as Dave Janssen) | |
| No Room for the Groom | 1952 | Soldier (scenes deleted) | |
| Boston Blackie | 1951 | TV Series | Armored Car Driver |
| Swamp Fire | 1946 | Emile's Eldest Son (uncredited) | |
| It's a Pleasure | 1945 | Davey / boy referee (uncredited) | |
| Crusade of Youth | Short |
Sound Department
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| All That Heaven Allows | 1955 | looping - uncredited | |
| To Hell and Back | 1955 | looping - uncredited | |
| The Private War of Major Benson | 1955 | looping - uncredited | |
| There's Always Tomorrow | 1955 | looping - uncredited | |
| The Shrike | 1955 | looping - uncredited | |
| The Purple Mask | 1955 | looping - uncredited | |
| The Girl He Left Behind | 1956 | looping - uncredited | |
| Pillars of the Sky | 1956 | looping - uncredited | |
| Showdown at Abilene | 1956 | looping - uncredited | |
| The Kettles in the Ozarks | 1956 | looping - uncredited | |
| World in My Corner | 1956 | looping - uncredited | |
| The Second Greatest Sex | 1955 | looping - uncredited | |
| Kiss of Fire | 1955 | looping - uncredited |
Miscellaneous
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lady Godiva of Coventry | 1955 | voice dubbing - uncredited | |
| Francis in the Navy | 1955 | voice dubbing - uncredited | |
| The Man from Bitter Ridge | 1955 | voice dubbing - uncredited | |
| Revenge of the Creature | 1955 | voice dubbing - uncredited | |
| Man Without a Star | 1955 | voice dubbing - uncredited | |
| Smoke Signal | 1955 | voice dubbing - uncredited |
Soundtrack
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Sensitive, Passionate Man | 1977 | TV Movie lyrics: "My Sensitive, Passionate Man" |
Thanks
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Father Damien: The Leper Priest | 1980 | TV Movie dedicatee |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The 30th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards | 1978 | TV Special | Himself - Presenter: Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series |
| TV: The Fabulous Fifties | 1978 | TV Movie | Himself - Host of Action Segment |
| AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Bette Davis | 1977 | TV Special documentary | Himself (uncredited) |
| Circus of the Stars | 1977 | TV Special documentary | Himself - Performer |
| Dinah! | 1975-1976 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | 1965-1976 | TV Series | Himself - Guest / Himself / Man in Film Clip |
| The Mike Douglas Show | 1975-1976 | TV Series | Himself - Co-Host / Himself - Actor / Himself |
| Joys | 1976 | TV Special | Himself |
| The Annual National Sports Awards | 1975 | TV Special | Himself - Presenter |
| The Bob Hope Show | 1964-1975 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Merv Griffin Show | 1966-1975 | TV Series | Himself |
| Selling with Success | 1974 | Documentary short | Himself - Host / Narrator |
| AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to John Ford | 1973 | TV Special documentary | Himself |
| Hollywood's Talking | 1973 | TV Series | Himself |
| The 29th Annual Golden Globe Awards | 1972 | TV Special | Himself |
| The Kraft Music Hall | 1970 | TV Series | Himself |
| Dinah's Place | 1970 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Tim Conway Comedy Hour | 1970 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Dean Martin Show | 1968-1969 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Movie Game | 1969 | TV Series | Himself |
| Monsanto Night Presents Lena Horne | 1969 | TV Movie | Himself |
| The Joey Bishop Show | 1967-1969 | TV Series | Himself |
| Laugh-In | 1969 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Shoes of the Fisherman | 1968/II | Documentary short | Himself (uncredited) |
| The Donald O'Connor Show | 1968 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Don Rickles Show | 1968 | TV Series | Himself |
| Your All-American College Show | 1968 | TV Series | Himself - Presenter |
| The Moviemakers | 1968/II | Documentary short | Himself |
| Cinema | 1967 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The Hollywood Palace | 1965 | TV Series | Himself - Host |
| The 34th Annual Academy Awards | 1962 | TV Special | Himself - Audience Member |
| The New March of Dimes Presents: The Scene Stealers | 1962 | TV Special | Himself |
| Here's Hollywood | 1961 | TV Series | Himself |
| About Faces | 1960 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Arthur Murray Party | 1959 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Juke Box Jury | 1958 | TV Series | Himself |
| This Is America | Documentary short |
Archive Footage
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sixties | 2014 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Dr. Richard Kimble - The Fugitive |
| Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood | 2010 | TV Mini-Series documentary | George Beckworth |
| La imagen de tu vida | 2006 | TV Series | Dr. Richard Kimble |
| Svengoolie | 1997 | TV Series | Rico Nardi |
| Biography | 1995 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Texaco Presents: A Quarter Century of Bob Hope on Television | 1975 | TV Special | Himself |
| The Hollywood Palace | 1970 | TV Series | Himself |
| Frontier Justice | 1958-1961 | TV Series | Danny Ensign |
Awards
Won Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Star on the Walk of Fame | Walk of Fame | Television | On 1 May 1989. At 7011 Hollywood Blvd. |
| 1974 | Bronze Wrangler | Western Heritage Awards | Fictional Television Drama | Pioneer Woman (1973) |
| 1967 | Audience Camera | Golden Camera, Germany | This year asking for the favorite foreign language TV series star. | |
| 1967 | Most Popular Male Star | Photoplay Awards | ||
| 1966 | Golden Globe | Golden Globes, USA | Best TV Star - Male | The Fugitive (1963) |
| 1961 | Golden Laurel | Laurel Awards | Top Male New Personality |
Nominated Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series | The Fugitive (1963) |
| 1966 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series | The Fugitive (1963) |
| 1965 | Golden Globe | Golden Globes, USA | Best TV Star - Male | The Fugitive (1963) |
| 1964 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Series (Lead) | The Fugitive (1963) |
| 1963 | Golden Apple | Golden Apple Awards | Most Cooperative Actor | |
| 1961 | Golden Globe | Golden Globes, USA | Most Promising Newcomer - Male | Hell to Eternity (1960) |
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia
