His career was damaged a few years after he left "Route 66". A lover of his died and one of the tabloids published a sensational story about their gay union. George claimed that the casting offices stopped calling after that.
George Maharis is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Buz Murdock in the television series Route 66, which aired on CBS from 1960 to 1964.
Maharis was born in Astoria, Queens, New York, on September 1, 1928. His parents were Greek immigrants. He has two brothers and two sisters.
Maharis was educated at the New York City public school system. He began his acting career in the 1950s, appearing in various television shows and movies.
In 1960, Maharis was cast as Buz Murdock in Route 66. The show was a hit, and Maharis became a household name. He appeared in all 116 episodes of the series.
After Route 66 ended, Maharis continued to act in various television shows and movies. In recent years, he has appeared in guest roles on such shows as The Young and the Restless and Days of Our Lives.
Maharis has been married three times. His first marriage was to actress Julie Adams, with whom he had one child. His second marriage was to actress Joyce Bulifant, with whom he had two children. His third marriage is to actress Nancy Deale, with whom he has one child.
Maharis is currently retired from acting. His net worth is estimated to be $5 million.
General Info
Full Name
George Maharis
Date Of Birth
September 1, 1928
Profession
Actor, Music artist, Singer, Visual Artist
Education
Actors Studio
Nationality
American
Family
Siblings
Robert Maharis
Accomplishments
Awards
Playgirl Man of the Month
Movies
The Satan Bug, A Covenant with Death, Land Raiders, The Sword and the Sorcerer, The Desperados, Quick, Before It Melts, The Happening, Sylvia, Murder on Flight 502, Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby, SST: Death Flight, Doppelganger
TV Shows
Search for Tomorrow, The Most Deadly Game, Route 66
Nelson Riddle was terrific, he really was. And I always loved that theme. It was based on, I think, somebody told me, an old Jimmy Dorsey thing which was called "Oodles of Noodles," but I'm not sure about that. I love that theme, you know. Ba-da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da-daa. It's just a traveling song. -- GM, on the theme song from the series Route 66 (1960)
2
You learn to draw from your own life experiences and allow that to serve you as you play a character. It encourages you to be daring, fresh, not repetitive, and it draws you away from imitating. The end result is that your work is honest and believable because you're connected to what you're doing. -- GM, on the positive aspects of "Method" acting
Facts
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Fact
1
Only four years younger than Katy Jurado, who played his mother in A Covenant with Death.
2
George Maharis plead guilty for a Hollywood lewd conduct arrest on 15 December 1967 with a male. Maharis blamed this incident for damaging his career.
3
"George Maharis Arrested in Men's Room", Gay Scene, December 1974: "Famous Hollywood actor George Maharis was arrested November 21 and charged with committing a sex act with a hairdresser in the men's room of a gas station in Los Angeles... He was booked on a sex perversion charge along with Perfecto Telles, 33, the hairdresser, and released on $500 bail, according to police.".
4
Homes in New York City and Beverly Hills -- still painting [2008]
5
His career was damaged a few years after he left "Route 66". A lover of his died and one of the tabloids published a sensational story about their gay union. George claimed that the casting offices stopped calling after that.
6
Bared all for a 1970s Playgirl centerfold spread.
7
He left the popular series Route 66 (1960) almost near the end of its third season in an uproar over some contract dispute and was later replaced by Glenn Corbett as Martin Milner's new sidekick. The series wasn't quite the same thereafter, and since Corbett didn't have the chemistry Maharis had with Milner, it lasted a little over a season.