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Richard Widmark
Age: 93 (passed away Mar. 24th, 2008)
Height: 5' 10"
Birth Place: Sunrise Township, Minnesota, USA
Born: Dec. 26th, 1914
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Richard Widmark's Main TV Roles
NOTE: Complete List of Works can be found at
IMDB
BIOGRAPHY: Richard Widmark grew up in Princeton, Illinois, and attended Lake Forest (IL) College, where he first began acting. He taught acting at Lake Forest after graduation until 1938, when he made his radio debut in New York in "Aunt Jenny's Real Life Stories." Widmark made his Broadway stage debut in 1943 in "Kiss and Tell." He had been rejected as unsuitable for military service because of a perforated eardrum. In 1947, he got his big break, making film history as Tommy Udo in Kiss of Death (1947), beginning a seven-year contract with 20th Century-Fox. His hand and footprints were cast in cement at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in 1949.
After his contract with Fox expired, Widmark went independent. He first appeared on TV as himself in an episode of "I Love Lucy" (1951), and began producing films from the late 1950s. His film career slowed in the 1970s, but he remained active in made-for-TV movies. He starred in his own TV series, "Madigan" (1972), based on his 1968 hit movie, but only six episodes were produced before the show was canceled.
TRIVIA:
- His daughter with wife 'Jean Hazlewood' (qv), Anne Heath Widmark, an artist and author, married baseball legend 'Sandy Koufax' (qv) on 1 January 1969.
- Born to Carl Widmark, a salesman, and his wife Ethal Mae.
- In high school he wrote for the school newspaper.
- He was the step-father of Amy Fonda, daughter of Henry Fonda and Susan Blanchard.
- Despite playing heartless killers and bigots on film, he personally denounced all kinds of violence and the usage of guns. He admitted that once he went fishing and regretted the fact he caught a trout and took its life. He also apologized profusely to 'Sidney Poitier' (qv) during the shoot of the movie _No Way Out (1950)_ (qv) after filming scenes together which called for Widmark to spew out racist remarks.
- In the fall of 2007 he sustained a fractured vertebrae after a fall. He died about six months later of complications.
- His sole Academy Awards nomination was for best actor in a supporting role for _Kiss of Death (1947)_ (qv) in 1948. Though he had won the Golden Globe for the role, he lost the Oscar to 'Edmund Gwenn' (qv) in _Miracle on 34th Street (1947)_ (qv).
- His father was Swedish by descent; his mother was Scottish, English and Irish.
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