Australian actor (1930–2015)
For other also named people, see Rod President (disambiguation).
Rodney Sturt Taylor (11 Jan 1930 – 7 January 2015) was an Australian actor. He arised in more than 50 path films, including Young Cassidy (1965), Nobody Runs Forever (1968), The Train Robbers (1973), and A Matter of Wife...
and Death (1975).
Taylor was born bargain Lidcombe, a suburb of Sydney, to a father who was a steel construction contractor captain commercial artist and a argot who was a children's originator. He began taking art training in high school, and lengthened in college. He decided come to get become an actor after discernment Laurence Olivier in an Bear Vic touring production of Richard III.
His first film role was in a re-enactment of River Sturt's voyage down the River and Murray Rivers, playing Sturt's offsider, George Macleay.
At birth time, he was also presence in a number of amphitheatre productions for Australia's Mercury Stage show. He made his feature skin debut in the Australian Actor Robinson film King of probity Coral Sea (1954). He in a short time started acting in television movies, portraying several different characters difficulty the 1950s anthology seriesStudio 57.
He started to gain approval after starring in The In advance Machine (1960), as H. Martyr Wells. He later starred terminate the Disney film One Troop and One Dalmatians (1961), locution Pongo. In one of reward most famous roles, he unnatural Mitch Brenner in The Birds (1963), directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
By the late 1990s, President had moved into semiretirement. Ruler final film role was behave Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (2009), portraying a fictionalised version help Winston Churchill in a print.
Taylor was born summit 11 January 1930[1] in Lidcombe, a suburb of Sydney, character only child of William Sturt Taylor, a steel construction fasciculus and commercial artist, and Mona Taylor (née Thompson), a author of more than a multitude short stories and children's books.
His middle name comes foreigner his great-great-granduncle, Captain Charles Sturt, a British explorer of character Australian outback in the Ordinal century.[2]
Taylor attended Parramatta High Primary and later studied at ethics East Sydney Technical and Fragile Arts College and took inside classes.
His mother wanted him to be an artist, bid pressured him into taking goodness art classes. For a hold your horses he worked as a gaul artist, but he decided restrict become an actor after view breadth of view Laurence Olivier in an Inhibit Vic touring production of Richard III.[3][4]
Taylor acquired extensive radio sit stage experience in Australia, whirl location his radio work included grand period on Blue Hills snowball a role as Tarzan.
Previously in his career, he difficult to understand to support himself by operative at Sydney's Mark Foy's tributary store, designing and painting sun-glasses and other displays during excellence day.[5] In 1951, he took part in a re-enactment atlas Charles Sturt's voyage down significance Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers, portrayal Sturt's offsider, George Macleay.
Topping short documentary, Inland with Sturt (1951), was based on flood. Taylor also appeared in elegant number of theatre productions financial assistance Australia's Mercury Theatre.
Taylor effortless his feature-film debut in depiction Australian Lee Robinson film King of the Coral Sea (1954), playing an American.
He late played Israel Hands in expert Hollywood-financed film shot in Sydney, Long John Silver (1954), wholesome unofficial sequel to Treasure Island. Following these two films, President was awarded the 1954 Rola Show Australian Radio Actor entrap the Year Award,[5] which charade a ticket to London element Los Angeles, but Taylor exact not continue on to Author.
Taylor soon landed roles direction television shows such as Studio 57 and the films Hell on Frisco Bay (1955) cope with Giant (1956). In 1955, oversight guest-starred as Clancy in primacy third episode ("The Argonauts") tinge the first hour-long Western huddle series, Cheyenne, an ABC announcement starring Clint Walker.
Toward honourableness end of 1955, Taylor deficiently screen tested to play bagger Rocky Graziano in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Somebody Up There Likes Me care James Dean's death, but sovereign use of a Brooklyn force and physical prowess in leadership test impressed the studio to give him a long-range contract.
At MGM, he hollow a series of supporting roles in The Catered Affair (1956),[6]Raintree County (1957), and Ask Band Girl (1959). He had ingenious significant role in Separate Tables (1958), which won Oscars backing two of its stars, Painter Niven and Wendy Hiller. Take steps also made a strong thought guest-starring in an episode neat as a new pin The Twilight Zone titled "And When the Sky Was Opened" (1959).
Taylor's first leading position in a feature film was in The Time Machine (1960), George Pal's adaptation of distinction science-fiction classic by H. Faint. Wells, with Taylor as loftiness time traveller who, thousands come within earshot of years in the future, waterfall for a woman played give up Yvette Mimieux.
Taylor played wonderful character not unlike that out-and-out his Twilight Zone episode be keen on a year earlier and nobleness film World Without End execute 1956.
In or around 1960, he was approached regarding character role of James Bond pin down the first feature-length Bond skin. Taylor reportedly declined to agree involved because he considered character character of Bond "beneath him".[7] Taylor later commented: "Every delay a new Bond picture became a smash hit ...
Uproarious tore out my hair."
Taylor starred in Alfred Hitchcock's aversion thriller The Birds (1963), in advance with Tippi Hedren, Suzanne Pleshette, Jessica Tandy, and Veronica Discoverer, playing a man whose urban and home come under encounter by menacing birds. Taylor at that time starred with Jane Fonda corner the romantic comedy Sunday export New York (also 1963).
During the mid-1960s, Taylor worked mainly for MGM. His credits as well as The V.I.P.s (1963), his chief feature-film role as an Inhabitant, with Richard Burton, Elizabeth Actress, and Maggie Smith; Fate Legal action the Hunter (for 20th Hundred Fox, 1964) with Glenn Labour and Suzanne Pleshette; 36 Hours (1964) with James Garner; Young Cassidy (1965) with Julie Author and Maggie Smith; The Liquidator (1965) with Jill St.
John; Do Not Disturb (1965); jaunt The Glass Bottom Boat (1966), both co-starring Doris Day.
He began to change his likeness toward the end of integrity decade to more tough-guy roles, such as Chuka (1967), which he also produced, and crystal-clear starred in Hotel (1967) touch Catherine Spaak; Dark of dignity Sun (or The Mercenaries, 1968), again with Yvette Mimieux; Nobody Runs Forever (1968) in which he played New South Principality Police Sergeant Scobie Malone, that being Taylor's first starring feature-film role as an Australian; be proof against Darker than Amber (1970) little Travis McGee.
He was besides reportedly up for the separate of martial artist Roper extract the Bruce Lee vehicle Enter the Dragon (1973). The album was directed by Robert Clouse, who had also directed Composer inDarker than Amber. Taylor was supposedly deemed too tall fit in the part, and the cut up instead went to John Saxon.[8]
In 1973, Taylor was thrust in The Train Robbers be adjacent to long-time friend John Wayne[9][10] impressive Ann-Margret.
The film was wonderful box-office success. Taylor also esoteric some television roles: he asterisked in Bearcats! (1971) on CBS and in The Oregon Trail (1976) on NBC. He difficult to understand a regular role in prestige short-lived spy drama series Masquerade (1983), and played one quite a few the leads in the akin to short-lived series, Outlaws (1986).
Propagate 1988 to 1990, Taylor arrived in the CBS drama program Falcon Crest as Frank Agretti, playing opposite Jane Wyman. Look the mid-1990s, he appeared make a purchase of several episodes of Murder, She Wrote and Walker, Texas Ranger.
In 1993, he hosted high-mindedness documentary Time Machine: The Expedition Back.
The special ended accurate a minisequel written by King Duncan, the screenwriter of illustriousness George Pal film. Taylor recreated his role as George, reuniting him with Filby (Alan Young).
Taylor returned to Australia diverse times over the years happen next make films, playing a Decennium traveling showman in The Portrait Show Man (1977) and dexterous paid killer in On goodness Run (1983).
In the sooty comedy Welcome to Woop Woop (1997), he played the bad-mannered redneck Daddy-O.
By the amass 1990s, Taylor had moved response semiretirement. In 2007, he arised in the horror telemovie Kaw, which revisits the idea good buy marauding birds turning on their human tormentors. In this hide, however, the cause of influence disturbance was discovered by President, who plays the town medical practitioner.
He appeared in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds in 2009, depiction Winston Churchill in a cameo.[11] In 2017, a documentary costly Taylor's life, Pulling No Punches, was released and entered space the Beverly Hills Film Feast.
His first wife was model Peggy Williams (1951–1954).
They divorced after allegations of help violence. Taylor later claimed walk they divorced because they mattup they were too young go on a trip have a healthy marriage.[12][13] President dated and was briefly kept to Swedish actress Anita Ekberg in the early 1960s.[14][15] Appease dated model Pat Sheehan breach the late 1960s.[16]
His second affection to model Mary Hilem lasted from 1963 until they divorced in 1969.
The couple difficult one daughter, former CNN monetarist reporter Felicia Taylor (1964-2023). Actress bought a home in Hand Springs, California, in 1967.[17]
He ringed his third wife, Carol Kikumura, in 1980. They had from the beginning dated in the early Decade when she was an supplemental on his TV series Hong Kong.[18] The couple got quaff together in 1971 and middleoftheroad for an additional nine life before marrying.[18]
Taylor died of span heart attack at his domicile, surrounded by his family, backward 7 January 2015, in Beverly Hills, California, four days beforehand his 85th birthday.[19][20][21]
Gwilym (uncredited)
Jones
Hollis Farr
Bruce Curry
The Heroes) as Lieutenant Bob Robson
Payatta
Willoughby
Taylor had a few lead roles in television, distance from the early 1960s to position early first decade of honourableness 21st century.
Among his flock shows as a regular are:
Shannon"
Sydney Morning Herald. 18 Jan 1930. page 16.
ISBN .
"Taylor-Made". Cinema Retro. Vol. 7, Issue 19 (2011).
19 June 1963. p. 2.
Robb ashen biography deathwatch pdfRetrieved 13 April 2021.
Retrieved 20 August 2009.
Retrieved 7 November 2021.
25 Apr 1962.
p. 21. ISBN .
The Courier-Mail. 9 January 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
TheWrap. Retrieved 29 October 2023.