George Peppard - Wikipedia

Thank you, my friend Maj Marty Hogan for making us aware that October 1 is the anniversary of the birth of American film and television actor George Peppard Jr.
Rest in peace George Peppard Jr.

JOHNNY CARSON INTERVIEW GEORGE PEPPARD Jul. 7. 1976
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_ke22xHWmk

Images:
1. George Peppard, Dirk Benedict, Dwight Schultz and Mr. T in The A-Team.
2. George Peppard 'One More Train to Rob' 1971.
3. George Peppard 'The Blue Max'.
4. 1966 wedding of Elizabeth Ashley to George Peppard


Background from .imdb.com/name/nm0000577/bio
"George Peppard
Biography
Overview
Born October 1, 1928 in Detroit, Michigan, USA

Died May 8, 1994 in Los Angeles, California, USA (pneumonia)

Birth Name George William Peppard Jr.
Height 6' (1.83 m)
Bio
Handsome and elegant George Peppard occasionally displayed considerable talent through his career, but was too often cast in undemanding action roles. Following Broadway and television experience, he made a strong film debut in The Strange One (1957). He started getting noticed when he played Robert Mitchum's illegitimate son in the popular melodrama Home from the Hill (1960). He then established himself as a leading man, giving arguably his most memorable film performance as Audrey Hepburn's love interest in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). Seen by the studios as a promising young star, Peppard was subsequently cast in some of the major blockbusters of the early/mid-1960s: How the West Was Won (1962), The Victors (1963), The Carpetbaggers (1964) and Operation Crossbow (1965). He reached the peak of his popularity in another such lavish production, The Blue Max (1966), in which he effectively played an obsessively competitive German flying officer during World War I.

However, by the late 1960s, he seemed to settle as a tough lead in more average, often hokum, adventures, including House of Cards (1968), Cannon for Cordoba (1970) and The Groundstar Conspiracy (1972). In the early 1970s, his declining popularity was temporarily boosted thanks to the television series Banacek (1972). With his film roles becoming increasingly uninteresting, he acted in, directed and produced the drama Five Days from Home (1978), but the result was rather disappointing. In the mid-1980s, he again obtained success on television as Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith, the cigar-chomping leader of The A-Team (1983). George Peppard died at age 65 of pneumonia on May 8, 1994 in Los Angeles, California. He is buried alongside his parents in Northview Cemetery in Dearborn, Michigan.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: [login to see]
Spouse (5)
Laura Taylor (10 September 1992 - 8 May 1994) ( his death)

Alexis Adams
(8 December 1984 - 1986) ( divorced)

Sherry Boucher
(30 January 1975 - 26 October 1979) ( divorced)

Elizabeth Ashley
(17 April 1966 - 28 February 1972) ( divorced) ( 1 child)

Helen Davies
(30 January 1954 - 1965) ( divorced) ( 2 children)

Trivia (30)
1. Enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at age 17.
2. Born to George Peppard Sr., a building contractor, and his wife Vernelle Rohrer, an opera singer.
3. Father, with Elizabeth Ashley, of son Christian Peppard, who is a writer.
4. Had a cancerous tumor removed from lung, so he quit smoking after many years (1992).
5. Born at 8:29 pm EST.
6. Attended Purdue University and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
7. His widow, Laura Taylor Peppard, was a banker in West Palm Beach, Florida when they met.
8. In 1978, he conquered a serious drinking problem.
9. Studied at the famed Actors' Studio, with renowned acting coach, Lee Strasberg. One of his classmates was Rip Torn.
10. Spent much of the latter years of his life helping alcoholics and working for various charitable organizations.
11. Told the media how relieved he was shortly after The A-Team (1983) ended in 1986 because he likened the megahit series to "an out-of-control freight train that would never stop!".
12. Was originally chosen to play Blake Carrington on the television series Dynasty (1981), but was fired from the role after disagreements with the series' producers.
13. Graduated from Dearborn High School in Dearborn, Michigan.
14. Member of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity at Purdue University.
15. He was in the running to replace Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes in Alias Smith and Jones (1971).
16. He was the original choice for Steve McQueen's role in The Magnificent Seven (1960).
17. Was a passionate Democrat, and championed health care reform before his death.
18. While attending Drama School at Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University) in Pittsburgh, George had a weekend job at WLOA Radio in nearby Braddock. WLOA is where his famous "flow snurries" story came from - a story that he told hundreds of times over the years on various TV talk shows.
19. Made an infamous appearance on Password Plus (1979), expressing dissatisfaction with NBC executives watching them "as if you're some sort of crook" (1979).
20. Buried in Northview Cemetery in Dearborn, Michigan.
21. Father of Brad Peppard, Julie Peppard and Christian Peppard.
22. His widow, Laura Taylor Peppard, is a licensed Mental Health Counselor, who maintains a practice in Lake Worth, Florida.
23. Was originally cast as Blake Carrington on Dynasty (1981). During the shooting of the pilot episode, he reportedly clashed with the producers over the characterization of Blake Carrington. Peppard argued that the character was too similar to J.R. Ewing of Dallas (1978). Peppard was fired after three weeks of shooting. The role was recast with John Forsythe and all the scenes with Peppard were reshot.
24. It was announced that he was to star in MGM's "Merrily We Roll Along", based on the Broadway stage hit and due to film on June 1965, with George Seaton as the director.
25. Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6675 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on July 17, 1985.
26. George's last acting role was as Max Morgan on a March 1994 episode of Matlock (1986). This whodunnit pilot episode for a proposed spin-off series co-starred Tracy Nelson as his one-time estranged daughter Jesse, with "Matlock" star Andy Griffith appearing only briefly in the beginning of the episode. Sadly, George died of pneumonia that May, less than two months later, before the planned series could start filming.
27. Smoked three packs of cigarettes a day.
28. Was known for displaying considerable temperament on a film and TV set and often clashed with directors and fellow actors alike.
29. By the end of the 1970s, George Peppard was considered box office poison and his reputation for being a troublemaker had started to precede him.
30. Appeared in one film nominated for Best Picture Oscar: How the West Was Won (1962).
Personal Quotes (4)
1. "Mine isn't a string of victories. It's no golden past. I'm no George Peppard fan" - to New York Post columnist Cindy Adams.
2. "I turned into my own worst enemy" - Peppard said about his drinking after ex-wife Elizabeth Ashley wrote about it in her 1978 autobiography.
3. Some people do better on their own. I don't. It sounds stupid to say, but it's true. I like women. I like them when they're little tiny babies, and I like them when they're old ladies, and I like them all in between. They please me.
4. [on being fired from Dynasty (1981) after disagreements with the producers] Everyone thought I was crazed because of my career being in the dumps at the moment. I'm so glad I wasn't drinking. I bet a lot of people thought when I did certain things, I'd been drinking, and now they found out it wasn't the booze at all, it was me."

FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen LTC Greg Henning LTC Jeff Shearer Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. 'Bill' Price CPT Scott Sharon CWO3 Dennis M. SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SSG William Jones SGT (Join to see) SGT John " Mac " McConnell SP5 Mark Kuzinski PO1 H Gene Lawrence PO2 Kevin Parker PO3 Bob McCord SMSgt Lawrence McCarter

Maj Marty Hogan Great part of the "A" team.

Thanks for sharing.