Acting · New York City, New York, USA · Born February 18, 1925
George Kennedy (February 18, 1925 — February 28, 2016) was a European-American businessman, entrepreneur, A World War II veteran, actor, adviser, radio dj, and author. Kennedy at one stage in his career cornered the market at playing tough, no-nonsense characters who were either quite crooked or possessed hearts of gold. Kennedy notched up an impressive 200+ appearances in both TV and film, and was well respected within the Hollywood community. He started out in TV westerns in the late 1950s and early 1960s: Have Gun - Will Travel (1957), Rawhide (1959), Maverick (1957), Colt .45 (1957), among others; before scoring minor roles in films including Lonely Are the Brave (1962), The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) and The Flight of the Phoenix (1965). The late 1960s was a very busy period for Kennedy, and he was strongly in favor with casting agents, appearing in Hurry Sundown (1967), The Dirty Dozen (1967) and scoring an Oscar win as Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Cool Hand Luke (1967). The disaster film boom of the 1970s was kind to Kennedy, too, and his talents were in demand for Airport(1970) and the three subsequent sequels, as a grizzled cop in Earthquake (1974), plus the buddy/road film Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) as vicious bank robber Red Leary. The 1980s saw Kennedy appear in a mishmash of roles, playing various characters; however, Kennedy and Leslie Nielsen surprised everyone with their comedic talents in the hugely successful The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988), and the two screen veterans hammed it up again in, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991), plus Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994). Kennedy remained busy in Hollywood and lent his distinctive voice to the animated Cats Don't Dance (1997) and the children's action film Small Soldiers (1998). A Hollywood stalwart for nearly 50 years, he is one of the most enjoyable actors to watch on screen. His last role was in the film The Gambler (2014), as Mark Wahlberg's character's grandfather. George Kennedy died on February 28, 2016 in Middleton, Idaho.
MovieAirports
2025
MovieThe Gambler
2014
as Ed
MovieAnother Happy Day
2011
as Joe Baker
MovieSix Days in Paradise
2010
as Monty Crenshaw
Movie2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift
2010
as (archive footage)
MovieA Natural Born World-Shaker: The Making of 'Cool Hand Luke'
2008
as Self
MovieThe Man Who Came Back
2008
as Judge Duke
MovieThe Boneyard Collection
2008
as Professor Zebediah Jones (segment "The Devil's Due at Midnight")
MovieSands of Oblivion
2007
as John Tevis
MovieArmed and Deadly: The Making of 'The Dirty Dozen'
2006
as Self
MovieDon't Come Knocking
2005
as Director
MovieThree Bad Men
2005
as Ed Fiske
MovieTruce
2005
as Dr. Peter Gannon
MovieMonster Makers
2003
as Dexter Brisbane
MovieView from the Top
2003
as Passenger Requesting Vodka (uncredited)
MovieMen in White
1998
as Army
MovieDennis the Menace Strikes Again!
1998
as Mr. Johnson
MovieSmall Soldiers
1998
as Brick Bazooka (voice)
MovieDallas: War of The Ewings
1998
as Carter McKay
MovieHollyweird
1998
as George Kennedy
MovieCats Don't Dance
1997
as L.B. Mammoth (voice)
MovieBayou Ghost
1997
as Officer Lowe
MovieDallas: J.R. Returns
1996
as Carter McKay
TVThe Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
1996
as General Axton (voice)
TVSanto Bugito
1995
as Ralph (voice)
MovieWWE SummerSlam 1994
1994
as Himself
MovieNaked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult
1994
as Ed Hocken
TVDuckman
1994
as Movie Director (voice)
TVLate Night with Conan O'Brien
1993
as Self - Guest
MovieDistant Justice
1992
as Tom Bradfield
MovieFinal Shot: The Hank Gathers Story
1992
as Father Dave Hagan
MovieIntensive Care
1991
as Dr. Bruckner
TVThe Commish
1991
as Al Scali
MovieThe Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear
1991
as Ed Hocken
MovieDriving Me Crazy
1991
as John McCready
MovieHangfire
1991
as Warden Barles
MovieGood Cops, Bad Cops
1990
MovieMayumi: Virgin Terrorist
1990
as Bahraini Investigator
MovieHired to Kill
1990
as Thomas
TVWings
1990
as George Kennedy
MovieBrain Dead
1990
as Vance
MovieMinistry of Vengeance
1989
as Rev. Hughes
MovieEsmeralda Bay
1989
as Wilson
MovieThe Terror Within
1989
as Hal
MovieThe Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
1988
as Ed Hocken
MovieUninvited
1988
as Mike Harvey
MovieTop Line
1988
as Heinrich Holzmann
MovieNightmare at Noon
1988
as Sherrif Hanks
MoviePrivate Road: No Trespassing
1988
as Sam Milshaw
MovieDemonwarp
1988
as Bill Crafton
MovieCounterforce
1988
as Vince Colby
MovieBorn to Race
1988
as Vincent Duplain
MovieWhat Price Victory
1988
as Big Buck Brayton
MovieThe Gambler: The Legend Continues
1987
as General Nelson Miles
MovieCreepshow 2
1987
as Ray Spruce
MovieThe Gunfighters
1987
as Deke Turner
MovieRadioactive Dreams
1986
as Spade Chandler
MovieLiberty
1986
as Seamus Reilly
MovieThe Delta Force
1986
as Father O'Malley
MovieSavage Dawn
1985
as Tick Rand
MovieInternational Airport
1985
as Rudy Van Leuven
MovieRigged
1985
as Ben Wheeler
MovieHalf Nelson
1985
as Parsons
MovieA Rare Breed
1984
MovieBolero
1984
as Cotton
MovieThe Jesse Owens Story
1984
as Charles 'Charley' Riley
MovieChattanooga Choo Choo
1984
as Bert
MovieThe Jupiter Menace
1982
as Himself
MovieWacko
1982
as Mr. Doctor Graves
MovieJust Before Dawn
1981
as Roy McLean
MovieThe Archer: Fugitive from the Empire
1981
as Brakus
MovieModern Romance
1981
as George Kennedy / Zeron
MovieHotwire
1980
as Farley & Harley Fontenot
MovieVirus
1980
as Admiral Conway
MovieDeath Ship
1980
as Captain Ashland
MovieSteel
1979
as Big Lew Cassidy
MovieThe Concorde... Airport '79
1979
as Joe Patroni
MovieSearch and Destroy
1979
as Anthony Fusqua
MovieThe Double McGuffin
1979
as Chief Talasek
TVBackstairs at the White House
1979
as Pres. Warren G. Harding
MovieBrass Target
1978
as Gen. George S. Patton
MovieDeath on the Nile
1978
as Andrew Pennington
Death on the Nile: Making of Featurette
1978
as Self
TVDallas
1978
as Carter McKay
MovieMean Dog Blues
1978
as Captain Omar Kinsman
MovieProof of the Man
1977
as Ken Shuftan
MovieAirport '77
1977
as Joe Patroni
MovieThe Human Factor
1975
as John Kinsdale
TVSaturday Night Live
1975
as Self - Host
MovieThe Eiger Sanction
1975
as Ben Bowman
MovieThe Blue Knight
1975
as Bumper Morgan
TVThe Blue Knight
1975
as Officer Bumper Morgan
The Lion Roars Again
1975
as Self
MovieEarthquake
1974
as Sgt. Lew Slade
MovieAirport 1975
1974
as Joe Patroni
MovieThunderbolt and Lightfoot
1974
as Red Leary
MovieA Cry in the Wilderness
1974
as Sam Hadley
MovieSonic Boom
1974
as Ben Dover
TVThe Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
1973
as Self
MovieDeliver Us from Evil
1973
as Walter 'Cowboy' McAdams
MovieCahill: United States Marshal
1973
as Abe Fraser
MovieLost Horizon
1973
as Sam Cornelius
MovieA Great American Tragedy
1972
as Brad Wilkes
MovieThe Bull of the West
1972
as 'Bear' Suchette
TVSarge
1971
as Samuel Cavanaugh
MovieThe Priest Killer
1971
as Father Samuel Cavanaugh
MovieFools' Parade
1971
as Dallas 'Doc' Council
MovieSarge: The Badge or the Cross
1971
as Sarge Swanson
MovieDirty Dingus Magee
1970
as Herkimer 'Hoke' Birdsill
MovieZig Zag
1970
as Paul R. Cameron
MovieAirport
1970
as Joe Patroni
Movie… tick… tick… tick…
1970
as John Little
MovieGaily, Gaily
1969
as Axel P. Johanson
MovieThe Good Guys and the Bad Guys
1969
as McKay
MovieGuns of the Magnificent Seven
1969
as Chris
MovieThe Pink Jungle
1968
as Sammy Ryderbeit
MovieThe Boston Strangler
1968
as Det. Phil DiNatale
MovieThe Legend of Lylah Clare
1968
as Matt Burke
MovieBandolero!
1968
as Sheriff July Johnson
MovieThe Ballad of Josie
1968
as Arch Ogden
MovieCool Hand Luke
1967
as Dragline
MovieThe Dirty Dozen
1967
as Major Max Armbruster
TVIronside
1967
as Father Samuel Cavanaugh
MovieHurry Sundown
1967
as Sheriff Coombs
TVTarzan
1966
MovieThe Flight of the Phoenix
1965
as Bellamy
MovieMirage
1965
as Willard
TVLaredo
1965
TVThe Big Valley
1965
as Thatcher
TVThe Legend of Jesse James
1965
as Blodgett
MovieThe Sons of Katie Elder
1965
as Curley
MovieShenandoah
1965
as Col. Fairchild
MovieIn Harm's Way
1965
as Colonel Gregory
MovieHush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte
1964
as Foreman
MovieSee How They Run
1964
as Rudy
TVDaniel Boone
1964
as Zach Morgan
TVThe Rogues
1964
as Major Vyx
MovieIsland of the Blue Dolphins
1964
as Aleut Captain
MovieMcHale's Navy
1964
as Henri Le Clerc
MovieStrait-Jacket
1964
as Leo Krause
MovieCharade
1963
as Herman Scobie
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963
as Der
TVThe Great Adventure
1963
as Sergeant Muldaney
Grindl
1963
MovieThe Man from the Diners' Club
1963
as George
TVGoing My Way
1962
TVThe Merv Griffin Show
1962
as Self
TVThe Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1962
as George Martin
TVThe Virginian
1962
as Jack Marshman
MovieLonely are the Brave
1962
as Deputy Sheriff Gutierrez
TVThe Mike Douglas Show
1961
as Self
MovieGunfight at Black Horses Canyon
1961
as Hawk
TVDr. Kildare
1961
as Joe Cramer
TVKraft Mystery Theatre
1961
MovieThe Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come
1961
as Nathan Dillon
TVThe Asphalt Jungle
1961
TVGunslinger
1961
as Sheriff
TVRoute 66
1960
TVSurfside 6
1960
as Gabe Buchanan
TVThe Andy Griffith Show
1960
as State Police Detective
TVOutlaws
1960
TVThriller
1960
as John Paterson
TVThe Tall Man
1960
TVRiverboat
1959
as Gunner Slagle
TVBonanza
1959
as Waldo Watson
TVRawhide
1959
as George Wales
TV77 Sunset Strip
1958
TVBat Masterson
1958
as Sheriff Zeke Armitage
TVLawman
1958
TVPeter Gunn
1958
TVMaverick
1957
as Deputy Jones
TVPerry Mason
1957
as George Spangler
TVSugarfoot
1957
as Ross Kuhn
TVHave Gun, Will Travel
1957
TVCheyenne
1955
as Lee Nelson
TVThe Phil Silvers Show
1955
as Kennedy (uncredited)
TVGunsmoke
1955
as Emil
TVThe Oscars
1953
as Self
