Image of Van Williams

Van Williams

You could shoehorn actor Van Williams right in there between the other tall, dark and drop-jaw gorgeous heartthrobs Tom Tryon and John Gavin of the late 1950s/early 1960s who conveyed a similar bland, heroic image. All three were too often given colorless heroes to play on film and/or TV -- roles that played off their charm but seldom tested their talent. Born on February 27, 1934 as Van Zandt Jarvis Williams, he was the son of a cattle rancher. He majored in animal husbandry and business at Texas Christian University but moved to Hawaii which changed the course of his life. While operating a salvage company and a skin-diving school during the mid-1950s, he was approached by Elizabeth Taylor and husband/producer Mike Todd, who were filming there. Encouraged by Todd to try his luck, Van arrived in Hollywood with no experience. Todd perished in a plane crash before he was able to help Van, but the young hopeful ventured on anyway, taking some acting/voice lessons, and was almost immediately cast in dramatic TV roles. Warner Brothers had a keen eye for this type of photogenic hunk and smartly signed Van. Fitting in perfectly, he was soon showing just how irresistible he was as a clean-cut private eye on the series "Bourbon Street Beat (1959)". Although the show lasted only one season, Warners carried his Kenny Madison character into the more popular adventure drama Surfside 6 (1960) opposite fellow pin-up / blond beefcake bookend Troy Donahue. Series-wise, Van tried comedy next opposite "Walter Brennan in The Tycoon (1964)". After his contract expired at Warners, 20th Century-Fox handed him his most vividly recalled role, that of the emerald-suited superhero "The Green Hornet (1966)" with the late Bruce Lee as his partner Kato. The show, inspired by the huge cult hit "Batman (1966)" enjoyed a fast start but, like its predecessor, met an equally untimely finish. Never a strong draw in films, Van revealed quite a bit of himself (literally) in his debut in "Tall Story (1960)" coming out of a shower. He was handed a typically staid second lead in "The Caretakers (1963)". Continuing well into the 1970s to guest sporadically on the TV scene in classics like "The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961)", "Love, American Style (1969)", "Mission: Impossible (1966)", "The Big Valley (1965)", "Nanny and the Professor (1970)", "Barnaby Jones (1973)", and "The Rockford Files (1974)". Another starring series attempt with "Westwind (1975)" failed to make the grade and he soon let his career go. Van went on quite successfully in business with telecommunications, real estate and law enforcement supplies among his ventures. With his glossy, pretty-boy years far behind him, he has not felt the need to look back except for an occasional autograph convention. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net


Read bio at tmdb | Read bio at Wikipedia
Born:
Feb 27, 1934 In Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
46
First Appeared:
In the series Hallmark Hall of Fame 1951-12-24
Latest Project:
Movie Batman '66 Meets the Green Hornet 2020-01-01
Known For
Poster of Fury of the Dragon
Poster of Westwind
Poster of The Runaways
Filmography
Movie Batman '66 Meets the Green Hornet Green Hornet / Britt Reid 2020-01-01
Movie Nevermore: [2011] Live at Power of Metal Himself - Drums 2011-03-20
Movie Nevermore: The Year of the Voyager Himself - Drums 2008-11-25
Movie Nevermore: [2006] Live at Metalmania Himself - Drums 2006-03-04
Movie Nevermore: [2006] Live at Wacken Open Air Himself - Drums 2006-08-04
Movie Nevermore: [2003] Malmo, Sweden Himself - Drums 2003-09-22
Movie Nevermore: [2001] San Jose, California Himself - Drums 2001-05-20
Movie Nevermore: [2001] Live in Ft. Lauderdale Himself - Drums 2001-05-12
Movie Nevermore: [2000] Montreal, Canada Himself - Drums 2000-11-21
Movie Nevermore: [2000] Live in Seattle Himself - Drums 2000-12-07
Movie Nevermore: [1999] Dreaming Neon Black Release Party Himself - Drums 1999-01-23
Movie Nevermore: [1999] Melbourne, Australia Himself - Drums 1999-11-11
Movie Nevermore: [1999] Houston, Texas Himself - Drums 1999-05-05
Movie The GREATEST : Bruce Lee Comentador 1998-10-06
Movie Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story Green Hornet Director 1993-05-07
Series Mrs. Columbo Unknown 1979-02-26
Movie The Night Rider Jim Hollister 1979-05-11
Movie Colorado C.I. Capt. Cochran 1978-05-26
Series Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected Unknown 1977-02-02
Series How the West Was Won Unknown 1977-02-06
Movie Fury of the Dragon Britt Reid 1976-10-14
Movie The Runaways Joe Ringer 1975-04-01
Series Westwind 1975-09-06
Movie The Green Hornet Britt Reid / The Green Hornet 1974-03-21
Series The Manhunter Unknown 1974-09-11
Series The Streets of San Francisco Unknown 1972-09-23
Series Nanny and the Professor Unknown 1970-01-21
Series Ironside Unknown 1967-03-28
Series Mannix Unknown 1967-09-16
Series Batman Unknown 1966-01-12
Movie Batman President Lyndon B. Johnson (voice) (uncredited) 1966-07-30
Series The Green Hornet Britt Reid / The Green Hornet 1966-09-09
Series Mission: Impossible Unknown 1966-09-17
Series The Big Valley Unknown 1965-09-15
Movie The Caretakers Dr. Larry Denning 1963-08-21
Movie Red Nightmare Air Force Sergeant 1962-02-11
Series The Beverly Hillbillies Unknown 1962-09-26
Series The Dick Van Dyke Show Unknown 1961-10-03
Series Surfside 6 Ken Madison 1960-10-06
Series Bourbon Street Beat Kenny Madison 1959-10-05
Series Hawaiian Eye Unknown 1959-10-07
Series 77 Sunset Strip Unknown 1958-10-10
Series Lawman Unknown 1958-10-05
Series Gunsmoke Unknown 1955-09-10
Series Cheyenne Unknown 1955-09-20
Series Hallmark Hall of Fame Unknown 1951-12-24