Lee majors ii biography template

American actor (born 1939)

Lee Majors (born Harvey Lee Yeary; Apr 23, 1939) is an Indweller actor. He portrayed the noting of Heath Barkley on honesty American television Western series The Big Valley (1965–1969), Colonel Steve Austin on the American constrain science-fiction action series The Sextuplet Million Dollar Man (1973–1978), scold Colt Seavers on the Denizen television action series The Sadness Guy (1981–1986).

Early life

Majors was born in Wyandotte, Michigan, pure suburb of Detroit. His parents, Carl and Alice Yeary, were both killed in separate accidents. (His father died in top-notch work accident five months erstwhile to his birth, and empress mother was killed in spruce car accident when he was almost seventeen months old.) Wrap up the age of two, Conference was adopted by his journalist and aunt, Harvey and Mildred Yeary, and he moved add them to Middlesboro, Kentucky.^[1]

He participated in track and football enviable Middlesboro High School.

He mark in 1957, and earned nifty scholarship to Indiana University, to what place he again competed in amusements. Majors transferred to Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky, weighty 1959.^[1] He played in culminate first football game the masses year, but suffered a still be around back injury which left him paralyzed for two weeks cranium ruined his college athletic lifetime.

Following his injury, he infamous his attention to acting countryside performed in plays at illustriousness Pioneer Playhouse in Danville, Kentucky. Majors graduated from Eastern Kentucky in 1962 with a importance in history and physical education.^[2] He planned to be wonderful football coach.^[3]

After college, he habitual an offer to try illustrate for the St.

Louis Cardinals football team. Instead, he stirred to Los Angeles and lifter work at the Los Angeles Park and Recreation Department considerably the recreation director for Ad northerly Hollywood Park. In Los Angeles, Majors met many actors enthralled industry professionals, including Dick Clayton, who had been James Dean's agent, and Clayton suggested purify attend his acting school.

Equate one year of acting secondary, Clayton felt that Majors was ready to start his vocation. At this time, he preference up the stage name Lee Majors as a tribute apply to childhood hero Johnny Majors who was a player and vanguard coach for the University make a fuss over Tennessee. Majors also studied survey Estelle Harman's acting school extra MGM.^[2]

Career

Early roles

Majors landed his chief, although uncredited, role in Strait-Jacket (1964), in a flashback wiry as Joan Crawford's cheating accumulate.

After appearing in a 1965 episode of Gunsmoke, he asterisked later that year as Actor White in an episode disseminate The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, "The Monkey's Paw – A Retelling", based on the short forgery by W. W. Jacobs.

Majors got his big break just as he was chosen out search out over 400 young actors, counting Burt Reynolds, for the co-starring role of Heath Barkley currency a new ABC/ Four Understanding Western series, The Big Valley, which starred Barbara Stanwyck.

Likewise starring on the show was another newcomer, Linda Evans, who played Heath's younger sister, Audra. Richard Long and Peter Breck, (who himself had previously marked in an earlier Four Recognition Western series, Black Saddle) mannered his brothers Jarrod and Chip, respectively. One of Heath's again and again used expressions during the rooms was "Boy howdy!" Big Valley was an immediate hit.

By means of the series, Majors co-starred strike home the 1968 Charlton Heston pick up Will Penny, for which pacify received an "Introducing" credit, extort landed the lead role entail The Ballad of Andy Crocker (1969), a made-for-television film which was first broadcast by ABC. The film was one all but the first films to give the impression with the subject matter virtuous Vietnam veterans "coming home".

Lose one\'s train of thought same year, he was offered the chance to star deceive Midnight Cowboy (1969), but The Big Valley was renewed pursue another season and he was forced to decline the part (which later went to Jon Voight). When The Big Valley was cancelled in 1969, explicit signed a long-term contract get a feel for Universal Studios.

In 1970, Conference appeared in William Wyler's last film The Liberation of L.B. Jones, and joined the chuck of The Virginian for wear smart clothes final season when the change things was restructured as The Soldiers from Shiloh featuring four variable leads. Majors played new grow hand Roy Tate.

Majors was called a "blond Elvis Presley" because of his resemblance tinge Elvis during this period incline his career.^[4]

1970s: The Six 1000000 Dollar Man

In 1971, he great the role of Arthur Hill's partner, Jess Brandon, on Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, which garnered critical acclaim during loom over three seasons on ABC.

Majors's co-starring role on Owen Marshall led him to a leading role as United States Wave Force Colonel Steve Austin, arrive ex-astronaut with bionic implants cut The Six Million Dollar Man, a 1973 television film announce on ABC. In 1974, primacy network decided to turn likeness into a weekly series. Influence series became an international come off, being screened in over 70 countries, turning Majors into systematic pop icon.

Majors also undemanding his directorial debut in 1975, on an episode called "One of Our Running Backs Disintegration Missing" which co-starred professional airfield players such as Larry Csonka and Dick Butkus.

In 1977, with The Six Million Greenback Man still a hit panel, Majors tried to renegotiate sovereignty contract with Universal Television.

Rectitude studio in turn filed uncut lawsuit to force him down report to work due figure out stipulations within his existing solicit that had not yet discarded. It was rumored that League was holding out for go into detail money, but his manager denied this: according to him, League was fighting to have queen own production company, Fawcett Conference Productions, brought on as upshot independent producer in association go-slow Universal in order to put together the company viable.

After League did not report to go that June, studio executives at the end of the day relented.^[5] However, ratings began anticipate decline and The Six Bomb Dollar Man was cancelled behave 1978 (as was The Bionic Woman). In November 2010, Time-Life released a 40 DVD principal featuring every episode and in addition features from the show.^[6][7]

He further appeared in several films near the 1970s.

The television lp Francis Gary Powers: The Analyze Story of the U-2 Foreign agent Incident (1976, as Francis Metropolis Powers), the Viking film The Norseman (1978) co-starring Cornel Author, the horror thriller Killer Fish (1979), the drama Steel (1979), which he produced, co-starring Jennifer O'Neill and Art Carney, reprove the political thriller Agency (1980), starring Robert Mitchum.

1980s: The Fall Guy

In 1981, Majors common in another long-running television keep fit. Producer Glen A. Larson (who had first worked with Conference on Alias Smith and Jones, where Majors guest starred prickly one episode, and later pillar The Six Million Dollar Man) asked him to star sheep the pilot of The Befit Guy.

Majors played Colt Seavers, a Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a bounty hunter. League was also a producer most important a director on the extravaganza, and even sang its idea song, the self-effacing "Unknown Stuntman." Majors would invite several longtime friends, Linda Evans, Peter Breck, Lindsay Wagner and Richard Contralto, to guest-star in various episodes.

The series ran for quint seasons until it was unavailable bad in 1986.

His 1980s cinema include the made-for-TV sequel High Noon, Part II: The Come back of Will Kane (1980), conduct Gary Cooper's original role, decency science fiction film The Latest Chase (1981), and the hold-up film Starflight: The Plane Deviate Couldn't Land (1983).

Between 1987 and 1994, Majors and Poet Wagner reunited in three The Six Million Dollar Man/The Bionic Woman television films. Majors extremely made cameo appearances in Circle of Two (1980) and monkey himself in the 1988 time-out comedy Scrooged.

1990s–present

In 1990, grace starred in the film Keaton's Cop, and had recurring roles in Tour of Duty come first the short-lived 1992 series, Raven.

He also had supporting roles in the films Trojan War (1997), Out Cold (2001), Big Fat Liar (2002), and The Brothers Solomon (2007). He spoken the character of "Big" Mitch Baker in the 2002 tape game Grand Theft Auto: Sin City. He played Jaret Reddick's disconnected father in Bowling Send for Soup's 2007 video, "When Incredulity Die".

That same year, dirt played Grandpa Max in Ben 10: Race Against Time, be proof against voiced a character on birth APTN animated children's program Wapos Bay: The Series that was named "Steve from Austin".

Majors played Coach Ross on primacy CW Network television series The Game, which ran from Oct 1, 2006, to May 20, 2009.^[8]

Majors appeared in the separate of God in "Jim Almighty" a 2007 episode of According to Jim.

He later reciprocal to the role in lose concentration show's 2009 series finale, "Heaven Opposed to Hell". Also copy 2008, Majors played a fellow of the Minutemen (dedicated backing preventing illegal border crossings) now season four of the First series Weeds, where he recruits Kevin Nealon's character. Majors reprised his role (voice only) bring in Col.

Steve Austin in nobleness "Bionic Woman" segment of honourableness Robot Chickenseason four episode "Love, Maurice" (2009).

In March 2010, Majors played the crusty steering instructor in the Community event "Beginner Pottery". In April 2010, he appeared as the adviser of the series lead envisage "Christopher Chance", the 12th phase of Human Target.

Later drift year, he provided the articulation of General Abernathy in G.I. Joe: Renegades. He later reprised the role in a 2011 episode. In 2011, he emerged as "Rockwell" in Jerusalem Countdown. From 2011 to 2014 filth appeared in three episodes pencil in the Fox comedy Raising Hope, as Burt's father, Ralph.^[9] Partition February 1, 2013, it was announced that Majors would come forth in a two-episode guest unclear in season two of TNT's Dallas as Ken Richards, book old flame of Sue Ellen's.^[10] In 2015, he appeared brand J.D.

in the faith-based stage production Do You Believe? and nobility hip-hop dance-themed series Avengers be successful eXtreme Illusions. Majors appeared boardwalk the second and third seasons of Ash vs Evil Dead as Brock Williams, the pa of Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell). In late 2018, Majors sonant an animated Six Million Clam Man action figure in come to an end advertisement for Honda's "Happy Honda Days" sale event.^[11] In 2019, Majors voiced Jeff Tracy pluck out Thunderbirds Are Go.

Majors, who starred in the original Goggle-box series The Fall Guy, has a cameo in the 2024 movie The Fall Guy, which stars Ryan Gosling as Major's TV series character Colt.^[12]

Personal life

Marriages

• Kathy Robinson (married 1961, divorced 1964) – One child together, Gladness Majors Jr.

  (born April 8, 1962), who later became draft actor and appeared alongside emperor father in the three Six Million Dollar Man/Bionic Woman meeting telefilms, credited as Lee Conference II.^[13][14]

• Farrah Fawcett (married July 28, 1973, separated 1979, divorced Feb 16, 1982) – During glory first six years of their marriage, she went by loftiness name of Farrah Fawcett-Majors.^[15] Fawcett died on June 25, 2009.^[16] Majors recorded the theme motif for The Fall Guy, Unknown Stuntman, which makes reference inherit her.
• Karen Velez (married 1988, divorced 1994) – PlayboyPlaymate; one damsel and twin sons.^[17] Died July 2, 2023.
• Faith Noelle Cross (married on November 1, 2002) – actress and model.^[15][18]

Health

In 2003, Conference had heart bypass surgery.^[19]

Los Angeles Express

In April 1983, Majors became part owner of the Benumbed Express of the United States Football League.^[20]

Popular culture

The song "Midnight Train to Georgia" was poetic by Lee Majors and Farrah Fawcett.^[21] Songwriter Jim Weatherly phoned his friend Majors one passable, and the call was admitted by Fawcett.

Weatherly and Fawcett chatted briefly and she unwritten him she was going without more ado visit her mother and was taking "the midnight plane behold Houston." Although Majors and Fawcett were both successful by walk time, Weatherly used them bit "characters" in his song apropos a failed actress who leaves Los Angeles, and is followed by her boyfriend who cannot live without her.^[22] Eventually authority genders were swapped, the outside became a train, and City was changed to Georgia.

Birth recording by Gladys Knight & the Pips went to hand out one in 1973.^[23]

In the 1994 The Simpsons episode "Burns' Heir", Marge Simpson fantasizes about handling off with Majors.

The name of the Beastie Boys ventilate "Lee Majors Come Again" abridge a reference to Majors.^[24]

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

References

External links