Bobby Driscoll
Biography
Bobby Driscoll was an American actor born Robert Cletus Driscoll on March 3, 1937, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His substantial career included work on screen, television, stage, and radio, featuring roles in Walt Disney Studios live-action pictures such as Song of the South in 1946. He also starred in the films So Dear to My Heart and The Window, which earned him an Academy Award as the year outstanding juvenile actor. His career and life eventually went into decline. Addicted to drugs after beginning use at age 17, he was sentenced to prison in late 1961. After his parole expired, he relocated to New York City in 1965 and was found dead in an abandoned East Village tenement in March 1968 at the age of 31.
Career overview
Bobby Driscoll was an American child and young-adult actor whose substantial career included work on the screen, television, stage, and radio. Born Robert Cletus Driscoll on March 3, 1937, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he performed on film and television, starring in some of the Walt Disney Studios best-known live-action pictures of that period, including the 1946 film Song of the South. His extensive career encompassed forty-five known credits in acting.
Among his notable film work, the 1949 films So Dear to My Heart and The Window earned him an Academy Award as the year's outstanding juvenile actor. His television credits included appearances in Navy Log, M Squad, and Halloween Treat.
Eventually, his career and life gradually went into decline. He began using drugs when he was seventeen, and by late 1961, he was addicted to drugs and sentenced to prison. In 1965, a year after his parole expired, he relocated to New York City. He was found dead in an abandoned East Village tenement in March 1968 at the age of thirty-one.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
45 titles- Once Upon a Studio (2023) as Peter Pan (voice) (archive sound)
- Walt Disney Treasures - The Complete Goofy (2002) as Goofy Jr. (voice) (archive sound) (uncredited)
- The Story Behind Walt Disney's 'Fun and Fancy Free' (1997) as Self (archive footage)
- Disney's Halloween Treat (1982) as Peter Pan (voice) (archive footage)
- Disney's Greatest Villains (1977) as Peter Pan (voice) (archive footage)
- Dirt (1965) as Nun
- Lilies of the Field (1963) as Mexican Holding Chapel Door (uncredited)
- The Chevy Mystery Show (1960) as Fred Forbes
- The Brothers Brannagan (1960) as Johnny
- The Best of the Post (1960) as Joel
- The Party Crashers (1958) as Josh Bickford
- M Squad (1957) as Stephen 'Steve' Wikowlski
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) as Trumpeter Jones
- Navy Log (1955)
- The Millionaire (1955) as Lew Conover
- The Scarlet Coat (1955) as Ben Potter
- Climax! (1954) as Gary
- The Wonderful World of Disney (1954)
- Peter Pan (1953) as Peter Pan (voice)
- Letter to Loretta (1953) as Jimmy Skinner
- Father's Lion (1952) as Goofy Jr. (voice)
- The Happy Time (1952) as Robert 'Bibi' Bonnard
- The Peter Pan Story (1952) as Self
- Dragnet (1951)
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1951)
- When I Grow Up (1951) as Josh / Danny Reed
- The Walt Disney Christmas Show (1951) as Peter Pan
- Fathers Are People (1951) as Goofy Jr. (voice) (uncredited)
- Lux Video Theatre (1950) as Billy Crandall
- Treasure Island (1950) as Jim Hawkins
- One Hour in Wonderland (1950) as Peter Pan
- The Window (1949) as Tommy Woodry
- Studio One (1948) as Peter
- Melody Time (1948) as Bobby Driscoll
- So Dear to My Heart (1948) as Jeremiah 'Jerry' Kincaid
- If You Knew Susie (1948) as Junior Parker
- Song of the South (1946) as Johnny
- From This Day Forward (1946) as Billy Beesley
- Miss Susie Slagle's (1946) as Boy with Wounded Dog (uncredited)
- O.S.S. (1946) as Gerard
- So Goes My Love (1946) as Percy Maxim
- Identity Unknown (1945) as Toddy Loring
- The Fighting Sullivans (1944) as Al, as a child (uncredited)
- The Big Bonanza (1944) as Spud Kilton
- Sunday Dinner for a Soldier (1944) as Jeep Osborne
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Bobby Driscoll best known for?
Bobby Driscoll is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Once Upon a Studio (2023), Lilies of the Field (1963), The Chevy Mystery Show (1960), Head (1968).
When and where was Bobby Driscoll born?
Bobby Driscoll was born on March 3, 1937 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA. They passed away on March 30, 1968.
How many credits does Bobby Driscoll have?
Bobby Driscoll has accumulated over 45 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1944 to 2023.
What is Bobby Driscoll's background in cinema and television?
Bobby Driscoll was an American actor born Robert Cletus Driscoll on March 3, 1937, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His substantial career included work on screen, television, stage, and radio, featuring roles in Walt Disney Studios live-action pictures such as Song of the South in 1946. He also starred in the films So Dear to M...
Bobby Driscoll by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Once Upon a Studio (2023) as Peter Pan (voice) (archive sound) — aged about 86
- The Wonderful World of Disney (1954) — aged about 17
- Lilies of the Field (1963) as Mexican Holding Chapel Door (uncredited) — aged about 26
- Peter Pan (1953) as Peter Pan (voice) — aged about 16
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1951) — aged about 14
- The Chevy Mystery Show (1960) as Fred Forbes — aged about 23
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