Darren McGavin
Biography
Darren McGavin, born William Lyle Richardson on May 7, 1922, was an American actor. He is recognized for his performance in the title role of the television horror series Kolchak: The Night Stalker and for his portrayal of the grumpy, profanity-prone father in the film A Christmas Story. During the 1950s, he appeared as a tough-talking, funny detective in the television series Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer. Additionally, McGavin starred in the NBC western series Riverboat from 1959 to 1961, appearing alongside Burt Reynolds and Noah Beery, Jr. McGavin died on February 25, 2006. His career spanned several decades, encompassing both television and film roles that established his prominence in the entertainment industry.
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Career timeline
Full filmography
- Night Stalker (2005)
- Pros & Cons (1999) as Mr. Stanford
- Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas (1997) as Mr. Parker (archive footage)
- Millennium (1996) as Henry Black
- Small Time (1996) as Sam
- Billy Madison (1995) as Brian Madison
- Derby (1995) as Lester Corbett
- Touched by an Angel (1994) as George Zarko
- Gargoyles (1994) as G.F. Benton/Dominic Dracon (voice)
- Burke's Law (1994) as Conrad Hill
- A Perfect Stranger (1994) as John Henry Phillips
- Mysteries of the Ancient World (1994) as Narrator
- The X-Files (1993) as Agent Arthur Dales
- Fallen Angels (1993) as Old Man
- Grace Under Fire (1993) as Grace's Dad
- The American Clock (1993) as Older Arthur Huntington
- Mastergate (1992) as Folsom Bunting
- The Commish (1991)
- Civil Wars (1991)
- Blood and Concrete (1991) as Hank Dick
- The General Motors Playwrights Theater (1991) as Albert Kroll
- Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker (1991) as actor (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Clara (1991) as Albert Kroll
- Perfect Harmony (1991) as Mr. Hobbs
- Happy Hell Night (1991) as Henry Collins
- Sisters (1991)
- Child in the Night (1990) as Os Winfield
- Captain America (1990) as General Fleming
- By Dawn's Early Light (1990) as Condor
- Kojak: It's Always Something (1990) as Wainwright
- Unclaimed Fortunes II (1990) as Host
- Around the World in 80 Days (1989) as Benjamin Mudge
- Murphy Brown (1988) as Bill Brown
- Monsters (1988) as Hubert
- Inherit the Wind (1988) as E.K. Hornbeck
- The Diamond Trap (1988) as Chief Walter Vadney
- Dead Heat (1988) as Dr. Ernest McNab
- From the Hip (1987) as Craig Duncan
- Tales from the Hollywood Hills: Natica Jackson (1987) as A. Z. Nathan
- Worlds Beyond (1986) as Harry Hewart
- Raw Deal (1986) as Chief Harry Shannon
- My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn (1985) as Dr. Gerrit Koets
- Turk 182! (1985) as Det. Kowalski
- Murder, She Wrote (1984) as Martin Tremaine
- Highway to Heaven (1984)
- Tales from the Darkside (1984) as Van Conway
- The Natural (1984) as Gus Sands (uncredited)
- The Baron and the Kid (1984) as Jack Beamer
- The Return of Marcus Welby, M.D. (1984) as Dr. David Jennings
- The Hitchhiker (1983) as Old Man
- A Christmas Story (1983) as The Old Man
- Small & Frye (1983)
- Firebird 2015 A.D. (1981) as Red
- Magnum, P.I. (1980) as Buck Gibson
- The Martian Chronicles (1980) as Sam Parkhill
- Hangar 18 (1980) as Harry Forbes
- Waikiki (1980) as Capt. McGuire
- Tales of the Unexpected (1979) as Sheriff Milt Singleton
- Ike (1979) as Gen. George S. Patton
- Love for Rent (1979) as Coach John Martin
- Ike (1979) as Gen. George S. Patton
- Donovan's Kid (1979) as Timothy Donovan
- Hot Lead & Cold Feet (1978) as Mayor Ragsdale
- Zero to Sixty (1978) as Michael Nolan
- Zero to Sixty (1978) Screenplay
- The Users (1978) as Henry Waller
- The Love Boat (1977) as Lawrence Evans
- Airport '77 (1977) as Stan Buchek
- Brinks: The Great Robbery (1976) as James McNally
- Crackle of Death (1976) as Carl Kolchak
- No Deposit, No Return (1976) as Duke
- Demon and the Mummy (1976) as Carl Kolchak
- Law and Order (1976) as Deputy Chief Brian O'Malley
- B. Must Die (1975) as Pal Kovak
- Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974) as Carl Kolchak
- Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974) Producer
- Police Story (1973) as Matt Hallett
- The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts (1973) as Self
- The Evil Touch (1973)
- The Evil Touch (1973) as Alvin Hazeltine
- The Evil Touch (1973) Director
- Happy Mother's Day, Love George (1973) Director
- The Night Strangler (1973) as Carl Kolchak
- The Six Million Dollar Man (1973) as Oliver Spencer
- The Night Stalker (1972) as Carl Kolchak
- Something Evil (1972) as Paul Worden
- Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole (1972) as Dr. Lou Grazzo
- 43: The Richard Petty Story (1972) as Lee Petty
- Sam Cade (1972)
- The Rookies (1972) as Sgt. Eddie Ryker
- Here Comes the Judge (1972) as Judge
- Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law (1971) as McClain
- V.I.P. Schaukel (1971) as Self
- Banyon (1971) as Lieutenant Pete Cordova
- Mrs. Pollifax — Spy (1971) as Farrell
- The Death of Me Yet (1971) as Joe Chalk
- Mooch Goes to Hollywood (1971) as Darren McGavin (uncredited)
- Berlin Affair (1970) as Paul Killian
- Tribes (1970) as Drake
- The Challenge (1970) as Jacob Gallery
- The Challengers (1970) as Jim McCabe
- The 48-Hour Mile (1970) as David Ross
- Love, American Style (1969) as Corbett
- Bracken's World (1969)
- The Bold Ones: The Lawyers (1969)
- Anatomy of a Crime (1969) as David Ross
- The Name of the Game (1968) as Jesse Gil McCray
- The Name of the Game (1968) as Sam Hardy
- The Name of the Game (1968) as Eddie Gannon
- The Outsider (1968) as David Ross
- Mission Mars (1968) as Col. Mike Blaiswick
- Boomerang, Dog of Many Talents (1968) as Barney B. Duncan
- Mannix (1967) as Mark
- Cimarron Strip (1967)
- Custer (1967)
- The Outsider (1967) as David Ross
- Mission: Impossible (1966) as J. Richard Taggart
- Felony Squad (1966)
- The Great Sioux Massacre (1965) as Captain Frederick William Benton
- African Gold (1965) as Mike Gregory
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) as Viktor Karmak
- The Rogues (1964) as Amos Champion
- Bullet for a Badman (1964) as Sam Ward
- Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963)
- Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963) as Franklin Carson
- The Virginian (1962) as Mark Troxel
- The Virginian (1962) as Sam Evans
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) as Sheridan Westcott
- The Match Game (1962) as Self
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
- Dr. Kildare (1961) as Prof. Felix Holman
- The Defenders (1961) as Howard Potter
- The Defenders (1961) as Marty Wisnovsky
- Ben Casey (1961)
- Witchcraft: The Doll in Brambles (1961) as Fred
- Route 66 (1960)
- The Islanders (1960) as Phil
- Stagecoach West (1960)
- Special for Women (1960) as The Social Worker
- Rawhide (1959) as Jed Hadley
- Riverboat (1959) as Captain Grey Holden
- Riverboat (1959) Director
- Disneyland '59 (1959) as Self
- Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (1958) as Mike Hammer
- Buckskin (1958) Director
- The Case Against Brooklyn (1958) as Pete Harris
- Beau James (1957) as Charley Hand
- The Delicate Delinquent (1957) as Mike Damon
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Will Helmick
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Lon Gorman
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Joe Bascome
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Red Hillman
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Lyle Endicott
- The Alcoa Hour (1955)
- Summertime (1955) as Eddie Yaeger
- The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955) as Capt. Russ Peters
- The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) as Louie
- A Word to the Wives... (1955) as George Peters
- Climax! (1954) as Walter
- The Wonderful World of Disney (1954) as John Jay Forrest
- The Wonderful World of Disney (1954) as Timothy Donovan
- Omnibus (1952)
- Death Valley Days (1952) as Zacharias Gurney
- Tales of Tomorrow (1951)
- Casey, Crime Photographer (1951) as Jack Casey
- Queen for a Day (1951) as Dan
- Robert Montgomery Presents (1950) as Joe Gillis
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self - Mystery Guest
- Suspense (1949) as Ted Larson
- Suspense (1949)
- The Philco Television Playhouse (1948) as Bill Starbuck
- Studio One (1948) as Will Sorrell
- Studio One (1948) as Johnny Quigg
- Studio One (1948) as Tom Kendall
- A Song to Remember (1945) as Student (uncredited)
- She Wouldn't Say Yes (1945) as The Kid - Soldier in Hospital (uncredited)
- Your Next Job (1945) as Balancing hobbyist