Tommy Kirk
Biography
Thomas Lee Kirk (December 10, 1941 − September 28, 2021) was an American actor, best known for his performances in films made by Walt Disney Studios such as Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog, Swiss Family Robinson, The Absent-Minded Professor, and The Misadventures of Merlin Jones, as well as the beach party films of the mid-1960s. He frequently appeared as a love interest for Annette Funicello or as part of a family with Kevin Corcoran as his younger brother and Fred MacMurray as his father.
Kirk's career with Disney ended when news of his homosexuality threatened to become public. He struggled with drug addiction and depression for several years, appearing in a series of low-budget films before leaving the acting business in the mid-1970s. Kirk opened a carpet cleaning business and lived a mostly ordinary life, occasionally appearing at fan conventions. He died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, in September 2021, aged 79.
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Full filmography
- Matinee Theater (1955)
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Jerry Pitcher
- The Millionaire (1955) as Tom Morrison
- The Streets of San Francisco (1972) as Roland Claridge
- Mr. Novak (1963) as Tod Seaton
- The Wonderful World of Disney (1954) as Biff Hawk (archive footage)
- The Wonderful World of Disney (1954) as Danny Grant
- The Wonderful World of Disney (1954) as Self
- The Wonderful World of Disney (1954) as Wilby Daniels
- The Mickey Mouse Club (1955) as Self
- Frontier (1955)
- Letter to Loretta (1953) as Alvin Simms
- Letter to Loretta (1953) as Mark Seaton
- The Hardy Boys (1956) as Joe Hardy
- The Wonderful World of Disney (1961)
- Old Yeller (1957) as Travis Coates
- Swiss Family Robinson (1960) as Ernst
- Pajama Party (1964) as Go Go
- Savage Sam (1963) as Travis Coates
- Son of Flubber (1963) as Biff Hawk
- The Absent-Minded Professor (1961) as Biff Hawk
- Babes in Toyland (1961) as Grumio
- The Shaggy Dog (1959) as Wilby Daniels
- Disneyland '59 (1959) as Self