Brad Davis (actor)
Encyclopedia
Robert Creel "Brad" Davis (November 6, 1949September 8, 1991) was an American actor, known for starring in the 1978 film Midnight Express
.
to Welsh American, Eugene Davis (a dentist whose career declined due to alcoholism
) and his wife, Anne Davis who was Irish American. His brother Gene
is also an actor. According to an article in The New York Times
published in 1987, Davis suffered physical abuse
and sexual abuse
at the hands of both parents. As an adult, he was an alcoholic
and an intravenous drug user before becoming sober
in 1981. Davis was known as "Bobby" during his youth, but took Brad as his stage name in 1973.
and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
, as well as studied acting at the American Place Theater. After a role on the soap opera
How to Survive a Marriage
, he performed in Off-Broadway
plays. In 1976 he was cast in the television mini-series Roots
then as Sally Field
's love interest in the television film Sybil. He played the lead role in Larry Kramer
's play about AIDS
, The Normal Heart
(1985).
His most successful film role was as the main character, Billy Hayes, in Midnight Express
(1978), for which he won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Acting Debut - Actor. He was also nominated for a similar award at that year's BAFTA Awards
, in addition to receiving Best Actor nominations at both ceremonies.
-winning casting director. They had one child, Alexandra (now Alex, he's a transman).
. Although the announcement said he died of AIDS, he actually died of an intentional drug overdose
. Near death and in severe pain in a hospital, he opted to return home and end his life on his own terms. With his wife and a family friend present, he committed assisted suicide
. Susan Davis continues to campaign to combat AIDS.
Midnight Express (film)
Released on October 6, 1978, the soundtrack to Midnight Express was composed by Italian synth-pioneer Giorgio Moroder. The score won the Academy Award for Best Original Score of 1978.Side A:#Chase – Giorgio Moroder...
.
Early life
Born Robert Davis in Tallahassee, FloridaTallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
to Welsh American, Eugene Davis (a dentist whose career declined due to alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
) and his wife, Anne Davis who was Irish American. His brother Gene
Gene Davis (actor)
Eugene M. "Gene" Davis known for playing the psychotic killer Warren Stacy in the 1983 film 10 to Midnight with Charles Bronson; he also played a killer in another Bronson vehicle, 1988's Messenger of Death...
is also an actor. According to an article in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
published in 1987, Davis suffered physical abuse
Physical abuse
Physical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause feelings of intimidation, injury, or other physical suffering or bodily harm.-Forms of physical abuse:*Striking*Punching*Belting*Pushing, pulling*Slapping*Whipping*Striking with an object...
and sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
at the hands of both parents. As an adult, he was an alcoholic
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and an intravenous drug user before becoming sober
Sobriety
Sobriety is the condition of not having any measurable levels, or effects from, alcohol or other drugs that alter ones mood or behaviors. According to WHO "Lexicon of alcohol and drug terms..." sobriety is continued abstinence from alcohol and psychoactive drug use...
in 1981. Davis was known as "Bobby" during his youth, but took Brad as his stage name in 1973.
Career
At 17, after winning a music talent contest, Davis worked at Theater Atlanta. He later moved to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
American Academy of Dramatic Arts
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts is a fully accredited two-year conservatory with facilities located in Manhattan, New York City – at 120 Madison Avenue, in a landmark building designed by noted architect Stanford White as the original Colony Club – and in Hollywood, California...
, as well as studied acting at the American Place Theater. After a role on the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
How to Survive a Marriage
How to Survive a Marriage
How to Survive a Marriage is a soap opera which aired on the NBC television network from January 7, 1974 to April 17, 1975. The serial was created by Anne Howard Bailey, with much input from then-NBC Vice President Lin Bolen...
, he performed in Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
plays. In 1976 he was cast in the television mini-series Roots
Roots (TV miniseries)
Roots is a 1977 American television miniseries based on Alex Haley's fictional novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family. Roots received 36 Emmy Award nominations, winning nine. It also won a Golden Globe and a Peabody Award. It received unprecedented Nielsen ratings with the finale still...
then as Sally Field
Sally Field
Sally Margaret Field is an American actress, singer, producer, director, and screenwriter. In each decade of her career, she has been known for major roles in American TV/film culture, including: in the 1960s, for Gidget or Sister Bertrille on The Flying Nun ; in the 1970s, for Sybil , Smokey and...
's love interest in the television film Sybil. He played the lead role in Larry Kramer
Larry Kramer
Larry Kramer is an American playwright, author, public health advocate, and LGBT rights activist. He began his career rewriting scripts while working for Columbia Pictures, which led him to London where he worked with United Artists. There he wrote the screenplay for Women in Love in 1969, earning...
's play about AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, The Normal Heart
The Normal Heart
The Normal Heart is a largely autobiographical play by Larry Kramer. It focuses on the rise of the HIV-AIDS crisis in New York City between 1981 and 1984, as seen through the eyes of writer/activist Ned Weeks, the gay Jewish-American founder of a prominent HIV advocacy group...
(1985).
His most successful film role was as the main character, Billy Hayes, in Midnight Express
Midnight Express (film)
Released on October 6, 1978, the soundtrack to Midnight Express was composed by Italian synth-pioneer Giorgio Moroder. The score won the Academy Award for Best Original Score of 1978.Side A:#Chase – Giorgio Moroder...
(1978), for which he won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Acting Debut - Actor. He was also nominated for a similar award at that year's BAFTA Awards
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
, in addition to receiving Best Actor nominations at both ceremonies.
Personal life
Davis was married to Susan Davis, who later became an Emmy AwardEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
-winning casting director. They had one child, Alexandra (now Alex, he's a transman).
Death
Diagnosed with AIDS in 1985, Davis kept his condition a secret until shortly before his death at age 41, which occcurred on September 8, 1991 in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Although the announcement said he died of AIDS, he actually died of an intentional drug overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
. Near death and in severe pain in a hospital, he opted to return home and end his life on his own terms. With his wife and a family friend present, he committed assisted suicide
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
. Susan Davis continues to campaign to combat AIDS.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1976 | Song of Myself | Streetcar Conductor | Short film |
| Eat My Dust | Uncredited Role | ||
| 1978 | Midnight Express Midnight Express (film) Released on October 6, 1978, the soundtrack to Midnight Express was composed by Italian synth-pioneer Giorgio Moroder. The score won the Academy Award for Best Original Score of 1978.Side A:#Chase – Giorgio Moroder... |
Billy Hayes | |
| 1980 | A Small Circle of Friends A Small Circle of Friends A Small Circle of Friends is a film released in 1980 by United Artists starring Brad Davis, Karen Allen, Shelley Long, Jameson Parker, Peter Mark, and an uncredited Craig Richard Nelson, who played Bell in The Paper Chase, another film set at Harvard. The film follows the life of three students at... |
Leonardo DaVinci Rizzo | |
| 1981 | Chariots of Fire Chariots of Fire Chariots of Fire is a 1981 British film. It tells the fact-based story of two athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice.... |
Jackson Scholz Jackson Scholz Jackson Volney Scholz was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the sprint. In the 1920s, he became the first person to appear in an Olympic sprint final in three different Olympic Games... |
|
| 1982 | Querelle Querelle Querelle, a 1982 film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, adapted from French author Jean Genet's 1947 novel Querelle de Brest. It marked Fassbinder's final film as a writer/director; it was posthumously released just months after the director died of a drug overdose in June 1982.-Plot:The plot... |
Querelle | |
| 1984 | Terror in the Aisles Terror in the Aisles Terror in the Aisles is a 1984 documentary film about horror films featuring clips from Friday the 13th I and/or II, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Halloween I and II, Jaws 1 and 2, Alien, John Carpenter's The Thing, The Shining and Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and The Birds. The film is hosted by... |
Billy Hayes | Archival footage |
| 1986 | Il cugino americano | Julian Salina | |
| 1987 | Heart | Eddie | |
| Cold Steel | Johnny Modine | ||
| 1989 | Rosalie Goes Shopping Rosalie Goes Shopping Rosalie Goes Shopping is a 1989 German film directed by Percy Adlon and starring Marianne Sägebrecht, Brad Davis, and Judge Reinhold. The film, which was in competition at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival and was rated "PG" in the MPAA film rating system, met mixed reviews... |
Ray "Liebling" Greenspace | |
| 1991 | Hangfire | Sheriff Ike Slayton | Alternative title: First Blood Commando |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1974 | How to Survive a Marriage How to Survive a Marriage How to Survive a Marriage is a soap opera which aired on the NBC television network from January 7, 1974 to April 17, 1975. The serial was created by Anne Howard Bailey, with much input from then-NBC Vice President Lin Bolen... |
Alexander Kronos | Unknown episodes |
| 1976 | The American Parade | Thomas Nast Thomas Nast Thomas Nast was a German-born American caricaturist and editorial cartoonist who is considered to be the "Father of the American Cartoon". He was the scourge of Boss Tweed and the Tammany Hall machine... |
Miniseries Miniseries A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term... |
| Sybil | Richard J. Loomis | NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... Miniseries |
|
| The Secret Life of Ol' John Chapman | Andy | CBS CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of... Television movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
|
| 1977 | Roots Roots (TV miniseries) Roots is a 1977 American television miniseries based on Alex Haley's fictional novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family. Roots received 36 Emmy Award nominations, winning nine. It also won a Golden Globe and a Peabody Award. It received unprecedented Nielsen ratings with the finale still... |
Ol' George Johnson | ABC American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948... Miniseries Miniseries A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term... |
| Baretta Baretta Baretta is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a milder version of a successful 1973–74 ABC series, Toma, starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police officer David Toma... |
Ray | Episode: Guns and Brothers | |
| 1980 | The Greatest Man in the World | Jimmy Schmurch | Television movie |
| A Rumor of War A Rumor of War (miniseries) A Rumor of War is a 1980 television miniseries, based on the 1977 autobiography by Philip Caputo about his service in the United States Marine Corps in the early years of American involvement in the Vietnam War... |
Lt. Philip 'Phil' Caputo Philip Caputo Philip Caputo is an American author and journalist. He is best-known for A Rumor of War, a best-selling memoir of his experiences during the Vietnam War.... |
CBS Miniseries | |
| 1981 | BBC2 Playhouse | Young American | Episode: "Mrs. Reinhardt" |
| 1983 | Chiefs Chiefs (TV miniseries) Chiefs is a miniseries based upon the novel of the same name by Stuart Woods. It was broadcast on CBS over three nights in November 1983. It was directed by Jerry London, and stars Charlton Heston, Keith Carradine, Stephen Collins, Danny Glover, Wayne Rogers and Billy Dee Williams... |
Sonny Butts | CBS Miniseries |
| 1985 | Robert Kennedy & His Times Robert Kennedy & His Times Robert Kennedy & His Times is a 1985 American television miniseries directed by Marvin J. Chomsky. The miniseries was released in three parts and depicts the life of Robert F. Kennedy.-Cast:- Crew :-Awards and nominations:... |
Robert F. Kennedy Robert F. Kennedy Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F... |
CBS Miniseries |
| The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1985 to 1986, and on the USA Network from 1987 to 1989... |
Arthur | Episode: Arthur, or the Gigolo | |
| 1986 | The Twilight Zone | Arthur Lewis | Segment: Button, Button |
| Vengeance: The Story of Tony Cimo | Tony Cimo | CBS Television movie | |
| 1987 | The Hitchhiker | Jerry Rulac | Episode: Why Are You Here? |
| When the Time Comes | Dean | ABC American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948... Television movie |
|
| 1988 | The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial | Lt. Cmdr. Phillip Francis Queeg Captain Queeg Lieutenant Commander Philip Francis Queeg, USN, is a fictional character in Herman Wouk's 1951 novel The Caine Mutiny. He is also a character in the identically titled 1954 film adaptation of the novel and in The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, the Broadway theatre adaptation of the novel that opened... |
CBS Television movie |
| 1989 | The Rainbow Warrior Conspiracy | Neil Travers | Television movie |
| The Edge | Kenny | Television movie | |
| 1990 | The Plot to Kill Hitler The Plot to Kill Hitler (film) #The Plot to Kill Hitler is a 1990 television movie. It is about the 20 July 1944 plot by German officers to kill Adolf Hitler. Brad Davis stars as Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg who plants a bomb in the conference room of the Führer's headquarters in East Prussia.- Plot summary :“The... |
Count Claus von Stauffenberg Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg commonly referred to as Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg was a German army officer and Catholic aristocrat who was one of the leading members of the failed 20 July plot of 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler and remove the Nazi Party from... |
CBS Television movie |
| 1991 | Child of Darkness, Child of Light | Dr. Phinney | Television movie |
| 1992 | The Habitation of Dragons | George Tolliver | Television movie |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | British Academy Film Awards British Academy Film Awards The British Academy Film Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . It is the British counterpart of the Oscars. As of 2008, it has taken place in the Royal Opera House, having taken over from the flagship Odeon cinema on Leicester Square... |
Nominated | Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles | Midnight Express |
| Best Actor | Midnight Express | |||
| Golden Globe Awards | Nominated | Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama | Midnight Express | |
| Won | Best Motion Picture Acting Debut - Male | Midnight Express | ||
| Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards | Won | Best Actor | Midnight Express |
External links
- Brad Davis at the Lortel ArchivesLortel ArchivesThe Lortel Archives, or the Internet Off-Broadway Database is an online database that catalogues theatre productions shown off-Broadway.The archives are named in honor of actress and theatrical producer Lucille Lortel.-See also:...