G. D. Spradlin
Encyclopedia
Gervase Duan "G.D." Spradlin (August 31, 1920 – July 24, 2011) was an American actor. He often played devious authority figures. He is credited in over 70 television and film productions, and performed alongside actors including Marlon Brando
, Al Pacino
, Johnny Depp
, and George C. Scott
.
. His parents both worked as schoolteachers. Spradlin obtained his bachelor's degree in education from the University of Oklahoma
. He then served in the Army Air Force during World War II
, where he was stationed in China
.
Following World War II, Spradlin returned to the University of Oklahoma, where he completed a law degree
in 1948. He first began his career as an attorney
working in Venezuela
and then became an independent oil producer forming Rouge Oil Company. Before he turned to acting he was active in local politics campaigning for John F. Kennedy
in 1959. He joined the Oklahoma Repertory Theatre in 1964.
had cast Spradlin in such television shows as I Spy and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
. When Roos co-produced The Godfather Part II
, he recommended Spradlin play the role of Senator Geary. He worked with Jack Webb
on the series Dragnet
playing multiple roles from a safecracker to a low-level con man.
Spradlin portrayed a corrupt U.S. Senator from Nevada
, Pat Geary
, in The Godfather, Part II. He also played a conspirator in the attempted assassination of a state governor in Nick of Time
. Among his film credits are One on One
(1977
) (as an authoritarian basketball coach), Apocalypse Now
(as the general who assigns Martin Sheen
's character to the search mission). He played the head football coach B.A. Strother in North Dallas Forty
(1979
), General Durrell the commandant of the "Carolina Military Institute" in the 1983
movie The Lords of Discipline
, and in Ed Wood
and The Long Kiss Goodnight
, as the President of the United States
.
In 1984
, Spradlin played a villainous Southern sheriff in Tank
. In 1988
, he played Admiral Raymond A. Spruance in the miniseries War and Remembrance
. In 1989
, Spradlin played a small role in the film War of the Roses as a divorce lawyer, with Michael Douglas
and Kathleen Turner
.
Spradlin retired from acting after his last film, Dick
(1999
), in which he played Ben Bradlee. He appeared in the Electronic Arts Godfather II video game in 2009.
on July 24, 2011 at the age of 90. His first wife, Nell, with whom he had two daughters, died in 2000. He was survived by his second wife, Frances Hendrickson, whom he married in 2002.
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
, Al Pacino
Al Pacino
Alfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...
, Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
, and George C. Scott
George C. Scott
George Campbell Scott was an American stage and film actor, director and producer. He was best known for his stage work, as well as his portrayal of General George S. Patton in the film Patton, and as General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick's Dr...
.
Early life
Spradlin was born in Pauls Valley, OklahomaPauls Valley, Oklahoma
Pauls Valley is a city in Garvin County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 6,256 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Garvin County.-History:...
. His parents both worked as schoolteachers. Spradlin obtained his bachelor's degree in education from the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
. He then served in the Army Air Force during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, where he was stationed in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Following World War II, Spradlin returned to the University of Oklahoma, where he completed a law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
in 1948. He first began his career as an attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
working in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and then became an independent oil producer forming Rouge Oil Company. Before he turned to acting he was active in local politics campaigning for John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
in 1959. He joined the Oklahoma Repertory Theatre in 1964.
Career
A notable break for Spradlin resulted from his work in television in the 1960s. Fred RoosFred Roos
-Life and career:Roos was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Florence Mary and Victor Otto Roos. Beginning in television as a casting director for The Andy Griffith Show, Roos went on to produce most of Francis Ford Coppola's films subsequent to The Godfather, including Apocalypse Now...
had cast Spradlin in such television shows as I Spy and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.The show renders the title as Gomer Pyle - USMC. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show, and the pilot was aired as the finale of the fourth season of The Andy...
. When Roos co-produced The Godfather Part II
The Godfather Part II
The Godfather Part II is a 1974 American gangster film directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a script co-written with Mario Puzo. The film is both a sequel and a prequel to The Godfather, chronicling the story of the Corleone family following the events of the first film while also depicting the...
, he recommended Spradlin play the role of Senator Geary. He worked with Jack Webb
Jack Webb
John Randolph "Jack" Webb , also known by the pseudonym John Randolph, was an American actor, television producer, director and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Sergeant Joe Friday in the radio and television series Dragnet...
on the series Dragnet
Dragnet
Dragnet may refer to:* A type of fishing net*Dragnet , a coordinated search, named for the fishing net-Dragnet media series:...
playing multiple roles from a safecracker to a low-level con man.
Spradlin portrayed a corrupt U.S. Senator from Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, Pat Geary
Pat Geary
Pat Geary is a fictional character portrayed by G. D. Spradlin in the film The Godfather Part II. He is a U.S. senator from Nevada whose corruption and moral vices are exploited by Michael Corleone....
, in The Godfather, Part II. He also played a conspirator in the attempted assassination of a state governor in Nick of Time
Nick of Time (film)
Nick of Time, starring Johnny Depp, Christopher Walken, Charles S. Dutton and Courtney Chase, is a 1995 thriller movie. It was directed by John Badham. The film is rated R for "Violence and Language" by the MPAA...
. Among his film credits are One on One
One on One (film)
One on One is a 1977 drama film starring Robby Benson and Annette O'Toole. It was written by Benson and Jerry Segal , and shot on location in 1976 at Colorado State University. The film features songs from Seals and Crofts and was directed by Lamont Johnson.-Plot:Henry Steele , a naive high school...
(1977
1977 in film
The year 1977 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight win Best Actor and Actress and Supporting Actress awards for Network....
) (as an authoritarian basketball coach), Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American war film set during the Vietnam War, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The central character is US Army special operations officer Captain Benjamin L. Willard , of MACV-SOG, an assassin sent to kill the renegade and presumed insane Special Forces...
(as the general who assigns Martin Sheen
Martin Sheen
Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
's character to the search mission). He played the head football coach B.A. Strother in North Dallas Forty
North Dallas Forty
North Dallas Forty is a 1979 dramatic film starring Nick Nolte, Mac Davis, and G. D. Spradlin. It was directed by Ted Kotcheff and based on the best selling novel by Peter Gent: the screenplay was by Kotcheff, Gent, Frank Yablans and Nancy Dowd ....
(1979
1979 in film
The year 1979 in film involved some significant events.- Major events :* March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.* May 25 - Alien, a landmark of the science fiction genre, is released....
), General Durrell the commandant of the "Carolina Military Institute" in the 1983
1983 in film
-Events:*February 11 - The Rolling Stones concert film Let's Spend the Night Together opens in New York*May 25 - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the final film in the original Star Wars trilogy, is released. Like the previous films, it goes on to become the top grossing picture of...
movie The Lords of Discipline
The Lords of Discipline (film)
The Lords of Discipline is a 1983 film based on the novel by Pat Conroy and directed by Franc Roddam. The film stars David Keith, Robert Prosky, Judge Reinhold, Bill Paxton, William Hope, Michael Biehn, and Olympic boxer Mark Breland...
, and in Ed Wood
Ed Wood (film)
Ed Wood is a 1994 American comedy-drama biopic directed and produced by Tim Burton, and starring Johnny Depp as cult filmmaker Edward D. Wood, Jr. The film concerns the period in Wood's life when he made his best-known films as well as his relationship with actor Bela Lugosi, played by Martin Landau...
and The Long Kiss Goodnight
The Long Kiss Goodnight
The Long Kiss Goodnight is a 1996 action thriller film starring Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson, written by Shane Black and directed by Renny Harlin.-Plot:...
, as the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
.
In 1984
1984 in film
-Events:* The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name.* Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture of Columbia Pictures, HBO, and CBS, releases its first film....
, Spradlin played a villainous Southern sheriff in Tank
Tank (film)
Tank is a 1984 comedy, drama, and action movie starring James Garner, Jenilee Harrison, and C. Thomas Howell. The film was written by Dan Gordon and directed by Marvin J. Chomsky...
. In 1988
1988 in film
-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:* Act of Piracy* Action Jackson, starring Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Sharon Stone* The Adventures of Baron Munchausen* Akira* Alice...
, he played Admiral Raymond A. Spruance in the miniseries War and Remembrance
War and Remembrance
War and Remembrance is a novel by Herman Wouk, published in 1978, which is the sequel to The Winds of War. It continues the story of the extended Henry family and the Jastrow family starting on 15 December 1941 and ending on 6 August 1945. This novel was adapted into a mini-series presented on...
. In 1989
1989 in film
-Events:* Batman is released on June 23, and goes on to gross over $410 million worldwide.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million...
, Spradlin played a small role in the film War of the Roses as a divorce lawyer, with Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
and Kathleen Turner
Kathleen Turner
Mary Kathleen Turner is an American actress. She came to fame during the 1980s, after roles in the Hollywood films Body Heat, Peggy Sue Got Married, Romancing the Stone, The War of the Roses, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Prizzi's Honor...
.
Spradlin retired from acting after his last film, Dick
Dick (film)
Dick is a 1999 American comedy film directed by Andrew Fleming from a script he wrote with Sheryl Longin. It is a parody retelling the events of the Watergate scandal which ended the presidency of Richard Nixon and features several cast members from Saturday Night Live.Kirsten Dunst and Michelle...
(1999
1999 in film
The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep...
), in which he played Ben Bradlee. He appeared in the Electronic Arts Godfather II video game in 2009.
Death
Spradlin died of natural causes at his cattle ranch in San Luis Obispo, CaliforniaSan Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo is a city in California, located roughly midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Central Coast. Founded in 1772 by Spanish Fr. Junipero Serra, San Luis Obispo is one of California’s oldest communities...
on July 24, 2011 at the age of 90. His first wife, Nell, with whom he had two daughters, died in 2000. He was survived by his second wife, Frances Hendrickson, whom he married in 2002.