Shepperd Strudwick
Encyclopedia
Shepperd Strudwick was an American
actor of film, television, and stage
.
Born in Hillsborough, North Carolina
, he began his film career as the title (eponymous) character in the film Joaquin Murrieta (1938); he was credited as Sheppard Strudwick. He appeared as Yugoslav guerrilla leader Lt. Aleksa Petrovic, an aide to General Draza Mihailovich, in the 20th Century Fox war film Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas
in 1943. He played Edgar Allan Poe in The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe (1942) and appeared in Fighter Squadron (1948), The Red Pony (1949), and A Place in the Sun (1951), starring Elizabeth Taylor
and Montgomery Clift
. Perhaps his most famous film role was that of Adam Stanton, the idealistic doctor who finally kills Willie Stark (played by Broderick Crawford
) in the classic film All the King's Men
(1949). Another notable role was Father Jean Massieu in Joan of Arc
(1948), starring Ingrid Bergman
as Joan.
Strudwick made many appearances on television, such as on The Twilight Zone
, as Peter Selden in the 1960 episode "Nightmare as a Child
" written by Rod Serling, and included several roles on the soap operas As the World Turns
(Dr. Fields), Another World
(Jim Matthews), One Life to Live
(Victor Lord), and Love of Life
(Timothy McCauley). In 1981, he starred as the voice of Homer in the National Radio Theater
's Peabody Award
-winning radio dramatization of The Odyssey
.
His last appearance on celluloid was in 1981's Kent State, a TV movie. That same year, he was nominated for the Tony Award
for Best Actor (Featured Role – Play) for the unsuccessful Broadway play To Grandmother's House We Go.
He was married to Mary Jeffrey from 1977 until his death. He had a son by a previous marriage. He died in New York, New York from cancer
at the age of 75.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor of film, television, and stage
Stage (theatre)
In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...
.
Born in Hillsborough, North Carolina
Hillsborough, North Carolina
Hillsborough is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,653 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Orange County....
, he began his film career as the title (eponymous) character in the film Joaquin Murrieta (1938); he was credited as Sheppard Strudwick. He appeared as Yugoslav guerrilla leader Lt. Aleksa Petrovic, an aide to General Draza Mihailovich, in the 20th Century Fox war film Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas
Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas
Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas was a major war film made by Twentieth Century Fox in 1943. The film starred Philip Dorn, Anna Sten, and Martin Kosleck. The movie, originally titled The Seventh Column, was directed by Louis King based on a story by Jack Andrews, who also co-wrote the screenplay....
in 1943. He played Edgar Allan Poe in The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe (1942) and appeared in Fighter Squadron (1948), The Red Pony (1949), and A Place in the Sun (1951), starring Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
and Montgomery Clift
Montgomery Clift
Edward Montgomery Clift was an American film and stage actor. The New York Times’ obituary noted his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men"....
. Perhaps his most famous film role was that of Adam Stanton, the idealistic doctor who finally kills Willie Stark (played by Broderick Crawford
Broderick Crawford
Broderick Crawford was an Academy Award-winning American stage, film, radio and TV actor, often cast in tough-guy roles and best known for his starring role in the television series "Highway Patrol."-Early life:...
) in the classic film All the King's Men
All the King's Men (1949 film)
All the King's Men is a 1949 drama film based on the Robert Penn Warren novel of the same name. It was directed by Robert Rossen and starred Broderick Crawford in the role of Willie Stark.-Plot:...
(1949). Another notable role was Father Jean Massieu in Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc (1948 film)
Joan of Arc is a 1948 Technicolor film directed by Victor Fleming; starring Ingrid Bergman as the French religious icon and war heroine. It was produced by Walter Wanger. It is based on Maxwell Anderson's successful Broadway play Joan of Lorraine, which also starred Bergman, and was adapted for the...
(1948), starring Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films. She won three Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and the Tony Award for Best Actress. She is ranked as the fourth greatest female star of American cinema of all time by the American Film Institute...
as Joan.
Strudwick made many appearances on television, such as on The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
, as Peter Selden in the 1960 episode "Nightmare as a Child
Nightmare as a Child
"Nightmare as a Child" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.-Synopsis:Schoolteacher Helen Foley finds a strange and very serious little girl named Markie on the stairs outside her apartment. Despite her stoic appearance, she is humming the tune to a nursery...
" written by Rod Serling, and included several roles on the soap operas As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
(Dr. Fields), Another World
Another World (TV series)
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
(Jim Matthews), One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
(Victor Lord), and Love of Life
Love of Life
Love of Life is an American soap opera which aired on CBS Daytime from September 24, 1951 to February 1, 1980. It was created by Roy Winsor, whose previous creation Search for Tomorrow had premiered three weeks before Love of Life, and who would go on to create The Secret Storm two and a half years...
(Timothy McCauley). In 1981, he starred as the voice of Homer in the National Radio Theater
National Radio Theater
The National Radio Theater was a non-profit independent producer of radio plays created in Chicago by Yuri Rasovsky and Michelle M. Faith. Long affiliated with classical FM station WFMT, NRT was active from January 1973 to April 1986. Its programs were heard primarily over public radio stations...
's Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
-winning radio dramatization of The Odyssey
Odyssey
The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...
.
His last appearance on celluloid was in 1981's Kent State, a TV movie. That same year, he was nominated for the Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for Best Actor (Featured Role – Play) for the unsuccessful Broadway play To Grandmother's House We Go.
He was married to Mary Jeffrey from 1977 until his death. He had a son by a previous marriage. He died in New York, New York from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
at the age of 75.