Wilford Brimley
Encyclopedia
Allen Wilford Brimley is an American actor. He has appeared in such films as The China Syndrome
, Cocoon
, The Thing and The Firm. He had a recurring role on the 1970s television series The Waltons
. Brimley has also done television commercials
, including ads for Quaker Oats and Liberty Medical
.
, where his father worked as a real estate
broker.
Prior to his career in acting, Brimley worked as a ranch hand
, wrangler
, blacksmith
, and a bodyguard
for Howard Hughes
. He then began shoeing
horses for film and television. He began acting in the 1960s as a riding extra in Westerns
and as a stunt man at the urging of his friend, actor Robert Duvall
.
Brimley was cast in the popular 1970s television series The Waltons
as Walton's Mountain resident Horace Brimley, in seven appearances from 1974 through 1977.
Brimley became famous later in life for appearing in such films as The Hotel New Hampshire
, John Carpenter
's The Thing, and Cocoon
. In 2001, he starred in the Turner Network Television
film Crossfire Trail
with Tom Selleck
. He had an important role in The China Syndrome
. He often plays a gruff or stodgy old man, notably on the 1980s drama series Our House. His first characterization was in Absence of Malice
, in which he played a small but key role as a curmudgeonly, outspoken James A. Wells, Assistant U.S. Attorney General. He expanded on this characterization as the world-weary manager of a hapless baseball team in The Natural
, a film in which his friend Duvall appeared as an antagonistic sportswriter.
Brimley was cast in the 1983 film Tender Mercies
due to the urging of Robert Duvall
, who was not getting along well with director Bruce Beresford
and wanted "somebody down here that's on my side, somebody that I can relate to." Beresford felt Brimley was too old for the part, but eventually agreed to the casting. Brimley, like Duvall, clashed with the director; during one instance when Beresford tried to advise Brimley on how Harry would behave, Duvall recalled Brimley responding: "Now look, let me tell you something, I'm Harry. Harry's not over there, Harry's not over here. Until you fire me or get another actor, I'm Harry, and whatever I do is fine 'cause I'm Harry."
In a change from his "good guy" roles such as those in Our House, he played William Devasher, the ominous head of security for Bendini, Lambert & Locke in the Tom Cruise
film The Firm (1993
), based on the novel by John Grisham
.
Brimley has frequently appeared in commercials, notably a series of commercials he did for Quaker Oats Oatmeal throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The Quaker commercials were famous for their slogan: "It's the right thing to do and the tasty way to do it." Brimley is also known for appearing in numerous television advertisements for Liberty Medical
, a company specializing in home delivery of medical products such as diabetes testing supplies.
Brimley has also been described as "a fine singer with a warm, rich voice".
In 1993, Brimley sang with the Cal State Northridge Jazz Band for a concert benefiting the college's Jazz Endowment Scholarship Fund; in 2004, he released This Time, The Dream's On Me, an album of jazz standards named after the Harold Arlen
and Johnny Mercer
-penned title track
.
in 1979, Brimley began working to raise awareness of the disease. The American Diabetes Association
(ADA) honored Brimley in 2008 with an award to recognize his lifetime of service. Brimley has been active visiting Veterans Administration hospitals and communities to advise patients on how to manage their diseases. The ADA presented the award to the actor at the Port St. Lucie headquarters of Liberty Medical on December 19, 2008.
Brimley is an activist, paying from his own funds for ads to have Utah allow horse-race gambling. He spoke against the banning of cockfighting in New Mexico
on the basis of his support of individual rights. Brimley enjoys playing poker and has played in the World Series of Poker
Main Event. Brimley lent his support to John McCain
in the 2008 U.S. presidential election. In the days leading up to his selection for vice president, McCain jokingly stated that he would pick Brimley: "He's a former Marine and great guy and he's older than I am, so that might work." Brimley is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Brimley has resided in Greybull, Wyoming since 2006.
The China Syndrome
The China Syndrome is a 1979 American thriller film that tells the story of a reporter and cameraman who discover safety coverups at a nuclear power plant. It stars Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Michael Douglas, Scott Brady, James Hampton, Peter Donat, Richard Herd, and Wilford Brimley.The film was...
, Cocoon
Cocoon (film)
The score for Cocoon was composed and conducted by James Horner. The soundtrack was released twice, through Polydor Records in 1985 and a reprint through P.E.G. in 1997 and features eleven tracks of score and a vocal track performed by Michael Sembello...
, The Thing and The Firm. He had a recurring role on the 1970s television series The Waltons
The Waltons
The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television...
. Brimley has also done television commercials
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
, including ads for Quaker Oats and Liberty Medical
Liberty Medical
Liberty Medical Supply, Inc. is a home delivery service that sells diabetes testing supplies, prescription drugs, CPAP and ostomy supplies directly to consumers. The company is a subsidiary of Medco Health Solutions, Inc., which purchased Liberty Medical and its parent company, PolyMedica, in...
.
Career
Brimley was born as Allen Wilford Brimley in Salt Lake City, UtahUtah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, where his father worked as a real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
broker.
Prior to his career in acting, Brimley worked as a ranch hand
Ranch hand
A Ranch hand is a manual laborer on a ranch, such as a cowboy.Ranch hand may also refer to:*Operation Ranch Hand, a US Air Force operation during the Vietnam war*Ranch Hand Truck Accessories, an American manufacturer of heavy duty truck accessories...
, wrangler
Wrangler (profession)
In North America, a wrangler is someone employed to handle animals professionally, especially horses, but also other types of animals. Wranglers also handle the horses and other animals during the making of motion pictures...
, blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
, and a bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
for Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
. He then began shoeing
Farrier
A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves...
horses for film and television. He began acting in the 1960s as a riding extra in Westerns
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
and as a stunt man at the urging of his friend, actor Robert Duvall
Robert Duvall
Robert Selden Duvall is an American actor and director. He has won an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA over the course of his career....
.
Brimley was cast in the popular 1970s television series The Waltons
The Waltons
The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television...
as Walton's Mountain resident Horace Brimley, in seven appearances from 1974 through 1977.
Brimley became famous later in life for appearing in such films as The Hotel New Hampshire
The Hotel New Hampshire (film)
The Hotel New Hampshire is a 1984 comedy-drama film based on John Irving's 1981 novel of the same name. The film was written and directed by Tony Richardson and stars Jodie Foster, Beau Bridges, Rob Lowe, and Nastassja Kinski. The film also features Wilford Brimley, Amanda Plummer, Matthew Modine,...
, John Carpenter
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
's The Thing, and Cocoon
Cocoon (film)
The score for Cocoon was composed and conducted by James Horner. The soundtrack was released twice, through Polydor Records in 1985 and a reprint through P.E.G. in 1997 and features eleven tracks of score and a vocal track performed by Michael Sembello...
. In 2001, he starred in the Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
film Crossfire Trail
Crossfire Trail (film)
Crossfire Trail is a Turner Network Television film starring Tom Selleck in the role of Rafael "Rafe" Covington, a wanderer known for his honesty and steadfastness who keeps his word to a dying friend despite great adversity to himself. The tagline of the picture is "A hero is measured by the...
with Tom Selleck
Tom Selleck
Thomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
. He had an important role in The China Syndrome
The China Syndrome
The China Syndrome is a 1979 American thriller film that tells the story of a reporter and cameraman who discover safety coverups at a nuclear power plant. It stars Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Michael Douglas, Scott Brady, James Hampton, Peter Donat, Richard Herd, and Wilford Brimley.The film was...
. He often plays a gruff or stodgy old man, notably on the 1980s drama series Our House. His first characterization was in Absence of Malice
Absence of Malice
Absence of Malice is a 1981 American drama film starring Paul Newman, Sally Field, and Bob Balaban, directed by Sydney Pollack.-Plot:Miami liquor wholesaler Michael Gallagher is the son of a deceased criminal who awakes one day to find himself a front-page story in the local newspaper, indicating...
, in which he played a small but key role as a curmudgeonly, outspoken James A. Wells, Assistant U.S. Attorney General. He expanded on this characterization as the world-weary manager of a hapless baseball team in The Natural
The Natural
The Natural is a 1952 novel about baseball written by Bernard Malamud. The book follows Roy Hobbs, a baseball prodigy whose career is sidetracked when he is shot by a woman who seeks to kill arrogant athletes to "better the world"...
, a film in which his friend Duvall appeared as an antagonistic sportswriter.
Brimley was cast in the 1983 film Tender Mercies
Tender Mercies
Tender Mercies is a 1983 American drama film directed by Bruce Beresford. The screenplay by Horton Foote focuses on Mac Sledge, a recovering alcoholic country music singer who seeks to turn his life around through his relationship with a young widow and her son in rural Texas...
due to the urging of Robert Duvall
Robert Duvall
Robert Selden Duvall is an American actor and director. He has won an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA over the course of his career....
, who was not getting along well with director Bruce Beresford
Bruce Beresford
Bruce Beresford is an Australian film director who has made more than 30 feature films over a 40-year career.-Early life:...
and wanted "somebody down here that's on my side, somebody that I can relate to." Beresford felt Brimley was too old for the part, but eventually agreed to the casting. Brimley, like Duvall, clashed with the director; during one instance when Beresford tried to advise Brimley on how Harry would behave, Duvall recalled Brimley responding: "Now look, let me tell you something, I'm Harry. Harry's not over there, Harry's not over here. Until you fire me or get another actor, I'm Harry, and whatever I do is fine 'cause I'm Harry."
In a change from his "good guy" roles such as those in Our House, he played William Devasher, the ominous head of security for Bendini, Lambert & Locke in the Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
film The Firm (1993
1993 in film
The year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:...
), based on the novel by John Grisham
John Grisham
John Ray Grisham, Jr. is an American lawyer and author, best known for his popular legal thrillers.John Grisham graduated from Mississippi State University before attending the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981 and practiced criminal law for about a decade...
.
Brimley has frequently appeared in commercials, notably a series of commercials he did for Quaker Oats Oatmeal throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The Quaker commercials were famous for their slogan: "It's the right thing to do and the tasty way to do it." Brimley is also known for appearing in numerous television advertisements for Liberty Medical
Liberty Medical
Liberty Medical Supply, Inc. is a home delivery service that sells diabetes testing supplies, prescription drugs, CPAP and ostomy supplies directly to consumers. The company is a subsidiary of Medco Health Solutions, Inc., which purchased Liberty Medical and its parent company, PolyMedica, in...
, a company specializing in home delivery of medical products such as diabetes testing supplies.
Brimley has also been described as "a fine singer with a warm, rich voice".
In 1993, Brimley sang with the Cal State Northridge Jazz Band for a concert benefiting the college's Jazz Endowment Scholarship Fund; in 2004, he released This Time, The Dream's On Me, an album of jazz standards named after the Harold Arlen
Harold Arlen
Harold Arlen was an American composer of popular music, having written over 500 songs, a number of which have become known the world over. In addition to composing the songs for The Wizard of Oz, including the classic 1938 song, "Over the Rainbow,” Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the...
and Johnny Mercer
Johnny Mercer
John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
-penned title track
This Time the Dream's on Me
"This Time the Dream's on Me" is a song composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It was written for the 1941 film Blues in the Night.-Notable recordings:*Chet Baker *June Christy - Something Cool *Harry Connick Jr....
.
Personal life
Diagnosed with diabetesDiabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced...
in 1979, Brimley began working to raise awareness of the disease. The American Diabetes Association
American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association is a United States-based association working to fight the consequences of diabetes, and to help those affected by diabetes...
(ADA) honored Brimley in 2008 with an award to recognize his lifetime of service. Brimley has been active visiting Veterans Administration hospitals and communities to advise patients on how to manage their diseases. The ADA presented the award to the actor at the Port St. Lucie headquarters of Liberty Medical on December 19, 2008.
Brimley is an activist, paying from his own funds for ads to have Utah allow horse-race gambling. He spoke against the banning of cockfighting in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
on the basis of his support of individual rights. Brimley enjoys playing poker and has played in the World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
Main Event. Brimley lent his support to John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
in the 2008 U.S. presidential election. In the days leading up to his selection for vice president, McCain jokingly stated that he would pick Brimley: "He's a former Marine and great guy and he's older than I am, so that might work." Brimley is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Brimley has resided in Greybull, Wyoming since 2006.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Bandolero! Bandolero! Bandolero! is a 1968 western directed by Andrew V. McLaglen starring James Stewart, Dean Martin, Raquel Welch and George Kennedy.-Plot:Posing as a hangman, Mace Bishop arrives in town with the intention of freeing his brother Dee from the gallows. Dee and his gang have been arrested for a bank... |
Stunts (uncredited) | |
| 1969 | True Grit | Stunts (uncredited) | |
| 1971 | Lawman Lawman (film) Lawman is a 1971 American Western film starring Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, Lee J. Cobb, and Robert Duvall.The film is about the quest of a lone peace officer, Marshal Jered Maddox , to bring several men to justice... |
Stunts (uncredited) | |
| 1976 | The Oregon Trail | Ludlow | 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... |
| 1979 | The China Syndrome The China Syndrome The China Syndrome is a 1979 American thriller film that tells the story of a reporter and cameraman who discover safety coverups at a nuclear power plant. It stars Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Michael Douglas, Scott Brady, James Hampton, Peter Donat, Richard Herd, and Wilford Brimley.The film was... |
Ted Spindler | |
| The Electric Horseman The Electric Horseman The Electric Horseman is a 1979 adventure and romance feature film starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda and directed by Sydney Pollack. It was the third time Redford and Fonda starred together in a feature film, having previously teamed on The Chase and Barefoot in the Park .-Plot:Sonny Steele ... |
Farmer | ||
| 1980 | Brubaker Brubaker Brubaker is an American 1980 film about a prison in distress and the Warden Henry Brubaker who attempts to reform the system.... |
Rogers | |
| Borderline Borderline (1980 film) Borderline is a 1980 American drama film directed by Jerrold Freedman and starring Charles Bronson, Ed Harris and Bruno Kirby.-Plot:The film follows a United States Border Patrol Agent in Charge, Jeb Maynard , who is forced to track down the killers of a young Mexican boy and his colleague and... |
Scooter Jackson | ||
| 1981 | Absence of Malice Absence of Malice Absence of Malice is a 1981 American drama film starring Paul Newman, Sally Field, and Bob Balaban, directed by Sydney Pollack.-Plot:Miami liquor wholesaler Michael Gallagher is the son of a deceased criminal who awakes one day to find himself a front-page story in the local newspaper, indicating... |
Asst. U.S. Atty. Gen. James A. Wells | |
| 1982 | Death Valley Death Valley (1982 film) Death Valley is a horror film starring Catherine Hicks, Edward Herrmann, Peter Billingsley, Stephen McHattie, Paul Le Mat, Mary Steelsmith and Earl W. Smith.It was directed by Dick Richards and written by Richard Rothstein.... |
The Sheriff | |
| The Thing | Dr. Blair | ||
| 1983 | Tender Mercies Tender Mercies Tender Mercies is a 1983 American drama film directed by Bruce Beresford. The screenplay by Horton Foote focuses on Mac Sledge, a recovering alcoholic country music singer who seeks to turn his life around through his relationship with a young widow and her son in rural Texas... |
Harry | |
| 10 to Midnight 10 to Midnight 10 to Midnight is an action-crime-thriller film directed by J. Lee Thompson from a screenplay originally written by William Roberts. The film stars Charles Bronson in the lead role with a supporting cast that includes Lisa Eilbacher, Andrew Stevens, Gene Davis, Geoffrey Lewis, and Wilford Brimley... |
Captain Maline | ||
| High Road to China High Road to China High Road to China is a 1983 adventure-comedy film, set in the 1920s, starring Tom Selleck as a hard-drinking biplane pilot hired by society heiress Eve 'Evie' Tozer to find her missing father . The supporting cast includes Robert Morley and Brian Blessed. The Golden Harvest film was directed by... |
Bradley Tozer | ||
| Tough Enough Tough Enough (film) Tough Enough is a 1983 film directed by Richard Fleischer, starring Dennis Quaid, Pam Grier, Warren Oates and Stan Shaw.-Plot synopsis:A down-on-his-luck country & western singer from Fort Worth enters a "toughman" competition to help pay his family's bills. Surprisingly, he does well against the... |
Bill Long | ||
| 1984 | Harry & Son Harry & Son Harry & Son is a 1984 American drama film directed by Paul Newman, who also stars. The screenplay by Newman and Ronald Buck focuses on the relationship between a blue-collar worker and his son, who fails at various odd jobs while aspiring to be a writer. Much of the film was shot in Lake Worth, FL... |
Tom Keach | |
| Ewoks: The Battle for Endor Ewoks: The Battle for Endor Ewoks: The Battle for Endor is a 1985 made-for-TV movie set in the Star Wars galaxy. A sequel to Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure, it focuses on Cindel Towani, the little girl from the first film, who, after being orphaned, joins the Ewoks in protecting their village and defeating the evil... |
Noa Briqualon | ||
| The Hotel New Hampshire The Hotel New Hampshire (film) The Hotel New Hampshire is a 1984 comedy-drama film based on John Irving's 1981 novel of the same name. The film was written and directed by Tony Richardson and stars Jodie Foster, Beau Bridges, Rob Lowe, and Nastassja Kinski. The film also features Wilford Brimley, Amanda Plummer, Matthew Modine,... |
Iowa Bob | ||
| The Stone Boy The Stone Boy The Stone Boy is a 1984 film directed by Christopher Cain, and is based on the 1957 short story, "The Stone Boy," by the American author Gina Berriault.... |
George Jansen | ||
| The Natural The Natural (film) The Natural is a 1984 film adaptation of Bernard Malamud's 1952 baseball novel of the same name, directed by Barry Levinson and starring Robert Redford, Glenn Close and Robert Duvall... |
Pop Fisher | ||
| Country Country (film) Country is a 1984 American film which follows the trials and tribulations of a rural family as they struggle to hold onto their farm during the trying economic times experienced by family farms in 1980s America. The film was written by William D. Wittliff and stars real-life couple Jessica Lange... |
Otis | ||
| 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... |
archival footage | ||
| 1985 | Cocoon Cocoon (film) The score for Cocoon was composed and conducted by James Horner. The soundtrack was released twice, through Polydor Records in 1985 and a reprint through P.E.G. in 1997 and features eleven tracks of score and a vocal track performed by Michael Sembello... |
Benjamin Luckett | |
| Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, also released as Remo: Unarmed and Dangerous, is a 1985 American film. The action–adventure-thriller film featured Fred Ward, Joel Grey, Wilford Brimley and Kate Mulgrew, as well as many guest roles... |
Harold Smith | ||
| Shadows on the Wall | Theater Owner | ||
| Murder in Space | Dr. Andrew McAllister | ||
| 1986 | Jackals | Sheriff Mitchell | |
| 1987 | End of the Line | Will Haney | |
| 1988 | Cocoon: The Return Cocoon: The Return Cocoon: The Return is a 1988 science fiction film that is the sequel to the 1985 film Cocoon. All of the starring actors from the first film reprised their roles in this film, although Brian Dennehy only appears in one scene at the end of the film... |
Benjamin Luckett | |
| 1989 | Eternity | King/Eric | |
| 1992 | Where the Red Fern Grows: Part II | Grandpa Will | |
| 1993 | The Firm | William Devasher | |
| Hard Target Hard Target Hard Target is a 1993 American action film directed by Chinese director John Woo. The film stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as Chance Boudreaux, an out-of-work Cajun merchant seaman who saves a young woman, Natasha Binder , from a gang of thugs in New Orleans... |
Uncle Douvee | ||
| 1994 | Heaven Sent | Security Guard | |
| 1995 | Mutant Species | Devro | |
| Last of the Dogmen Last of the Dogmen Last of the Dogmen is a 1995 adventure Western film written and directed by Tab Murphy about the search for and discovery of an unknown band of Dog Soldiers from a tribe of Cheyenne Indians... |
Narrator (uncredited) | ||
| 1996 | My Fellow Americans My Fellow Americans My Fellow Americans is a 1996 American comedy film starring Jack Lemmon, Dan Aykroyd and James Garner as feuding ex-presidents. Lauren Bacall, Esther Rolle, John Heard, Wilford Brimley, Bradley Whitford and Jeff Yagher also appear in supporting performances... |
Joe Hollis | |
| 1997 | In & Out In & Out In & Out is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by Frank Oz and starring Kevin Kline, Joan Cusack, Matt Dillon, Tom Selleck, Debbie Reynolds, Bob Newhart, and Wilford Brimley. The screenplay was written by screenwriter Paul Rudnick... |
Frank Brackett | |
| Lunker Lake | The Storyteller | ||
| 1998 | A Place to Grow A Place to Grow A Place to Grow is a 1998 television drama film written and directed by Merlin Miller.-Plot:Upon his brother's death, a recording artist returns to his hometown to sell the family farm.... |
Jake | |
| Progeny Progeny (film) Progeny is an American science fiction film released in 1999. It was directed by Brian Yuzna and written by Aubrey Solomon and Stuart Gordon. The film stars Arnold Vosloo as Dr. Craig Burton, Jillian McWhirter as Sherry Burton, Brad Dourif as Dr. Bert Clavell and Lindsay Crouse as Dr... |
Dr. David Wetherly | ||
| Chapter Perfect | Chief Hawkins | ||
| All My Friends Are Cowboys | Charlie | ||
| Summer of the Monkeys | Grandpa Sam Ferrans | ||
| 2000 | Comanche | ||
| 2001 | PC and the Web | ||
| Brigham City Brigham City (film) Brigham City is a 2001 murder mystery film. It was written, directed by and starring Richard Dutcher in the main role. It is an independent film and was financed by private investors.... |
Stu | ||
| The Ballad of Lucy Whipple | Deputy Sheriff Ambrose Scraggs | ||
| Crossfire Trail | Joe Gill | ||
| 2002 | Resurrection Mary | Morty | |
| The Round and Round | Governor | ||
| 2003 | The Road Home The Road Home (2003 film) The Road Home, also known as Pitcher and the Pin-Up, is a 2003 American drama film directed by Drew Johnson.-Plot:The Road Home is the story of childhood friends Danny and Missy . Danny has dreams of making it in Major League Baseball while Missy doesn't really dream of anything except happiness... |
Coach Weaver | |
| 2009 | The Path of the Wind | Harry Caldwell | Completed (to be released) |
| 2009 | Did You Hear About the Morgans | Earl Granger |
Television
| Year | Show | Episode | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The Waltons The Waltons The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television... |
The Five-Foot Shelf | Horace Brimley | |
| 1975 | The Waltons The Waltons The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television... |
The Song | Horace Brimley | |
| 1977 | The Waltons The Waltons The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television... |
The Heartbreaker, The Hawk, The First Casualty, The Celebration | Horace Brimley | |
| 1977 | The Oregon Trail The Oregon Trail (TV series) The Oregon Trail is a 14-episode NBC western television series starring Rod Taylor as the widower Evan Thorpe, who leaves his Illinois farm in 1842 to take the Oregon Trail to the Pacific Northwest. The show also starred Andrew Stevens, Tony Becker, and Gina Marie Smika as Thorpe's children... |
Hard Ride Home and The Last Game | Unnamed role | |
| 1986 | Our House | All | Gus Witherspoon | |
| 1997 | Seinfeld Seinfeld Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself... |
#161 - The Junk Mail The Junk Mail "The Junk Mail" is the 161st episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It was the 5th episode of the 9th and final season. The episode aired on October 30, 1997.-Plot:... |
United States Postmaster General United States Postmaster General The United States Postmaster General is the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Postal Service. The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence... Henry Atkins |
Brimley parodied himself in his role as an assistant attorney general in Absence of Malice Absence of Malice Absence of Malice is a 1981 American drama film starring Paul Newman, Sally Field, and Bob Balaban, directed by Sydney Pollack.-Plot:Miami liquor wholesaler Michael Gallagher is the son of a deceased criminal who awakes one day to find himself a front-page story in the local newspaper, indicating... |
| 1992 | The Boys of Twilight | All | Bill Huntoon |