David Ford (born David Conant Ford; October 30, 1925 – August 7, 1983) was a TV, film and stage actor. He was known for roles on TV's ''

Dark Shadows ''Dark Shadows'' is an American gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinsport ...

'' (1966–1971) and ''

Search for Tomorrow ''Search for Tomorrow'' is an American television soap opera. It began its run on CBS on September 3, 1951, and concluded on NBC, 35 years later, on December 26, 1986. Set in the fictional town of Henderson in an unspecified state, the show focu ...

'' (1951), and as John Hancock in both the ''

1776 Events January–February * January 1 – American Revolutionary War – Burning of Norfolk: The town of Norfolk, Virginia is destroyed, by the combined actions of the British Royal Navy and occupying Patriot forces. * January 1 ...

'' Broadway musical and its

film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...

Career

He appeared in the role of Sam Evans, the alcoholic widower, artist, and father of Maggie Evans (

Kathryn Leigh Scott Kathryn Leigh Scott (born Marlene Kringstad;Biography:Kathryn Leigh Scott". Retrieved on September 28, 2010 January 26, 1943) is an American television and film actress and writer who is best remembered for playing several roles on ''Dark Shadows ...

) on the ABC-TV serial ''

'' from 1966 to 1968. He assumed the role when Mark Allen, who originated the role, departed following episode 22 of the first year. He also played Andre du Pres, the father of

Josette du Pres Josette du Pres (or Josette Collins) is a character played primarily by Kathryn Leigh Scott during the 1795 flashback on the TV serial ''Dark Shadows''. Story Josette and Barnabas Born in 1774 in France, her widowed father was Andre du Pres (D ...

, in the show's 1795 storyline. He later played the contract role of Karl Devlin on the CBS soap opera ''

''. He made his Broadway debut as O'Kelly in the 1957 revival of Mary Stuart, and later took over as the Duke of Norfolk in the original production of '' A Man For All Seasons''. On stage, his best known role was

John Hancock John Hancock ( – October 8, 1793) was an American Founding Father, merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor of the ...

in the musical ''1776'' and the 1972 film adaptation.

Personal life

Ford was born in

La Jolla, California La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, California, United States, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781. La Jolla is surrounded on ...

. He was a graduate of

Arizona State College Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the List ...

and the

University of South Dakota The University of South Dakota (USD) is a public research university in Vermillion, South Dakota. Established by the Dakota Territory legislature in 1862, 27 years before the establishment of the state of South Dakota, USD is the flagship univ ...

. He studied at the

Dramatic Workshop Dramatic Workshop was the name of a drama and acting school associated with the New School for Social Research in New York City. It was launched in 1940 by German expatriate stage director Erwin Piscator. Among the faculty were Lee Strasberg and Ste ...

of the

New School for Social Research The New School for Social Research (NSSR) is a graduate-level educational institution that is one of the divisions of The New School in New York City, United States. The university was founded in 1919 as a home for progressive era thinkers. NSSR ...

. In 1967, he married his ''Dark Shadows'' co-star,

Nancy Barrett Nancy Barrett (born October 5, 1941) is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Carolyn Stoddard (among other characters) in the 1960s gothic soap opera ''Dark Shadows''. Biography Barrett was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, ...

; they divorced in 1969.

Death

Ford suffered from alcoholism the better part of his life, and on August 7, 1983, he died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

New York, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...

. He was 57 years old. He was buried in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California.

Filmography

References

External links

* *
David Ford
at

Internet Off-Broadway Database The Internet Off-Broadway Database (IOBDB), also formerly known as the Lortel Archives, is an online database that catalogues theatre productions shown off-Broadway. The IOBDB was funded and developed by the non-profit Lucille Lortel Foundation ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, David 1925 births 1983 deaths Male actors from San Diego 20th-century American male actors