David Fitzgerald Doyle (December 1, 1929 – February 26, 1997) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of John Bosley on the 1970s TV series ''

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Aa ...

''. Doyle and

Jaclyn Smith Jacquelyn Ellen "Jaclyn" Smith (born October 26, 1945) is an American actress and businesswoman. She is best known for her role as Kelly Garrett in the television series '' Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), and was the only original female lead ...

were the only actors to appear in every episode of the show.

Early life

Doyle was born in

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United Sta ...

, the son of Mary Ruth (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Fitzgerald) and Lewis Raymond Doyle, an attorney. He graduated from

Campion High School Campion Jesuit High School was a Jesuit boarding school for boys in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, named for the Jesuit martyr Edmund Campion. The school operated from its founding in 1880 until closing in 1975, and educated several notable figure ...

Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin Prairie du Chien () is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,506 at the 2020 census. Its ZIP Code is 53821. Often referred to as Wisconsin's second oldest city, Prairie du Chien was esta ...

in 1947. His maternal grandfather, John Fitzgerald, was a prominent railroad builder and banker in Nebraska. His younger sister,

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

(1931–1995), was a stage actress, who died from

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

aged 63.

Career

Doyle is best remembered for his role as detective John Bosley on the television series ''

'', one of only two actors (the other being original angel

) to appear in all 110 episodes of the series (1976–1981). Doyle made a number of appearances as a guest on the game show ''

Match Game ''Match Game'' is an American television panel game show that premiered on NBC in 1962 and has been revived several times over the course of the last six decades. The game features contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity panelis ...

'' from 1977 to 1982. He appeared on one week of ''

Password Plus ''Password Plus'' and ''Super Password'' are American TV game shows that aired separately between 1979 and 1989. Both shows were revivals of ''Password'', which originally ran from 1961 to 1975 in various incarnations. With only subtle differen ...

'' in 1980, three weeks of ''

Super Password ''Password Plus'' and ''Super Password'' are American TV game shows that aired separately between 1979 and 1989. Both shows were revivals of ''Password'', which originally ran from 1961 to 1975 in various incarnations. With only subtle differen ...

'', and on ''

Tattletales ''Tattletales'' is an American game show produced by Goodson- Todman Productions in association with Fremantle. The program had two runs on the CBS daytime schedule between February 1974 and June 1984. It was hosted by Bert Convy, with severa ...

'' with his wife Anne in 1982. He voiced Grandpa Lou Pickles on the

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

animated series ''

Rugrats ''Rugrats'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The show focuses on a group of toddlers; most prominently— Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, and twins Phil and Lil, a ...

'' from 1991 until his death, after which he was replaced by Joe Alaskey. Doyle was also a stage actor. He played Orgon in the 1964 premiere of

Richard Wilbur Richard Purdy Wilbur (March 1, 1921 – October 14, 2017) was an American poet and literary translator. One of the foremost poets of his generation, Wilbur's work, composed primarily in traditional forms, was marked by its wit, charm, and gentle ...

's translation of ''

Tartuffe ''Tartuffe, or The Impostor, or The Hypocrite'' (; french: Tartuffe, ou l'Imposteur, ), first performed in 1664, is a theatrical comedy by Molière. The characters of Tartuffe, Elmire, and Orgon are considered among the greatest classical thea ...

'' at the Fred Miller Theater in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

. His sister

played the maid, Dorine, in the same production. His New York stage credits include ''

Beg, Borrow or Steal ''Beg, Borrow or Steal'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Wilhelm Thiele and written by Leonard Lee, Harry Ruskin and Marion Parsonnet. The film stars Frank Morgan, Florence Rice, John Beal, Janet Beecher, Herman Bing and Erik Rho ...

'', ''

Something About a Soldier ''Something About a Soldier'', subtitled "A Comedy-drama in Three Acts", was a play written by Emmy-winning writer Ernest Kinoy. It premiered on Broadway at the Ambassador Theatre in New York on January 4, 1962, after a preview the night before. ...

'', ''

Here's Love ''Here's Love'' is a musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson. Based on the 1947 film ''Miracle on 34th Street'', it tells the tale of a skeptical young girl who doubts the existence of Santa Claus. When the real Kris Kringle ...

'', ''

I Was Dancing ''I Was Dancing'' is a play by Edwin O'Connor. The work premiered on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre on November 3, 1964 and closed after 21 performances on November 21, 1964. The production was directed by Garson Kanin and starred Orson Bean, Da ...

'', and a revival of '' South Pacific''.

Personal life

Doyle was married twice. In 1956 he married his first wife, Rachael, with whom he had a daughter, Leah (born 1961). Rachael died in 1968 after falling from a staircase. The next year, while in a revival of the play South Pacific, Doyle met Anne Nathan, a singer-dancer, and they married a short time later.

Death

Doyle died in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, of a heart attack on February 26, 1997, at age 67, and was cremated.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Doyle, David 1929 births 1997 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors Actors from Lincoln, Nebraska