David Spielberg (March 6, 1939 – June 1, 2016) was an American television and film actor.

Early years

Spielberg was born in

Weslaco, Texas Weslaco is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 41,103, and in 2020 the estimated population was 41,103. It is located at the southern tip of Texas in the Rio Grande Valley near the Mexic ...

, and was a resident of

Mercedes, Texas Mercedes is a U.S. city in Hidalgo County, Texas. The population was 15,570 at the 2010 census. It is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan areas. Geography Mercedes is located in southeastern Hidalgo Cou ...

. His father was a

Romanian-Jewish The history of the Jews in Romania concerns the Jews both of Romania and of Romanian origins, from their first mention on what is present-day Romanian territory. Minimal until the 18th century, the size of the Jewish population increased after ...

immigrant, and his mother was a Mexican-American teacher. After serving in the Navy for two years, he enrolled in the University of Texas. Two summers' acting experience in New York City led him to drop out of the university and move to New York to pursue a career in acting. He was not related to American film director

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...

Film

Spielberg's screen debut was in ''

The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds ''The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds'' is a play written by Paul Zindel, a playwright and science teacher. Zindel received the 1971 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for the work. Production ...

'' (1972). He also appeared in ''

Newman's Law ''Newman's Law'' is a 1974 American crime film directed by Richard T. Heffron and starring George Peppard. Plot Vince Newman, a no-nonsense cop, decides to investigate on his own when tipped off that colleagues in the police department are inv ...

'' (1974), '' Law and Disorder'' (1974), '' Hustle'' (1975), ''American Raspberry'' (1977), '' The Choirboys'' (1977), ''

Real Life Real life is a phrase used originally in literature to distinguish between the real world and fictional, virtual or idealized worlds, and in acting to distinguish between actors and the characters they portray. It has become a popular term on th ...

'' (1979), '' Winter Kills'' (1979), ''

Christine Christine may refer to: People * Christine (name), a female given name Film * ''Christine'' (1958 film), based on Schnitzler's play ''Liebelei'' * ''Christine'' (1983 film), based on King's novel of the same name * ''Christine'' (1987 fil ...

'' (1983), '' The Stranger'' (1987), '' Alice'' (1990), and '' Red Ribbon Blues'' (1996).

Television

Spielberg's roles in television programs included those shown in the table below.Sies, Luther F. (2014). ''Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . He also appeared in '' Wiseguy'', ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator ...

'', ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...

'', ''

Highway to Heaven ''Highway to Heaven'' is an American fantasy drama television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 1984, to August 4, 1989. The series starred Michael Landon as Jonathan Smith, an angel sent to Earth in order to help people in need. Victo ...

'', ''

Family Ties ''Family Ties'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC for seven seasons, premiering on September 22, 1982, and concluding on May 14, 1989. The series, created by Gary David Goldberg, reflected the move in the United States ...

'', ''

Wheels A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axle bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction with axles, allow heavy objects to be ...

'', ''

L.A. Law ''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series that ran for eight seasons on NBC, from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it centers on the partners, associates and staff of a Los ...

'', '' ER'', ''

A Place for Annie ''A Place for Annie'' is a 1994 American made-for-television drama film starring Sissy Spacek, Mary-Louise Parker and Joan Plowright. Directed by John Gray, the first presentation aired as part of '' Hallmark Hall of Fame'' on the ABC network o ...

'', ''

Hart to Hart ''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset life ...

'', '' One Day at a Time'', and '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', among other television series.

Death

Spielberg died of cancer in Los Angeles, California, on June 1, 2016. He was 77.

Filmography

References

External links

*
Obituary
* 1939 births 20th-century American male actors 2016 deaths American male film actors American male television actors American people of Romanian-Jewish descent American male actors of Mexican descent Male actors from Texas People from Weslaco, Texas United States Navy sailors Jewish American male actors 21st-century American Jews Deaths from cancer in California {{US-screen-actor-1930s-stub