Jerry McCord Van Dyke (July 27, 1931 – January 5, 2018) was an American actor and comedian. He was the younger brother of
Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, entertainer and comedian. His award-winning career has spanned seven decades in film, television, and stage.
Van Dyke began his career as an entertainer on radio and telev ...
.
Van Dyke had a long and successful career mostly as a
character actor
A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...
in supporting and guest roles on popular television series. He made his television acting debut on ''
The Dick Van Dyke Show
''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Product ...
'' with several guest appearances as Rob Petrie's brother, Stacey. From 1989 to 1997, he played Luther Van Dam on the popular series ''
Coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Co ...
''.
Early life
Jerry McCord Van Dyke was born in
Danville, Illinois
Danville is a city in and the county seat of Vermilion County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 33,027. As of 2019, the population was an estimated 30,479.
History
The area that is now Danville was once home to the Miami, K ...
on July 27, 1931, to Hazel Victoria (
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 ...
McCord), a stenographer, and Loren Wayne "Cookie" Van Dyke, a salesman.
He was of Dutch, English, Irish, and Scottish descent.
Career
Early career
![Stefanie Powers-Jerry Van Dyke in McLintock!](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Stefanie_Powers-Jerry_Van_Dyke_in_McLintock%21.jpg)
Van Dyke pursued a
stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedy, comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up.
Stand-up comedy consists of One-line joke ...
career while still in
Danville High School and was already a veteran of strip joints and nightclubs when he joined the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
Tops In Blue
Tops in Blue was a touring performance ensemble made up of active duty members of the United States Air Force formed in 1953. For 63 years, Tops in Blue traveled to more than 20 countries to perform more than 120 times each year for airmen and fam ...
in 1954 and 1955.
During the mid-1950s, Van Dyke worked at
WTHI-TV
WTHI-TV (channel 10) is a television station in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States, affiliated with CBS, Fox, MyNetworkTV and The CW Plus. Owned by Allen Media Broadcasting, the station has studios on 8th and Ohio Streets in downtown Terre Hau ...
in
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...
.
''The Jerry Van Dyke Show'', which included future
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
News ''Early Show'' news anchor
Joseph Benti
Joseph Benti is an American former television news correspondent for CBS News who also served as News presenter, anchor of The Early Show, the CBS Morning News from 1966 until 1970. Based in Los Angeles for most of his career, Benti later worked as ...
, Nancee South and Ben Falber, was popular fare.
In the service, he performed at military bases around the world, twice winning the ''All Air Force Talent Show''.
Following his first guest appearances on ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' and two others on CBS's ''
The Ed Sullivan Show
''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television program, television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in Septembe ...
'', CBS made him a regular on ''
The Judy Garland Show
''The Judy Garland Show'' is an American Variety show, musical variety television series that aired on CBS on Sunday nights during the 1963–1964 television season. Despite a sometimes stormy relationship with Judy Garland, CBS had found succes ...
''.
He was also given hosting chores on the 1963 game show ''Picture This''.
In that same year, movie audiences saw him in supporting roles in ''
McLintock!
:''See also McClintock (disambiguation)''
''McLintock!'' is a 1963 American Western comedy film, starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. The film co-stars Wayne's son Patrick Wayne, Stefanie Powers, Jack Kru ...
'', ''
Palm Springs Weekend
''Palm Springs Weekend'' is a 1963 Warner Bros. bedroom comedy film directed by Norman Taurog. It has elements of the beach party genre ( AIP's '' Beach Party'' became a smash hit in July, while Warner Bros. was still putting this film together ...
'' and ''
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
''The Courtship of Eddie's Father'' is an American sitcom based on the 1963 film of the same name, which was based on a novel by Mark Toby (edited by Dorothy Wilson).
The series is about a widower, Tom Corbett (played by Bill Bixby), who is a ...
''.
Television career
![Jerry Van Dyke Accidental Family (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Jerry_Van_Dyke_Accidental_Family_%28cropped%29.JPG)
In 1963 Van Dyke was cast on an episode of ''
GE True
''GE True'' (also known as ''General Electric True'') is a 33-episode, American anthology series sponsored by General Electric. Telecast on CBS, the series presented stories previously published in ''True'' magazine. Articles from the magazine ...
'', hosted by
Jack Webb
John Randolph Webb (April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, Television director, director, and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Joe Friday, Sgt. Joe Friday in the Dragnet (franchise) ...
.
When ''The Judy Garland Show'' was unsuccessfully revamped, Van Dyke left the program.
He turned down the offer to play
Gilligan
Gilligan is a fictional character played by Bob Denver on the 1960s TV show '' Gilligan's Island'' and its many sequels. Gilligan, affectionately called "little buddy" by the "Skipper", is the bumbling, dimwitted, accident-prone first mate of t ...
on ''
Gilligan's Island
''Gilligan's Island'' is an American sitcom created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz. The show's ensemble cast features Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells. It aired for thr ...
'', a role which instead went to
Bob Denver
Robert Osbourne Denver (January 9, 1935 – September 2, 2005) was an American comedic actor who portrayed Gilligan on the 1964–1967 television series ''Gilligan's Island'', and beatnik Maynard G. Krebs on the 1959–1963 series ''The Ma ...
.
It is uncertain whether he was considered to replace
Don Knotts as Sheriff Andy Taylor's deputy on ''
The Andy Griffith Show
''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color.
The ...
'', although he did appear as a guest star in one episode. He also appeared in a 1964 episode of ''
The Cara Williams Show
''The Cara Williams Show'' is an American situation comedy starring Cara Williams which centers on a married couple who try to conceal their marriage from their employer. Original episodes aired from September 23, 1964, until April 21, 1965 on CBS. ...
''. Van Dyke finally accepted the lead role of attorney David Crabtree in ''
My Mother the Car
''My Mother the Car'' is an American fantasy comedy that aired for a single season on NBC between September 14, 1965 and April 5, 1966. Thirty episodes were produced by United Artists Television. The premise features a man whose deceased mothe ...
'' (1965), the misadventures of a man whose deceased mother Gladys (voiced by
Ann Sothern
Ann Sothern (born Harriette Arlene Lake; January 22, 1909 – March 15, 2001) was an American actress who worked on stage, radio, film, and television, in a career that spanned nearly six decades. Sothern began her career in the late 1920 ...
) is reincarnated as a restored antique car.
Though the series was a commercial failure, Van Dyke continued to work steadily in supporting television and film roles through the rest of the decade.
He starred in another short-lived situation comedy ''
Accidental Family
''Accidental Family'' is an American sitcom broadcast on NBC during the first part of the 1967-68 U.S. television season. The show ran for sixteen episodes, from September 15, 1967, to January 5, 1968.
The show aired on Fridays at 9:30pm, sandwi ...
'' (1967) as widowed comedian Jerry Webster who buys a farm to raise his son while he is not away on professional tours.
Well received by critics, Van Dyke was upset when the show was sandwiched between the poorly-rated ''
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' and
filler documentaries on
Friday nights, leading to the show's failure.
He was also featured in ''
Love and Kisses'' (1965) and as
Andy Griffith
Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, southern gospel singer and writer whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his characte ...
's co-star in ''
Angel in My Pocket
''Angel in My Pocket'' is a 1969 American comedy film directed by Alan Rafkin and starring Andy Griffith. One of three films originally planned by Universal Pictures to star Griffith, it also features Lee Meriwether, Jerry Van Dyke, Kay Medford, ...
'' (1969).
During the 1970s, Van Dyke returned to stand-up comedy. He spent much of the decade touring
Playboy Club
The Playboy Club was initially a chain of nightclubs and resorts owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises. The first Playboy Club opened in Chicago in 1960. Each club generally featured a Living Room, a Playmate Bar, a Dining Room, and a Club R ...
s around the country and headlining venues in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
and
Reno, Nevada
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...
,
Summerfest
Summerfest is an annual music festival held in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. First held in 1968, Summerfest is located at Henry Maier Festival Park, adjacent to Lake Michigan and Milwaukee's central business district. Summerfest attracts app ...
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 ...
, and in
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497. .
He returned to television for guest appearances on ''
Love, American Style
''Love, American Style'' is an anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a part of ABC's Friday primetime lineup ...
'' and ''
Fantasy Island
''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. Gu ...
''.
In 1973 he portrayed Wes Callison, Children's Comedy Writer, on the season three episode "But Seriously, Folks" on ''
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Moor ...
''.
He also had roles in ''
The Amazing Cosmic Awareness of Duffy Moon'' (1976) and ''
13 Queens Boulevard'' (1979).
Also in 1989 he appeared as a panelist in the pilot for the revival of ''
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 panelist ...
'', hosted by
Bert Convy
Bernard Whalen "Bert" Convy (July 23, 1933 – July 15, 1991) was an American actor, singer, game show host and panelist known for hosting ''Tattletales'', ''Super Password'' and ''Win, Lose or Draw''.
Early life
Convy was born in St. Louis ...
.
In 1988, Van Dyke made a guest appearance on
Scott Baio
Scott Vincent James Baio (; born September 22, 1960) is an American actor. He is known for playing Chachi Arcola on the sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1977–1984) and its spin-off '' Joanie Loves Chachi'' (1982–1983), the title character on ...
's sitcom ''
Charles in Charge
''Charles in Charge'' is an American sitcom television series that premiered on October 3, 1984, on CBS. The series was a production of Al Burton Productions and Scholastic Productions in association with Universal Television and starred Scott B ...
'' as Jamie Powell's health teacher Mr. Merkin.
In 1989, he began portraying beloved, yet befuddled, assistant coach Luther Van Dam on the long-running series ''
Coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Co ...
''.
For this role, Van Dyke received four consecutive
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
nominations (1990 through 1993) for "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series".
Later career
In 1995, Van Dyke appeared in a series of
Hardee's commercials to promote the
Big Hardee, then in the late 1990s acted as the spokesperson for
Big Lots
Big Lots Stores, Inc. (stylized as Big Lots!) is an American retail company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio with over 1,400 stores in 47 states.
History
The Big Lots chain traces its history back to 1967 when Consolidated Stores Corporation w ...
.
He had a recurring role on ''
Yes, Dear
''Yes, Dear'' is an American television sitcom created by Alan Kirschenbaum and Gregory Garcia, that aired on CBS from October 2, 2000, to February 15, 2006, with the total of six seasons and 122 episodes. It starred Anthony Clark, Jean Louis ...
'' as Big Jimmy, the father of Jimmy Hughes.
He made a guest appearance on a
September 2008 episode of ''
My Name Is Earl
''My Name Is Earl'' is an American television sitcom created by Greg Garcia that aired on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States. It was produced by 20th Century Fox Television and starred Ja ...
'' and in 2010 he made an appearance on the second-season episode, "A Simple Christmas" of the television series, ''
The Middle'', playing Frankie's father, Tag Spence.
He returned in "Thanksgiving III" in November 2011, "Thanksgiving IV" in November 2012, "From Orson with Love" in May 2013, "Thanksgiving V" in November 2013.
and "Flirting with disaster" in March 2015. Van Dyke also played the object of Maw Maw's affections on the 18th episode of the first season of ''
Raising Hope
''Raising Hope'' is an American sitcom that aired from September 21, 2010, to April 4, 2014, on Fox. Following its first season, the show received two nominations at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards. Martha Plimpton was nominated for Outstanding L ...
''.
In a December 2013 episode of ''
The Millers
''The Millers'' is an American sitcom television series that was created by Greg Garcia and stars Will Arnett as Nathan Miller and Margo Martindale as Carol Miller. The multi-camera series aired from October 3, 2013 to July 18, 2015 and ran 3 ...
'' he played Bud Miller, father to
Margo Martindale
Margo Martindale (born July 18, 1951) is an American character actress who has appeared on television, film, and stage. In 2011, she won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Critics' Choice Television Award for her recurring role as Mags Bennett on '' ...
's character, Carol.
In his final television role in April 2015, he reprised his role as Frankie's father on ''
The Middle'', along with real-life brother
Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, entertainer and comedian. His award-winning career has spanned seven decades in film, television, and stage.
Van Dyke began his career as an entertainer on radio and telev ...
playing his character's brother.
Personal life
Van Dyke was married twice and had three children with first wife Carol: Jerri Lynn,
Kelly Jean, and Ronald.
Kelly Jean died by suicide in 1991, following struggles with substance abuse.
Jerry and his second wife, Shirley, lived on an 800-acre ranch near
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is a resort city in the state of Arkansas and the county seat of Garland County. The city is located in the Ouachita Mountains among the U.S. Interior Highlands, and is set among several natural hot springs for which the city is n ...
.
Van Dyke was an avid poker player and announced a number of poker tournaments for
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
He was also a four-string
banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
player with several performances on ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' to his credit.
Death
On January 5, 2018, Van Dyke died at his
Hot Spring County, Arkansas
Hot Spring County is located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 32,923. The county seat is Malvern. Hot Spring County was formed on November 2, 1829, from a portion of Clark County. It was named for the ...
ranch from heart failure at the age of 86.
He was in declining health subsequent to a car accident two years earlier.
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Dyke, Jerry
1931 births
2018 deaths
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
American banjoists
American male film actors
American male television actors
American people of Dutch descent
American people of English descent
American people of Irish descent
American people of Scottish descent
Male actors from Illinois
Male actors from Arkansas
Military personnel from Illinois
People from Danville, Illinois
People from Hot Spring County, Arkansas
Poker commentators
United States Air Force airmen
Jerry