Rodney Sturt Taylor (11 January 1930 – 7 January 2015) was an Australian actor. He appeared in more than 50 feature films, including ''

The Time Machine ''The Time Machine'' is a science fiction novella by H. G. Wells, published in 1895. The work is generally credited with the popularization of the concept of time travel by using a vehicle or device to travel purposely and selectively for ...

'' (1960), ''

One Hundred and One Dalmatians ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' (also simply known as ''101 Dalmatians'') is a 1961 American animated adventure comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and based on the 1956 novel ''The Hundred and One Dalmatians'' by Dodie Smith. The ...

'' (1961), '' The Birds'' (1963), and ''

Inglourious Basterds ''Inglourious Basterds'' is a 2009 war film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, starring Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Til Schweiger and Mélanie Laurent. The film tells an alter ...

'' (2009). Taylor was born in

Lidcombe Lidcombe is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Lidcombe is located west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Cumberland Council, with a small industrial part in the north ...

, a suburb of

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, to a father who was a steel construction contractor and commercial artist and a mother who was a children's author. He began taking art classes in high school, and continued in college. He decided to become an actor after seeing

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

in an

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary * Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...

touring production of ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...

.'' His first film role was in a re-enactment of

Charles Sturt Charles Napier Sturt (28 April 1795 – 16 June 1869) was a British officer and explorer of Australia, and part of the European exploration of Australia. He led several expeditions into the interior of the continent, starting from Sydney and la ...

's voyage down the Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers, playing Sturt's offsider,

George Macleay Sir George Macleay (180924 June 1891) was an Australian explorer and politician. Biography Macleay was born in London, the third son of Alexander Macleay and educated at Westminster School. He came to Australia in 1826. In November 1829 he ...

. At the time, he was also appearing in a number of theatre productions for Australia's

Mercury Theatre The Mercury Theatre was an independent repertory theatre company founded in New York City in 1937 by Orson Welles and producer John Houseman. The company produced theatrical presentations, radio programs and motion pictures. The Mercury also ...

. He made his feature film debut in the Australian Lee Robinson film ''

King of the Coral Sea ''King of the Coral Sea'' is a 1954 film starring Chips Rafferty and Charles Tingwell, directed by Lee Robinson and shot on location in Thursday Island. It was one of the most commercially successful Australian films of the 1950s and was Rod Ta ...

'' (1954). He soon started acting in television films, such as

Studio 57 ''Studio 57'' (also known as ''Heinz Studio 57'') is an American anthology series that was broadcast on the now-defunct DuMont Television Network from September 1954 to July 1955, and in syndication from 1955 to 1958. "It's a Small World", the ...

(1954), where he played multiple different characters. He started to gain popularity after starring in ''

'' (1960), as H. George Wells. He later starred in the

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

film ''

'' (1961), as Pongo. In one of his most famous roles, he played Mitch Brenner in '' The Birds'', directed by

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

(1963). By the late 1990s, Taylor had moved into semi-retirement. His final film role was in

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, Black comedy, dark humor, Nonlinear narrative, non-lin ...

's ''

'' in 2009, portraying a fictionalized version of

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

in a cameo.

Early life

Taylor was born on 11 January 1930 in

, a suburb of

, the only child of William Sturt Taylor, a steel construction contractor and commercial artist, and Mona Taylor (née Thompson), a writer of more than a hundred short stories and children's books. His middle name comes from his great-great-granduncle, Captain

, a British explorer of the Australian

outback The Outback is a remote, vast, sparsely populated area of Australia. The Outback is more remote than the bush. While often envisaged as being arid, the Outback regions extend from the northern to southern Australian coastlines and encompass a n ...

in the 19th century. Taylor attended

Parramatta High School , motto_translation = The torch of the mind lights the path to glory , logo = Parramatta logo.gif , established = , type = Government-funded co-educational dual modality partially aca ...

and later studied at the East Sydney Technical and Fine Arts College and took art classes. His mother wanted him to be an artist, and pressured him into taking the art classes. For a time he worked as a commercial artist, but he decided to become an actor after seeing

in an

touring production of ''

''.

Career

Australia

Taylor acquired extensive radio and stage experience in Australia, where his radio work included a period on '' Blue Hills'' and a role as

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...

. Earlier in his career he had to support himself by working at Sydney's

Mark Foy's Mark Foy's Limited or Mark Foy's was a department store in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, founded by Francis Foy and his brother Mark Foy. The department store was named after their father, Mark Foy (senior) and traded between 1885 and 1 ...

department store, designing and painting window and other displays during the day. In 1951, he took part in a re-enactment of

's voyage down the Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers, playing Sturt's offsider,

. A short documentary, '' Inland with Sturt'' (1951), was based on it. Taylor also appeared in a number of theatre productions for Australia's

. Taylor made his feature film debut in the Australian Lee Robinson film ''

'' (1954), playing an American. He later played

Israel Hands Israel Hands, also known as Basilica Hands, was an 18th-century pirate best known for being second in command to Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. His name serves as the basis for the name of the villainous sidekick in Robert Louis Steven ...

in a

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

-financed film shot in Sydney, ''

Long John Silver Long John Silver is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the novel ''Treasure Island'' (1883) by Robert Louis Stevenson. The most colourful and complex character in the book, he continues to appear in popular culture. His missing l ...

'' (1954), an unofficial sequel to ''

Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...

''. Following these two films, Taylor was awarded the 1954 Rola Show Australian Radio Actor of the Year Award, which included a ticket to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

via Los Angeles, but Taylor did not continue on to London.

Hollywood

Taylor soon landed roles in television shows such as ''

'' and the films ''

Hell on Frisco Bay ''Hell on Frisco Bay'' is a 1956 American CinemaScope film noir crime film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Alan Ladd, Edward G. Robinson and Joanne Dru. It was made for Ladd's own production company, Jaguar. The film featured an early ...

'' (1955) and ''

Giant In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: '' gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...

'' (1956). In 1955, he guest-starred as Clancy in the third episode ("The Argonauts") of the first hour-long

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

television series, ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enroll ...

'', an

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

program starring

Clint Walker Norman Eugene "Clint" Walker (May 30, 1927 – May 21, 2018) was an American actor. He played cowboy Cheyenne Bodie in the ABC/Warner Bros. western series ''Cheyenne'' from 1955 to 1963. Early life Clint Walker was born Norman Eugene Wal ...

. Taylor and

Edward Andrews Edward Bryan Andrews Jr. (October 9, 1914 – March 8, 1985) was an American stage, film and television actor. Andrews was one of the most recognizable character actors on television and films from the 1950s into the 1980s. His stark white hair ...

played gold seekers Clancy and Duncan, respectively, who are best friends until they strike it rich, only to see Native Americans release their gold dust to the wind. The episode was a remake of the film '' The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'' (1948). Taylor was considered for one of the leads in

Warner Bros. Television Warner Bros. Television Studios (operating under the name Warner Bros. Television; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division) is an American television production and distribution studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group division of ...

's ''

Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Burea ...

''. Toward the end of 1955, Taylor unsuccessfully

screen test A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a came ...

ed to play boxer

Rocky Graziano Thomas Rocco Barbella (January 1, 1919 – May 22, 1990), better known as Rocky Graziano, was an American professional boxer and actor who held the World Middleweight title. Graziano is considered one of the greatest knockout artists in boxing hi ...

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

's '' Somebody Up There Likes Me'' after

James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, ''Rebel Without a Cause' ...

's death, but his use of a Brooklyn accent and physical prowess in the test impressed the studio enough to give him a long-term contract. At MGM, he played a series of support roles in ''

The Catered Affair ''The Catered Affair'' (also known as ''Wedding Party'') is a 1956 American comedy-drama film directed by Richard Brooks and produced by Sam Zimbalist from a screenplay by Gore Vidal, based on a 1955 television play by Paddy Chayefsky. The film ...

'' (1956), '' Raintree County'' (1957), and '' Ask Any Girl'' (1959). He had a significant role in ''

Separate Tables ''Separate Tables'' is the collective name of two one-act plays by Terence Rattigan, both taking place in the Beauregard Private Hotel, Bournemouth, on the south coast of England. The first play, titled ''Table by the Window'', focuses on the ...

'' (1958), which won

Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for two of its stars,

David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was a British actor, soldier, memoirist, and novelist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Major Pollock in ''Separate Tables'' (1958). Niven's other roles ...

and

Wendy Hiller Dame Wendy Margaret Hiller, (15 August 1912 – 14 May 2003) was an English film and stage actress who enjoyed a varied acting career that spanned nearly 60 years. Writer Joel Hirschorn, in his 1984 compilation ''Rating the Movie Stars'', desc ...

. He also made a strong impression guest-starring in an episode of ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, su ...

'' titled "

And When the Sky Was Opened "And When the Sky Was Opened" is episode eleven of the American television anthology series ''The Twilight Zone''. It originally aired on December 11, 1959. It is an adaptation of the 1953 Richard Matheson short story "Disappearing Act." Openin ...

" (1959).

Stardom

Taylor's first leading role in a feature film was in ''

'' (1960),

George Pal George Pal (born György Pál Marczincsak; ; February 1, 1908 – May 2, 1980) was a Hungarian-American animator, film director and producer, principally associated with the fantasy and science-fiction genres. He became an American citizen after ...

's adaptation of the science-fiction classic by

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

Yvette Mimieux Yvette Carmen Mimieux (January 8, 1942 – January 18, 2022) was an American film and television actress. Her breakout role was in '' The Time Machine'' (1960). She was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards during her acting career. Early li ...

. Taylor played a character not unlike that of his ''Twilight Zone'' episode of a year earlier and the film '' World Without End'' in 1956. In or around 1960, he was approached regarding the role of

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

in the first feature-length Bond film. Taylor reportedly declined to become involved because he considered the character of Bond "beneath him".Mark Juddery, "Rod Taylor, the Hollywood star, who never forgot he was an Aussie", ''Sydney Morning Herald'' 13 January 2015
(access: 7 September 2018). Taylor later commented: "Every time a new Bond picture became a smash hit ... I tore out my hair." In the 1960–1961 television season, Taylor starred as foreign correspondent Glenn Evans in the ABC dramatic series ''

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

''. His principal co-star was

Lloyd Bochner Lloyd Wolfe Bochner (July 29, 1924 – October 29, 2005) was a Canadian actor. He appeared in many Canadian and Hollywood productions between the 1950s and 1990s, including the films ''Point Blank'' (1967), '' The Detective'' (1968), '' The ...

;

Jack Kruschen Jacob "Jack" Kruschen (March 20, 1922 – April 2, 2002) was a Canadian character actor who worked primarily in American film, television and radio. Kruschen was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Dr. ...

played the bartender, Tully. The program faced stiff competition on Wednesday evenings from

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

's ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. It ...

'', hence lasted for only one season. He voiced Pongo (a

Dalmatian dog The Dalmatian is a breed of dog, which has a white coat marked with black or brown-colored spots. Originating as a hunting dog, it was also used as a carriage dog in its early days. The origins of this breed can be traced back to present-day ...

) in

's animated feature ''

'' (1961) and also guest-starred on

Marilyn Maxwell Marvel Marilyn Maxwell (August 3, 1921 – March 20, 1972) was an American actress and entertainer. In a career that spanned the 1940s and 1950s, she appeared in several films and radio programs, and entertained the troops during World War ...

's short-lived ABC series ''

Bus Stop A bus stop is a place where buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelters, seating, and possibly electronic passenger ...

'' around the same time. In 1962, he starred in an episode of NBC's ''

The DuPont Show of the Week ''The DuPont Show of the Week'' is an American television anthology drama series which aired for three seasons on NBC from September 17, 1961 to August 30, 1964. It was nominated one time for an Edgar Allan Poe Award and eight times for Primet ...

'' ("

The Ordeal of Dr. Shannon ''The Ordeal of Dr. Shannon'' is a 1962 American television adaptation from A. J. Cronin's 1948 novel, '' Shannon's Way''. The dramatization was written by Robert Stewart, directed by Joan Kemp-Welch, and produced by Lewis Freedman. The show was ...

"), an adaptation of

A. J. Cronin Archibald Joseph Cronin (19 July 1896 – 6 January 1981), known as A. J. Cronin, was a Scottish physician and novelist. His best-known novel is ''The Citadel'' (1937), about a Scottish doctor who serves in a Welsh mining village before achievi ...

's novel ''

Shannon's Way ''Shannon's Way'' is a 1948 novel by Scottish people, Scots author, A. J. Cronin. It continues the story of Robert Shannon from Cronin's previous novel, ''The Green Years'' (1944). Plot summary Robert trains to be a doctor at the fictional Leve ...

''. Taylor starred in

's horror thriller '' The Birds'' (1963), along with

Tippi Hedren Nathalie Kay "Tippi" Hedren (born January 19, 1930) is an American actress, animal rights activist, and former fashion model. A successful fashion model who appeared on the front covers of ''Life'' and '' Glamour'' magazines, among others, Hed ...

Suzanne Pleshette Suzanne Pleshette (January 31, 1937 – January 19, 2008) was an American theatre, film, television, and voice actress. Pleshette started her career in the theatre and began appearing in films in the late 1950s and later appeared in prominent ...

Jessica Tandy Jessie Alice Tandy (7 June 1909 – 11 September 1994) was a British-American actress. Tandy appeared in over 100 stage productions and had more than 60 roles in film and TV, receiving an Academy Award, four Tony Awards, a BAFTA, a Golden Glob ...

and

Veronica Cartwright Veronica Cartwright (born April 20, 1949) is a British-American actress. She is known for appearing in science fiction and horror films, and has earned numerous accolades, including three Primetime Emmy Award nominations. As a child actress, sh ...

, playing a man whose town and home come under attack by menacing birds. Taylor then starred with

Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of various accolades including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, sev ...

in the romantic comedy ''

Sunday in New York ''Sunday in New York'' is a 1963 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Tewksbury and starring Jane Fonda, Rod Taylor and Cliff Robertson. Filmed in Metrocolor, its screenplay was written by Norman Krasna on the basis of his own 1961 ...

'' (also 1963). During the mid-1960s, Taylor worked mostly for MGM. His credits including '' The V.I.P.s'' (1963), his first feature film role as an Australian, with

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

, and

Maggie Smith Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (born 28 December 1934) is an English actress. With an extensive career on screen and stage beginning in the mid-1950s, Smith has appeared in more than sixty films and seventy plays. She is one of the few performer ...

; ''

Fate Is the Hunter Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often ...

'' (for

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

, 1964) with

Glenn Ford Gwyllyn Samuel Newton "Glenn" Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was a Canadian-American actor who often portrayed ordinary men in unusual circumstances. Ford was most prominent during Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age as ...

and Suzanne Pleshette; '' 36 Hours'' (1964) with

James Garner James Garner (born James Scott Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, including '' The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy Chayefsky's ''The Ameri ...

; ''

Young Cassidy ''Young Cassidy'' is a 1965 British biography drama film directed by Jack Cardiff and starring Rod Taylor, Julie Christie, and Maggie Smith. It is a biographical drama based upon the life of the playwright Seán O'Casey. Plot Set in 1911 and th ...

'' (1965) with

Julie Christie Julie Frances Christie (born 14 April 1940) is a British actress. An icon of the Swinging Sixties, Christie is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. S ...

and Maggie Smith; '' The Liquidator'' (1965) with

Jill St. John Jill St. John (born Jill Arlyn Oppenheim; August 19, 1940) is a retired American actress. She may be best known for playing Tiffany Case, the first American Bond girl of the 007 franchise, in '' Diamonds Are Forever''. Additional performances i ...

; '' Do Not Disturb'' (1965); and ''

The Glass Bottom Boat ''The Glass Bottom Boat'' is a 1966 American romantic spy comedy film directed by Frank Tashlin and starring Doris Day, Rod Taylor, and Arthur Godfrey, with John McGiver, Paul Lynde, Edward Andrews, Eric Fleming, Dom DeLuise, and Dick Martin. ...

'' (1966), both co-starring

Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress, singer, and activist. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, " Sent ...

. He began to change his image toward the end of the decade to more tough-guy roles, such as '' Chuka'' (1967), which he also produced, and he starred in ''

Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

'' (1967) with

Catherine Spaak Catherine Spaak (3 April 1945 – 17 April 2022) was a French-born Italian actress and singer who acted in mostly in Italian films with some Hollywood and international productions. She is best known for her roles in the films ''Il Sorpasso'' (1 ...

; ''

Dark of the Sun ''Dark of the Sun'' (also known as ''The Mercenaries'' in the UK) is a 1968 British adventure war film starring Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux, Jim Brown, and Peter Carsten. The film, which was directed by Jack Cardiff, is based on Wilbur Smith's ...

'' (or ''The Mercenaries'', 1968), again with Yvette Mimieux; ''

Nobody Runs Forever ''Nobody Runs Forever'', also called ''The High Commissioner'', is a 1968 British political neo noir spy thriller action film directed by Ralph Thomas and based on Jon Cleary's 1966 novel '' The High Commissioner''. It stars Rod Taylor as Aus ...

'' (1968) where he played New South Wales Police Sergeant Scobie Malone, this being Taylor's first starring feature film role as an Australian; and ''Darker than Amber (film), Darker than Amber'' (1970) as Travis McGee. He was also reportedly up for the role of martial artist Roper in the Bruce Lee vehicle ''Enter the Dragon'' (1973). The film was directed by Robert Clouse, who had also directed Taylor in the film ''Darker than Amber'' (1970). Taylor was supposedly deemed too tall for the part, and the role instead went to John Saxon.

Later career

In 1973, Taylor was cast in ''The Train Robbers'' alongside long time friend John Wayne and Ann-Margret. The film was a box office success. Taylor also had some television roles: he starred in ''Bearcats!'' (1971) on CBS and in ''The Oregon Trail (TV series), The Oregon Trail'' (1976) on NBC. He had a regular role in the short-lived spy drama series ''Masquerade (TV series), Masquerade'' (1983) and played one of the leads in the equally short-lived series, ''Outlaws (1986 TV series), Outlaws'' (1986). From 1988 to 1990, Taylor appeared in the CBS drama series ''Falcon Crest'' as Frank Agretti, playing opposite Jane Wyman. In the mid-1990s, he appeared in several episodes of ''Murder, She Wrote'' and ''Walker, Texas Ranger''. In 1993, he hosted the documentary ''Time Machine: The Journey Back''. The special ended with a mini-sequel written by David Duncan (writer), David Duncan, the screenwriter of the

film. Taylor recreated his role as George, reuniting him with Filby (Alan Young). Taylor returned to Australia several times over the years to make films, playing a 1920s traveling showman in ''The Picture Show Man'' (1977) and a paid killer in ''On the Run (1982 film), On the Run'' (1983). In the black comedy ''Welcome to Woop Woop'' (1997), he played the foul-mouthed redneck Daddy-O. By the late 1990s, Taylor had moved into semi-retirement. In 2007, he appeared in the horror telemovie ''Kaw (film), Kaw'', which revisits the idea of marauding birds turning on their human tormentors. In this film, however, the cause of the disturbance was discovered by Taylor who plays the town doctor. He appeared in

's ''

'' in 2009, portraying

in a cameo. In 2017, a documentary on Taylor's life, "Pulling No Punches", was released and entered into the Beverly Hills Film Festival.

Personal life

His first wife was model Peggy Williams (1951–1954). They divorced after allegations of domestic violence. Taylor later claimed that they divorced because they felt they were too young to have a healthy marriage. Taylor dated and was briefly engaged to Swedish actress Anita Ekberg in the early 1960s. He dated model Pat Sheehan (model), Pat Sheehan in the late 1960s. His second marriage was to model Mary Hilem (1963–1969). The couple had one daughter, now-retired CNN financial reporter Felicia Taylor (born 1964). Taylor bought a home in Palm Springs, California in 1967. He married his third wife, Carol Kikumura, in 1980. They had originally dated in the early 1960s when she was an extra on his TV series ''

''. The couple got back together in 1971 and dated for an additional nine years before marrying.

Death

Taylor died of a Myocardial infarction, heart attack at his home, surrounded by his family, on 7 January 2015, in Beverly Hills, California, four days before his 85th birthday. He was survived by his wife, Carol, and his daughter Felicia.

Filmography

Feature films

* ''

'' (1954) as Jack Janiero (film debut) * ''

'' (1954) as

* ''The Virgin Queen (1955 film), The Virgin Queen'' (1955) as Cpl. Gwilym (uncredited) * ''Top Gun (1955 film), Top Gun'' (1955) as Lem Sutter * ''

'' (1956) as John Brodie Evans * '' World Without End'' (1956) as Herbert Ellis * ''

'' (1956) as Ralph Halloran * ''

'' (1956) as Sir David Karfrey * ''The Rack (1956 film), The Rack'' (1956) as Al (uncredited) * '' Raintree County'' (1957) as Garwood B. Jones * ''Step Down to Terror'' (1958) as Mike Randall * ''

'' (1958) as Charles * '' Ask Any Girl'' (1959) as Ross Tayford * ''

'' (1960) as H. George Wells * ''Colossus and the Amazon Queen'' (1960) as Pirro * ''

'' (1961) as Narrator Pongo (voice) * ''Seven Seas to Calais'' (1962) as Sir Francis Drake * '' The Birds'' (1963) as Mitch Brenner * '' The V.I.P.s'' (1963) as Les Mangrum * ''A Gathering of Eagles'' (1963) as Col. Hollis Farr * ''

'' (1963) as Mike Mitchell * ''

'' (1964) as Capt. Jack Savage * '' 36 Hours'' (1965) as Maj. Walter Gerber * ''

'' (1965) as John Cassidy * '' The Liquidator'' (1965) as Boysie Oakes * '' Do Not Disturb'' (1965) as Mike Harper * ''

'' (1966) as Bruce Templeton * ''

'' (1967) as Peter McDermott * '' Chuka'' (1967) as Chuka * ''

'' (1968) as Capt. Bruce Curry * ''

'' (1968) (a.k.a. ''The High Commissioner'') as Scobie Malone * ''The Hell with Heroes'' (1968) as Brynie MacKay * ''Zabriskie Point (film), Zabriskie Point'' (1970) as Lee Allen * ''Darker than Amber (film), Darker than Amber'' (1970) as Travis McGee * ''The Man Who Had Power Over Women'' (1970) as Peter Reaney * ''Bearcats!, Powderkeg'' (1971, TV movie/pilot for ''Bearcats!'') as Hank Brackett * ''Family Flight'' (1972, TV movie) as Jason Carlyle * ''The Train Robbers'' (1973) as Grady * ''The Heroes (1973 film), Gli eroi'' (1973) (a.k.a. ''The Heroes'') as Lieutenant Bob Robson * ''Trader Horn (1973 film), Trader Horn'' (1973) as Trader Horn * ''The Deadly Trackers'' (1973) as Frank Brand * ''Hell River'' (1974) (a.k.a. ''Partizani'') as Marko * ''A Matter of Wife... and Death'' (1975, TV movie) as Shamus McCoy * ''Vortex (1976 film), Blondie'' (1976) as Christopher Tauling * ''The Oregon Trail (TV series), The Oregon Trail'' (1976, series) as Evan Thorpe * ''Gulliver's Travels (1977 film), Gulliver's Travels'' (1977) as Reldresal / King of Blefuscu (voice, uncredited) * ''The Picture Show Man'' (1977) as Palmer * ''The Treasure Seekers (1979 film), The Treasure Seekers'' (1979) as Marian Casey * ''Cry of the Innocent'' (1980, TV movie) as Steve Donegin * ''Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (TV film), Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy'' (1981, TV movie) as 'Black Jack' Bouvier * ''Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story'' (1982, TV movie) as Edward Adeane * ''A Time to Die (1983 film), A Time to Die'' (1982) as Jack Bailey * ''On the Run (1982 film), On the Run'' (1983) as Mr. Payatta * ''Terror in the Aisles'' (1984) as Himself (stock footage) * ''Marbella (film), Marbella, un golpe de cinco estrellas'' (1985) as Commander * ''Half Nelson'' (1985, TV series) * ''Mask of Murder'' (1985) as Supt. Bob McLaine * ''Danielle Steel's 'Palomino''' (1991, TV movie) as Bill King * ''Grass Roots (film), Grass Roots'' (1992, TV movie) as Gen. Willoughby * ''Open Season'' (1995) – Billy Patrick * ''Point of Betrayal'' (1995) as Ted Kitteridge * ''Welcome to Woop Woop'' (1998) as Daddy-O * ''The Warlord: Battle for the Galaxy'' (1998, TV movie) as General Sorenson * ''Kaw (film), Kaw'' (2007, TV movie) as Doc * ''

'' (2009) as

(final film role)

Documentaries

* '' Inland with Sturt'' (1951) as George Mcleady * ''The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal'' (1985) * ''Time Machine: The Journey Back'' (1993) * ''All About the Birds'' (2000) * ''Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!, Not Quite Hollywood'' (2008) *Pulling No Punches (2016)

Television

As a regular

Taylor had several lead roles in television, from the early 1960s to the early first decade of the 21st century. Among his television shows as a regular are: * ''

'' with co-star

(1960, ABC) * ''Bearcats!'' (1971, CBS) * ''The Oregon Trail (TV series), The Oregon Trail'' as Evan Thorpe, a widower taking his three children from their Illinois farm to the Pacific Northwest by way of the Oregon Trail (1977, NBC) * ''Masquerade (TV series), Masquerade'' (1983) * ''Outlaws (1986 TV series), Outlaws'' (1986)

Guest appearances

* ''

'' (1955) – "The Last Day on Earth", "The Black Sheep's Daughter" * ''Lux Video Theatre'' (1955) – "Dark Tribute", "The Browning Version" * ''

'' (1955) – "The Argonauts" * ''Suspicion (American TV series), Suspicion'' (1957) – "The Story of Marjorie Reardon" * ''Schlitz Playhouse of Stars'' (1958) – "A Thing to Fight For" * ''Studio One (CBS series), Studio One'' (1958) – "Image of Fear" * ''Lux Video Theatre, Lux Playhouse'' (1958) – "The Best House in the Valley" * ''Playhouse 90'' (1958–59) – "Verdict of Three (Playhouse 90), Verdict of Three", "The Long March (Playhouse 90), The Long March", ''The Great Gatsby (Playhouse 90), The Great Gatsby'', "The Raider (Playhouse 90), The Raider", "Misalliance (Playhouse 90), Misalliance" * ''

'' (1959) – "

" * ''Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre'' (1960) – "Picture of Sal" * ''Goodyear Theatre'' (1960) – "Capital Gains" * ''General Electric Theater'' (1960) – "Early to Die", "The Young Years" * ''Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'' (1960) – "Thunder in the Night" * ''

'' (1961) – "Portrait of a Hero" * ''The DuPont Show of the Week'' (1962) – "

" * ''Tales of the Unexpected (TV series)'' (1980) – "The Hitch-Hiker" * ''Falcon Crest'' (1988–1990) as Frank Agretti * ''Murder, She Wrote'' (1995) * ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' (1996-1997, 2000) – "Redemption", "Texas vs. Cahill", "Wedding Bells"

Theatre credits

* ''Julius Caesar'' by William Shakespeare (Independent, 1950) * ''Home of the Brave (play), Home of the Brave'' by Arthur Laurents (Independent, 1950) * ''Misalliance'' by George Bernard Shaw (John Alden Company, 1951) * ''Twins'' by Plautus (Mercury Theatre (Australia), Mercury, 1952) * ''The Comedy of Errors'' by William Shakespeare (Mercury Theatre (Australia), Mercury, 1952) * ''The Witch'' by John Masefield (Mercury, 1952) * ''They Knew What They Wanted (play), They Knew What They Wanted'' by Sidney Howard (Mercury, 1952) * ''The Happy Time'' by Samuel A. Taylor (Mercury, 1953)

Early life

Career

Australia

Hollywood

Stardom

Later career

Personal life

Death

Filmography

Feature films

Documentaries

Television

As a regular

Guest appearances

Theatre credits

References

External links