Raymon Lee Cramton (June 11, 1937 – July 24, 2012), known professionally as Chad Everett, was an American actor who appeared in more than 40 films and television series. He played Dr. Joe Gannon in the television drama '' Medical Center'', which aired from 1969 to 1976.

Early life

He was born in

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

in 1937, to Virdeen Ruth (née Hopper) and Harry Clyde "Ted" Cramton. His father was a racecar driver as well as a racing mechanic and an auto parts salesman. Some confusion existed regarding the year of his birth. According to ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'', "many reference sources list Mr. Everett's date of birth as 1936, but legal records indicate he was born one year later. He routinely gave his age as consistent with a birth date in 1937." His name was later changed to Chad Everett by his agent

Henry Willson Henry Leroy Willson (July 31, 1911 – November 2, 1978) was an American Hollywood talent agent who played a large role in developing the beefcake craze of the 1950s. He was known for his stable of young, attractive clients, including Rock ...

. Everett said he did not mind the change because he was tired of explaining his real name: "Raymon-no-D, Cramton-no-P." He was raised in Dearborn, Michigan, where he attended

Fordson High School Fordson High School is a secondary school located in Dearborn, Michigan, United States in Greater Detroit. It was completed in 1928 on a parcel of land which was then the village of Fordson, named for Henry Ford and his son Edsel Ford. It is a par ...

. While there, he played on the football team as a quarterback and began acting in stage plays at age 14. During his junior year at

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...

in Detroit, he joined a State Department-sponsored acting troupe that toured India. "I went into acting because I'm easily bored", Everett once said. "Acting seemed to give vent to a lot of different feelings." He graduated from WSU with a degree in drama.

Career

Acting

Everett's first notable role came in an episode of the 1960-1962 detective series ''

Surfside 6 ''Surfside 6'' is an ABC television series which aired from 1960 to 1962. The show centered on a Miami Beach detective agency set on a houseboat and featured Troy Donahue as Sandy Winfield II; Van Williams as Kenny Madison (a character recyc ...

''. His first major role came a year later in the film '' Claudelle Inglish'', and he played a deputy in the short-lived 1963 ABC Western television series ''

The Dakotas The Dakotas is a collective term for the U.S. states of North Dakota and South Dakota. It has been used historically to describe the Dakota Territory, and is still used for the collective heritage, culture, geography, fauna, sociology, econo ...

''. After appearing in a number of movies and television series in the later 1960s, he got his big break, landing the role of Dr. Joe Gannon on the medical drama '' Medical Center'', with costar James Daly. He appeared in numerous films and television series, including ''

The Singing Nun Jeanne-Paule Marie "Jeannine" Deckers (17 October 1933 – 29 March 1985), better known as Sœur Sourire () and often called The Singing Nun in English-speaking countries, was a Belgian singer-songwriter and a member of the Dominican Order in ...

'', ''

Centennial {{other uses, Centennial (disambiguation), Centenary (disambiguation) A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years. Notable events Notable centennial events at ...

'', ''Hagen'', '' Airplane II: The Sequel'', '' Star Command'', and ''

Mulholland Drive Mulholland Drive is a street and road in the eastern Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California. It is named after pioneering Los Angeles civil engineer William Mulholland. The western rural portion in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties is nam ...

''. He also appeared as a

guest star In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other ...

in more than 40 television series such as '' Redigo''; '' Melrose Place''; ''

The Nanny ''The Nanny'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from November 3, 1993, to June 23, 1999, starring Fran Drescher as Fran Fine, a Jewish fashionista from Flushing, Queens, New York, who becomes the nanny of three ch ...

''; ''

Touched by an Angel ''Touched by an Angel'' is an American fantasy drama television series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994, and ran for 211 episodes over nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and executive produced ...

''; '' Diagnosis: Murder''; '' Caroline in the City''; '' Murder, She Wrote''; ''

The Red Skelton Show ''The Red Skelton Show'' is an American television comedy/variety show that aired from 1951 to 1971. In the decade prior to hosting the show, Richard "Red" Skelton had a successful career as a radio and motion pictures star. Although his televi ...

''; ''

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a secret ...

''; and '' Route 66''. In 1986, Everett's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was unveiled. In 1987, Everett supplied the voice of Ultraman Chuck in the English version of the animated movie '' Ultraman: The Adventure Begins'' and voiced several characters in the animated television series ''

The New Yogi Bear Show ''The New Yogi Bear Show'' (also known as ''Hanna-Barbera's Yogi Bear Show'') is an American animated television series and the sixth incarnation of the ''Yogi Bear'' franchise produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that aired in syndication from ...

''. He hosted

Trinity Broadcasting Network The Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) is an international Christian-based broadcast television network and the world's largest religious television network. TBN was headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, until March 3, 2017, when it sold its ...

's ''Master's Theater''. He was selected by the family of John Wayne to be the voice of the

audio-animatronic Audio-Animatronics (also known as simply Animatronics, and sometimes shortened to AAs) is the registered trademark for a form of robotics animation created by Walt Disney Imagineering for shows and attractions at Disney theme parks, and subsequent ...

figure of Wayne in

Disney's Hollywood Studios Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. Based on a concept by M ...

The Great Movie Ride The Great Movie Ride was a dark ride located at Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. The attraction employed the use of Audio-Animatronic figures, practical sets, live actors, special effects, and pro ...

. Based on

Patrick Wayne Patrick John Morrison (born July 15, 1939), better known by his stage name Patrick Wayne, is an American actor. He is the second son of movie star John Wayne and his first wife, Josephine Alicia Saenz. He made over 40 films, including eleven w ...

's suggestion, Everett also provided the voice of Wayne in a scene that only appears in the VHS version of '' Gremlins 2: The New Batch'' (replacing the Hulk Hogan scene that appeared in the theatrical and DVD versions). In 2001, Everett played one brief scene with

Naomi Watts Naomi Ellen Watts (born 28 September 1968) is a British actress. After her family moved to Australia, she made her film debut there in the drama '' For Love Alone'' (1986) and then appeared in three television series, '' Hey Dad..!'' (1990), '' ...

in David Lynch's ''Mulholland Drive''. ''Salon'' online magazine cited this scene as "the heart of the movie".

Writing

Everett authored and self-published a book of romantic poetry, which he dedicated to wife Shelby Grant.

Philanthropy

For many years, Everett co-hosted the Labor Day

Jerry Lewis Telethon The ''MDA Labor Day Telethon'' was an annual telethon held on (starting the night before and throughout) Labor Day in the United States to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). The Muscular Dystrophy Association was founded i ...

, which raises money and awareness for and about the affliction of muscular dystrophy.

Personal life

Everett married actress Shelby Grant in

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

on May 22, 1966. Everett was on location in Tucson filming the 1967 movie ''

Return of the Gunfighter ''Return of the Gunfighter'' is a 1967 American Western (genre), Western television film directed by James Neilson (director), James Neilson and starring Robert Taylor (American actor), Robert Taylor, Chad Everett and Ana Martín. Though intende ...

'' at the time of their wedding. They had two daughters, Katherine and Shannon. The couple remained married for 45 years until her death after a brain aneurysm on June 25, 2011. Everett credited his family with being a stabilizing force in his life, stating that even in the worst of times, Grant "never threatened to leave. She would tell me that she was there for me. If not for my family, I would have been in big trouble." Grant noted his romanticism; he sent her so many flowers during their courtship that "my balcony looked like a burial ground." He also often wrote sentimental poems to Grant throughout their marriage, as well as to his daughters. The couple renewed their marriage vows every seven years. During an appearance on ''

The Dick Cavett Show ''The Dick Cavett Show'' was the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks, including: * ABC daytime, (March 4, 1968–January 24, 1969) originally titled ''This Morning'' * ABC prime time, Tuesdays, We ...

'' that aired on March 31, 1972, Everett notoriously listed his animals as "three horses and three dogs and a wife" and that his wife was " ... the most beautiful animal I own." Fellow guest

Lily Tomlin Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin (born September 1, 1939) is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. She started her career as a stand-up comedian as well as performing off-Broadway during the 1960s. Her breakout role was on the varie ...

gasped, "You own? I have to leave!" and walked off the set. Everett later clarified that his wife owned him as well and reported that he felt chagrined by Tomlin's departure. After ''Medical Center'' ended, Everett became frustrated when no movie roles were forthcoming and television roles were not working out. A long-time social drinker, he began drinking heavily. He was consuming a quart of vodka a day by the time he quit drinking in 1986. "I was a functional alcoholic." Shelby noted his alcohol-related mood swings and has said, " nally I confronted him. I came into the bedroom with a big pot of coffee one morning and said 'we have a major problem to deal with here.'" A month later, Everett caught sight of himself on a video and did not like what he saw. "'Finally,' I said, 'I am really in trouble'. I stepped outside and I looked up and said 'Father, you take it. I can't handle it anymore.'" The next day, he told his daughters (who were living at home at the time), "I am addicted to alcohol, and I am not going away to detox. I am going to do it here so that you can see what happens to someone if you let a substance take control of you." He attended his first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting the next day and claimed he never drank again, attributing his discipline to his Christian faith and his self-pride.

Paternity lawsuit

Beginning in 1973, actress Sheila Scott initiated court proceedings against Everett three times, claiming her son Dale (born 1973) was fathered by him. The lengthy and complicated paternity suit ended in 1984 when a California Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Everett. The court stated:

"From the evidence adduced, the jury concluded that Everett was not Dale's father despite the 94.67 percent probability of paternity from the HLA test"... "In this appeal, we affirm a judgment following a jury verdict finding the defendant and respondent not to be the father of the minor child."

Everett refused to take any more tests regarding paternity. He entered into a private financial settlement with Scott in 1973 but steadfastly maintained he was not Dale's father. In 1991, Scott was sentenced to three months' probation following a guilty verdict of "harassing" Everett for 18 years, including death threats against him and his wife. She was ordered to undergo psychological testing and to never publicly declare that Everett was Dale's father.

Death

Everett died on July 24, 2012, at his home in Los Angeles after an 18-month battle with lung cancer.LA Times obit for Chad Everett
July 24, 2012 He was 75 years old.

TV and filmography

*'' Claudelle Inglish'' (1961) as Linn Varner *'' Lawman'' (1961, TV series) as Cole Herod / Jim Austin *''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each episode was o ...

'' (1962, TV series) as Ross / Anthony Chase / Mark Adams *''

Rome Adventure ''Rome Adventure'', also known as ''Lovers Must Learn'', is a 1962 romantic drama film, based on the 1932 novel ''Lovers Must Learn'' by Irving Fineman. It was directed by Delmer Daves and stars Troy Donahue, Angie Dickinson, and Suzanne Pleshet ...

'' (1962) as Young Man *''

The Chapman Report ''The Chapman Report'' is a 1962 American Technicolor drama film starring Shelley Winters, Jane Fonda, Claire Bloom and Glynis Johns. It was made by DFZ Productions and distributed by Warner Bros. It was directed by George Cukor and produced by ...

'' (1962) as Bob Jensen *''

'' (1962–63, TV series) as Deputy Del Stark *''

Get Yourself a College Girl ''Get Yourself a College Girl'', also released as ''The Swingin' Set'', is a 1964 Metrocolor film comedy in the style of a beach party movie. The plot involves a college co-ed who tries to balance her time writing songs and dealing with her pub ...

'' (1964) as Gary Underwood *'' Branded'' (1965, TV series) as Adam Manning / Tad Manning *''

Combat! ''Combat!'' is an American television drama series that originally aired on ABC from 1962 until 1967. The exclamation point in ''Combat!'' was depicted on-screen as a stylized bayonet. The show covered the grim lives of a squad of American so ...

'' (1965, TV series) as Steve Kovac *'' Made in Paris'' (1966) as Ted Barclay *''

'' (1966) as Robert Gerarde *'' Johnny Tiger'' (1966) as Johnny Tiger *'' First to Fight'' (1967) as Sergeant Jack Connell *''

'' (1967) as Lee Sutton *'' The Last Challenge'' (1967) as 'Lot' McGuire *''

The F.B.I. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

'' (1968) as Daniel Sayers *''

The Impossible Years ''The Impossible Years'' is a 1965 comedy play written by Robert Fisher and Arthur Marx, son of comedian Groucho Marx. After two previews, the Broadway production, directed by Arthur Storch, opened on October 13, 1965, at the Playhouse Theatre, w ...

'' (1968) as Richard Merrick *'' Medical Center'' (1969–1976, TV series) as Dr. Joe Gannon *'' Ironside'' (1969, TV series) as Larry Van Druten *'' The Firechasers'' (1971) as Quentin Barnaby *''Give Me My Money'' (1977) *''

'' (1978–79, TV mini-series) as Major Maxwell Mercy *''

The French Atlantic Affair ''The French Atlantic Affair'' is a novel by Ernest Lehman which was published in 1977. A 3-part TV miniseries based on the book was produced and broadcast in 1979. Plot A luxury ocean liner, the SS ''Marseilles'' of the French Atlantic Line, is h ...

'' (1979, TV mini-series) as Harold Columbine *''Hagen'' (1980, TV Series) as Paul Hagen *''The Intruder Within'' (1981, TV movie) as Jake Nevins *'' Airplane II: The Sequel'' (1982) as Simon Kurtz *'' The Rousters'' (1983–84, TV series) as Wyatt Earp III *'' Malibu'' (1983, TV movie) as Art Bonnell *''

Fever Pitch ''Fever Pitch: A Fan's Life'' is a 1992 autobiographical essay by British author Nick Hornby. The book is the basis for two films: '' Fever Pitch'' (1997, UK) and '' Fever Pitch'' (2005, U.S.). The first edition was subtitled "A Fan's Life", bu ...

'' (1985) as The Dutchman *'' Murder, She Wrote'' (1986–1993, TV series) as Martin Fraser / Clark Blanchard / Lieutenant Redick / Kevin Keats *''The Jigsaw Murders'' (1989) as Sergeant Joe DaVonzo *''Thunderboat Row'' (1989, TV movie) as Ben Bishop *''Heroes Stand Alone'' (1989) as Zack Duncan *'' McKenna'' (1994–1995, TV series) as Jack McKenna *''

Cybill ''Cybill'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre, which aired on CBS from January 2, 1995, to July 13, 1998. Starring Cybill Shepherd, the show revolves around the life of Cybill Sheridan, a twice-divorced single mother of tw ...

'' (1995, TV series) as David Whittier Sr. *'' Star Command'' (1996, TV movie) as Commander Shane Ridnaur *''

'' (1997, episode: "

Crisis of Faith A crisis of faith is a deep and painful questioning, loss, or transformation of belief. Commonly, the term is used in reference to a crisis of religious faith, such as doubt about the existence or doubt about the goodness of God, but it can also b ...

") as Reverend Daniel Brewer *'' Diagnosis: Murder'' (1997, episode: 'Physician, Murder Thyself') as Dr. Clayton Andrews *'' When Time Expires'' (1997, TV movie) as Walter Kelly, June's Father *'' Just Shoot Me'' (1997, TV series) as Tom Youngerman * '' Melrose Place'' (1998, TV series) as Thomas Sterling *'' Psycho'' (1998) as Tom Cassidy *''

Free Fall In Newtonian physics, free fall is any motion of a body where gravity is the only force acting upon it. In the context of general relativity, where gravitation is reduced to a space-time curvature, a body in free fall has no force acting on ...

'' (1999) as Richard Pierce *''

Manhattan, AZ ''Manhattan, AZ'' is a comedy television show that aired on the USA Network during the Summer of 2000. Premise An undercover Los Angeles Vice Cop, Daniel Henderson, loses his loving wife in a bizarre sea accident. While working for Greenpeace cut ...

'' (2000, TV series) as Jake Manhattan *''

'' (2001) as Jimmy Katz *'' Frank McKlusky, C.I.'' (2002) as Doctor (uncredited) *''

View from the Top ''View from the Top'' is a 2003 American romantic comedy film directed by Bruno Barreto and starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Christina Applegate, Candice Bergen, Joshua Malina, Mark Ruffalo, Rob Lowe, Mike Myers, and Kelly Preston. The film follows a you ...

'' (2003) as Jack Weston (uncredited) *''

Tiptoes ''Tiptoes'' is a 2003 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Matthew Bright, in what is, as of 2022, his last film. The film stars Gary Oldman, Kate Beckinsale, Patricia Arquette and Matthew McConaughey. The film's plot revolves aro ...

'' (2003) as Kirk *'' Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie'' (2004) as Jess Moondragon (cameo) *''

The Mountain The Mountain (french: La Montagne) was a political group during the French Revolution. Its members, called the Montagnards (), sat on the highest benches in the National Convention. They were the most radical group and opposed the Girondins. Th ...

'' (2005) as Toby (pilot) *''

E-Ring ''E-Ring'' is an American military drama television series created by Ken Robinson and David McKenna and executive produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, that premiered on NBC on September 21, 2005, and aired through February 1, 2006. The series star ...

'' (2006, TV series) as Army Chief of Staff General Long *''

Cold Case A cold case is a crime, or a suspected crime, that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new witness testimony, re-examined archives, new or r ...

'' (2006, episode: " Forever Blue") as Jimmy Bruno *''Unspoken'' (2006) as Narrator *''

Without a Trace ''Without a Trace'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Hank Steinberg that aired on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009 with the total of seven seasons and 160 episodes. The series focuses the cases of ...

'' (2007, episode: " Skin Deep") as Joseph Pratt *''The Pink Conspiracy'' (2007) as Dr. Redbush *''

Break Break or Breaks or The Break may refer to: Time off from duties * Recess (break), time in which a group of people is temporarily dismissed from its duties * Break (work), time off during a shift/recess ** Coffee break, a short mid-morning res ...

'' (2008) as The Man *'' Supernatural'' (2009, episode: " The Curious Case of Dean Winchester") as Old Dean Winchester *'' Undercovers'' (2010–2012, TV series) as Professor Joseph Shilling *'' No Clean Break'' (2011, TV series) as The Man *'' Chemistry'' (2011, TV series) as Victor 'Vic' Strathmore *'' Castle'' (2012, TV series) as Jerry Maddox

References

External links

*
Timber! Rubbing against the grain of a leading man who put the wood in Hollywood
by Chuck Stephens in the Sept/Oct 2012 issue of ''

Film Comment ''Film Comment'' is the official publication of Film at Lincoln Center. It features reviews and analysis of mainstream, art-house, and avant-garde filmmaking from around the world. Founded in 1962 and originally released as a quarterly, ''Film Co ...

''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Everett, Chad 1937 births 2012 deaths 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors California Republicans Deaths from lung cancer in California Fordson High School alumni Male actors from Indiana Male actors from Michigan Actors from South Bend, Indiana People from Dearborn, Michigan Wayne State University alumni Warner Bros. contract players