Jed was a

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...

ern

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

animal actor Following is a list of animal actors. Those listed should have either a substantial number of performances or, in rare cases, a high-profile role. , c. 1907–? , * ''The Kid Brother'' (1927) (uncredited) * ''The Cameraman'' (1928) (uncredited) ...

, known for his roles in the movies ''

White Fang ''White Fang'' is a novel by American author Jack London (1876–1916) — and the name of the book's eponymous character, a wild wolfdog. First serialized in ''Outing'' magazine between May and October 1906, it was published in book form in Oc ...

'' (1991), '' White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf'' (1994), ''

The Journey of Natty Gann ''The Journey of Natty Gann'' is a 1985 American adventure film directed by Jeremy Paul Kagan, produced by Walt Disney Pictures and released by Buena Vista Distribution. The film introduced Meredith Salenger and also starred John Cusack, Lainie ...

'' (1985), and '' The Thing'' (1982). He was born in 1977 and died in June 1995. He was a

Vancouver Island wolf The Vancouver Coastal sea wolf or Vancouver coastal island wolf (''Canis lupus crassodon'') is a subspecies of grey wolf, endemic to Great Bear Rainforest and northern Vancouver Island within the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. It l ...

Alaskan Malamute The Alaskan Malamute () is a large breed of dog that was originally bred for its strength and endurance to haul heavy freight as a sled dog and hound. It is similar to other arctic breeds such as the husky, the spitz, the Greenland Dog, Canad ...

hybrid.

Life and Career

Jed was born at Whatcom Humane Society in

Bellingham, Washington Bellingham ( ) is the most populous city in, and county seat of Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It lies south of the U.S.–Canada border in between two major cities of the Pacific Northwest: Vancouver, British Columbia (locat ...

where Gerhardt "Gary" Winkler (

Henry Winkler Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE (born October 30, 1945), is an American actor, comedian, author, executive producer, and director. After rising to fame as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the American television series ''Happy Days'', Winkler has ...

's second cousin) adopted him as part of his collection of Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes. His first role was a brief one as a Norwegian dog in

John Carpenter John Howard Carpenter (born January 16, 1948) is an American filmmaker, actor, and composer. Although he worked in various film genres, he is most commonly associated with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s. He ...

's '' The Thing'' (1982). The character he played in the film was the first form to be taken by a shapeshifting alien creature; some scenes required him to behave in an unsettling and unnatural way. Jed's performance in ''The Thing'' has been lauded by the many fans of the movie. His next film appearance would be in Disney's ''

''. In 1991, Jed starred as Jack London's titular character White Fang in the

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

film of the same name, starring a young

Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor and film director. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award. Hawke has directed three feature films, three off-Broadway plays, and a doc ...

. Jed was trained by Clint Rowe, who was involved in the films that Jed was cast in and was also associated with the film '' Turner and Hooch''. After filming Disney's sequel to "White Fang", Jed permanently remained with Clint Rowe in

Acton, California Acton () is an unincorporated census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, near the Antelope Valley. According to the 2010 census, Acton had a population of 7,596. Acton is a small residential community located between the Sierra ...

until his death in June 1995. His remains were interred at Gary Winkler's mixed-dog breed animal sanctuary in Bellingham, Washington.

Filmography

*'' The Thing'' (1982) (uncredited) *''

'' (1985) *''

'' (1991) *'' White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf'' (1994) (uncredited)

References

External link

* {{IMDb name, 1058600 1977 animal births 1995 animal deaths Dog actors Individual wolves