Darren McGavin

Darren McGavin

William Lyle Richardson (May 7, 1922 – February 25, 2006), known professionally as Darren McGavin, was an American actor. He was known for his portrayals of worldly, often somewhat gruff characters. Born in Spokane, Washington, McGavin claimed to have been a child runaway who spent his later childhood squatting in Tacoma. He began his film career while working as a set painter for Columbia Pictures, appearing in uncredited roles, and also starred in a regional Chicago production of Death of a Salesman in 1950. He subsequently originated roles in Broadway productions of My 3 Angels and The Rainmaker (both 1954), and went on to star in a further four Broadway productions before the end of the decade. Simultaneous to his stage career, McGavin also forged a career in film, starring in David Lean's Summertime and The Man with the Golden Arm (both 1955). From 1958 to 1959, he played the title character in the 1950s television series Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, and subsequently starred in the NBC Western series Riverboat, first with Burt Reynolds and then with Noah Beery Jr.

Update this biography »
Complete biography of Darren McGavin »