James Broderick
| James Broderick | |
|---|---|
 Broderick in 1959. | |
| Born |
James Joseph Broderick III March 7, 1927 Charlestown, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Died |
November 1, 1982 (aged 55) New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1950–1982 |
| Spouse(s) | Patricia Broderick (?-1982; his death; 2 children) |
James Joseph Broderick III (March 7, 1927 – November 1, 1982) was an American actor. He is probably best known for his role as Doug Lawrence in the television series Family, which ran from 1976 to 1980.
Life and career
Broderick was born in Charlestown, New Hampshire, the son of Mary Elizabeth (née Martindale) and James Joseph Broderick II (or Jr.). He was raised Catholic. His father, a highly decorated World War I combat medic,[1] was of Irish descent, and his mother was of English and Irish ancestry.[2] In 1947, after having served in the armed forces in World War II, Broderick, a junior pre-med student, auditioned for a part in the UNH production of George Bernard Shaw's Arms and the Man. Theater director Joe Batcheller was impressed and gave him the role of Bluntchili, an anti-romantic Swiss soldier. Batcheller said, "You could tell from the beginning that he was an exceptional individual. He displayed an unusual ability to get along with people. He was kind, sensitive, imaginative, and had a good sense of humor. He also had an Irish mug if I ever saw one."
Although Batcheller did not often encourage the students to pursue acting as a career, he was so sure of Broderick's talent that he suggested a trip to New York to meet Batcheller's friend Arthur Kennedy, who was well known in the acting field. Broderick took his advice and Kennedy subsequently directed him to the Neighborhood Playhouse, where he gained the necessary experience and training for a successful acting career in both movies and TV.
He played the father on the television show Family from 1976 to 1980, receiving an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1978.
His notable film roles include Ray Brock, the complex father figure of a New England commune in Alice's Restaurant (1969), the subway motorman in The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three (1974); FBI agent Sheldon in Dog Day Afternoon (1975), and Joe in the Paul Newman directed version of The Shadow Box.
Death
He died from cancer in 1982. James Broderick's son, actor Matthew Broderick,[3] named his first child after his late father.[4]
References
- ↑ Smolenyak, Megan (February 18, 2011). "Matthew Broderick, Who Do You Think You Are?". Huffington Post.
- ↑ "Matthew Broderick Who Do You Think You Are?". ProGenealogists. Retrieved 2013-06-23.
- ↑ "Matthew Broderick". Genealogy.com. 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
- ↑ UNH Electronic Newsletter, Issue 421, Date Sept 19, 2008
External links
- James Broderick at the Internet Movie Database
- James Broderick at AllRovi
- James Broderick at Find a Grave
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