David Janssen (born David Harold Meyer; March 27, 1931 – February 13, 1980) was an American actor. He was born in Naponee, Nebraska, to Berniece Mae (Graf) and Harold Edward Meyer, a banker. He was of German, and some Swiss-German and Ulster-Scots, descent. David took the surname of his stepfather, Eugene Janssen. The Janssen family settled in Hollywood when he was a teenager and he attended Fairfax High School, where he developed an interest in acting. His film debut was a bit part in It’s a Pleasure (1945), and at the age of 18 signed a contract with 20th Century-Fox. However, the studio dropped him after allegedly becoming disenchanted with his odd hairline and big prominent ears. Janssen had better luck at Universal, where he signed on in the early 1950s and became a supporting player in 32 films before appearing on TV as the star of Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1956). He resumed his movie career in 1961, a year after the series ended. His biggest success came from his lead in the series The Fugitive (1963), playing the haunted, hunted Dr. Richard Kimble, on the run for a murder he didn’t commit. After the series ended, Janssen launched himself into a grueling schedule by appearing in lead and supporting roles in movies, but he had better luck with made-for-TV-movie roles and a short-lived series, O’Hara, U.S. Treasury (1971). He had another hit series with the cult favorite Harry O (1973). Janssen continued appearing in lead roles in nearly 20 made-for-TV-movies during the 1970s as well as other TV projects. He died in 1980 from a sudden heart attack at his Malibu home at the age of 48. Unfounded speculation holds that Janssen succumbed to alcoholism, a problem that plagued him most of his adult life. There were even unfounded rumors about drug use. However, a much more reasonable explanation for David Janssen’s sudden demise is that this intense, dedicated, determined actor simply worked himself to death.
From an IMDB Mini-Bio for David Janssen
1963 • TV
1962 • TV
1961 • TV
1961 • TV
1968 • Movie
1958 • Movie
as George Faber
as Duke Sinclair
as Dave Heller
as Harry Adams
as Steve in Two-Minute Warning (archive footage)
as Russ Bogan
as Larry Tripps
as Rico Nardi
as Jack Lindsay
as Freddie Norton (uncredited)
as Glencoe MacDonald
as Harry Walker
as Harry Orwell
as Sergeant Steve Walsh
as Mike Shelley
as Sgt, Bill Hazen
as Lt Lee
as Ted Dougherty
as Lieutenant Anders
as A.C. Smith
as Richard Kimble
120 episodes
as Self
1 episodes
as Self - Co-Host
1 episodes
as Self
1 episodes
as Self - Nominee
1 episodes
as Self
2 episodes
1 episodes
1 episodes
as Seth Larker
1 episodes
as Dix Porter
1 episodes
as Ross Ingraham
1 episodes
as Karno Starling
1 episodes
as Blair Cameron
1 episodes
as Carl Ashland
1 episodes
as Self
2 episodes
as Scotty Bell
1 episodes
as Len Kobalsky
1 episodes
1 episodes
as Kenneth 'Ken' Morgan
1 episodes
as Self (uncredited)
1 episodes
