Robert Creel Davis (November 6, 1949 – September 8, 1991), known professionally as Brad Davis, was an American actor, known for starring in the 1978 film '' Midnight Express'', '' Chariots of Fire'' and the 1982 film '' Querelle''.

Early life

He was born in Tallahassee, Florida, to Eugene Davis, a dentist whose career declined due to alcoholism, and his wife, Anne (née Creel) Davis. His brother

Gene In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a b ...

is also an actor. According to an interview with his widow, Susan Bluestein Davis, discussing her book about his life, After Midnight: The Life and Death of Brad Davis, in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' published in 1997, she claimed that Davis told her that he suffered physical abuse from his father and sexual abuse from his mother. As an adult, Brad Davis was an alcoholic and an intravenous drug user, then became sober in 1981.Witchel, Alex. (April 16, 1997
"For the Widow of Brad Davis, Time Cannot Heal All the Wounds"
''

''; accessed July 31, 2007. Davis was known as Bobby during his youth, but took Brad as his stage name in 1973. Davis attended and graduated from Titusville High School.

Career

At 16, after winning a music-talent contest, Davis worked at Theater Atlanta. He later moved to New York City and attended the

American Academy of Dramatic Arts The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) is a private performing arts conservatory with two locations, one in Manhattan and one in Los Angeles. The academy offers an associate degree in occupational studies and teaches drama and related art ...

, and the American Place Theater where he studied acting. After a role on the soap opera ''

How to Survive a Marriage ''How to Survive a Marriage'' is an American soap opera which aired on the NBC television network from January 7, 1974 to April 18, 1975. The serial was created by Anne Howard Bailey, with much input from then-NBC Vice President Lin Bolen. The ...

'', he performed in

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

plays. In 1976, he was cast in the television mini-series ''

Roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...

'', then as

Sally Field Sally Margaret Field (born November 6, 1946) is an American actress. She has received many awards and nominations, including two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Cannes Film Fe ...

's love interest in the television film ''

Sybil Sibyls were oracular women believed to possess prophetic powers in ancient Greece. Sybil or Sibyl may also refer to: Films * ''Sybil'' (1921 film) * ''Sybil'' (1976 film), a film starring Sally Field * ''Sybil'' (2007 film), a remake of the 19 ...

''. In 1977 he was cast as

John Rambo John James Rambo (born July 6, 1947) is a fictional character in the ''Rambo'' franchise. He first appeared in the 1972 novel ''First Blood'' by David Morrell, but later became more famous as the protagonist of the film series, in which he was ...

in ''

First Blood ''First Blood'' (also known as ''Rambo: First Blood'') is a 1982 American action film directed by Ted Kotcheff, and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, who also stars as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. It co-stars Richard Crenna as Rambo's ment ...

'' when

John Frankenheimer John Michael Frankenheimer (February 19, 1930 – July 6, 2002) was an American film and television director known for social dramas and action/suspense films. Among his credits were ''Birdman of Alcatraz'' (1962), '' The Manchurian Candidate'' ( ...

was scheduled to direct the film before it was cancelled due to

Orion Pictures Orion Pictures (legal name Orion Releasing, LLC) is an American film production and distribution company owned by Amazon through its Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) subsidiary. In its original operating period, the company produced and released films ...

' acquisition of Filmways. In 1981, he played American track star

Jackson Scholz Jackson Volney Scholz (March 15, 1897 – October 26, 1986) was an American sprint runner. In the 1920s, he became the first person to appear in an Olympic sprint final in three different Olympic Games. After his athletic career, he also gained ...

in the Academy Award-winning film '' Chariots of Fire''. He played the lead role in '' The Normal Heart'' (1985),

Larry Kramer Laurence David Kramer (June 25, 1935May 27, 2020) was an American playwright, author, film producer, public health advocate, and gay rights activist. He began his career rewriting scripts while working for Columbia Pictures, which led him to Lo ...

's play about

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ma ...

. His most successful film role was as the main character Billy Hayes in '' Midnight Express'' (1978), for which he won the

Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor The Golden Globe for New Star of the Year – Actor was an award given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association at their annual Golden Globe Awards. History The award was first introduced at the 6th Golden Globe Awards in 1948, where it was ...

and the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Acting Debut – Actor. He was nominated for a similar award at that year's

BAFTA Awards The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cere ...

, in addition to receiving Best Actor nominations at both ceremonies (Richard Dreyfuss won for '' The Goodbye Girl'').

Personal life

Davis married casting director Susan Bluestein in 1976. They had one child, Alex Blue Davis (born 1983), a musician and actor. He was bisexual. He is the brother of actor Eugene M. Davis.

Death

Diagnosed with HIV in 1985, Davis kept his condition private until shortly before his death at age 41 on September 8, 1991, in Los Angeles. It was revealed in a book proposal that Davis had written before his death that he had to keep his medical condition a secret to be able to continue to work and support his family. He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the

Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills are a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Geography The Hollywood Hills straddle the Cahuenga Pass within the Santa Monica Mountains. The neighborhood touches Studio City, Un ...

. In 1997 his wife Susan revealed that he committed assisted

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...

by a drug overdose.For the Widow of Brad Davis, Time Cannot Heal All the Wounds
/ref>

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Brad 1949 births 1991 deaths 1991 suicides 20th-century American male actors Male actors from Tallahassee, Florida People with HIV/AIDS American bisexual actors American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors Bisexual male actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) American people of Welsh descent LGBT people from Florida New Star of the Year (Actor) Golden Globe winners Titusville High School alumni Deaths by euthanasia Drug-related suicides in California