Rodney Sturt Taylor (11 January 1930 – 7 January 2015) was an Australian actor. He appeared in more than 50 feature films, including '' The Time Machine'' (1960), '' One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' (1961), '' The Birds'' (1963), and '' Inglourious Basterds'' (2009). Taylor was born in Lidcombe, a suburb of

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

, to a father who was a steel construction contractor and commercial artist and a mother who was a children's author. He began taking art classes in high school, and continued in college. He decided to become an actor after seeing

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...

in an Old Vic touring production of ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Bat ...

.'' His first film role was in a re-enactment of Charles Sturt's voyage down the Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers, playing Sturt's offsider, George Macleay. At the time, he was also appearing in a number of theatre productions for Australia's

Mercury Theatre The Mercury Theatre was an independent repertory theatre company founded in New York City in 1937 by Orson Welles and producer John Houseman. The company produced theatrical presentations, radio programs and motion pictures. The Mercury als ...

. He made his feature film debut in the Australian Lee Robinson film '' King of the Coral Sea'' (1954). He soon started acting in television films, such as Studio 57 (1954), where he played multiple different characters. He started to gain popularity after starring in '' The Time Machine'' (1960), as H. George Wells. He later starred in the

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

film '' One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' (1961), as Pongo. In one of his most famous roles, he played Mitch Brenner in '' The Birds'', directed by

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

(1963). By the late 1990s, Taylor had moved into semi-retirement. His final film role was in

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensembl ...

's '' Inglourious Basterds'' in 2009, portraying a fictionalized version of

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

in a cameo.

Early life

Taylor was born on 11 January 1930 in Lidcombe, a suburb of

, the only child of William Sturt Taylor, a steel construction contractor and commercial artist, and Mona Taylor (née Thompson), a writer of more than a hundred short stories and children's books. His middle name comes from his great-great-granduncle, Captain Charles Sturt, a British explorer of the Australian outback in the 19th century. Taylor attended Parramatta High School and later studied at the East Sydney Technical and Fine Arts College and took art classes. His mother wanted him to be an artist, and pressured him into taking the art classes. For a time he worked as a commercial artist, but he decided to become an actor after seeing

in an Old Vic touring production of ''

''.

Career

Australia

Taylor acquired extensive radio and stage experience in Australia, where his radio work included a period on '' Blue Hills'' and a role as

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...

. Earlier in his career he had to support himself by working at Sydney's

Mark Foy's Mark Foy's Limited or Mark Foy's was a department store in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, founded by Francis Foy and his brother Mark Foy. The department store was named after their father, Mark Foy (senior) and traded between 1885 an ...

department store, designing and painting window and other displays during the day. In 1951, he took part in a re-enactment of Charles Sturt's voyage down the Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers, playing Sturt's offsider, George Macleay. A short documentary, '' Inland with Sturt'' (1951), was based on it. Taylor also appeared in a number of theatre productions for Australia's

. Taylor made his feature film debut in the Australian Lee Robinson film '' King of the Coral Sea'' (1954), playing an American. He later played

Israel Hands Israel Hands, also known as Basilica Hands, was an 18th-century pirate best known for being second in command to Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. His name serves as the basis for the name of the villainous sidekick in Robert Louis Steve ...

in a Hollywood-financed film shot in Sydney, '' Long John Silver'' (1954), an unofficial sequel to '' Treasure Island''. Following these two films, Taylor was awarded the 1954 Rola Show Australian Radio Actor of the Year Award, which included a ticket to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

via Los Angeles, but Taylor did not continue on to London.

Hollywood

Taylor soon landed roles in television shows such as '' Studio 57'' and the films '' Hell on Frisco Bay'' (1955) and '' Giant'' (1956). In 1955, he guest-starred as Clancy in the third episode ("The Argonauts") of the first hour-long Western television series, ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enr ...

'', an ABC program starring Clint Walker. Taylor and Edward Andrews played gold seekers Clancy and Duncan, respectively, who are best friends until they strike it rich, only to see Native Americans release their gold dust to the wind. The episode was a remake of the film '' The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'' (1948). Taylor was considered for one of the leads in Warner Bros. Television's ''

Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Bure ...

''. Toward the end of 1955, Taylor unsuccessfully

screen test A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a came ...

ed to play boxer Rocky Graziano in

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

's '' Somebody Up There Likes Me'' after

James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, '' Rebel Without a Caus ...

's death, but his use of a Brooklyn accent and physical prowess in the test impressed the studio enough to give him a long-term contract. At MGM, he played a series of support roles in '' The Catered Affair'' (1956), '' Raintree County'' (1957), and '' Ask Any Girl'' (1959). He had a significant role in '' Separate Tables'' (1958), which won Oscars for two of its stars, David Niven and Wendy Hiller. He also made a strong impression guest-starring in an episode of ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

'' titled " And When the Sky Was Opened" (1959).

Stardom

Taylor's first leading role in a feature film was in '' The Time Machine'' (1960),

George Pal George Pal (born György Pál Marczincsak; ; February 1, 1908 – May 2, 1980) was a Hungarian-American animator, film director and producer, principally associated with the fantasy and science-fiction genres. He became an American citizen after ...

's adaptation of the science-fiction classic by H. G. Wells, with Taylor as the time traveller who, thousands of years in the future, falls for a woman played by Yvette Mimieux. Taylor played a character not unlike that of his ''Twilight Zone'' episode of a year earlier and the film '' World Without End'' in 1956. In or around 1960, he was approached regarding the role of

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...

in the first feature-length Bond film. Taylor reportedly declined to become involved because he considered the character of Bond "beneath him".Mark Juddery, "Rod Taylor, the Hollywood star, who never forgot he was an Aussie", ''Sydney Morning Herald'' 13 January 2015
(access: 7 September 2018). Taylor later commented: "Every time a new Bond picture became a smash hit ... I tore out my hair." In the 1960–1961 television season, Taylor starred as foreign correspondent Glenn Evans in the ABC dramatic series ''

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...

''. His principal co-star was

Lloyd Bochner Lloyd Wolfe Bochner (July 29, 1924 – October 29, 2005) was a Canadian actor. He appeared in many Canadian and Hollywood productions between the 1950s and 1990s, including the films ''Point Blank'' (1967), '' The Detective'' (1968), '' The ...

; Jack Kruschen played the bartender, Tully. The program faced stiff competition on Wednesday evenings from NBC's ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

'', hence lasted for only one season. He voiced Pongo (a Dalmatian dog) in

's animated feature '' One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' (1961) and also guest-starred on Marilyn Maxwell's short-lived ABC series ''

Bus Stop A bus stop is a place where buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelters, seating, and possibly electronic passenger ...

'' around the same time. In 1962, he starred in an episode of NBC's '' The DuPont Show of the Week'' (" The Ordeal of Dr. Shannon"), an adaptation of

A. J. Cronin Archibald Joseph Cronin (19 July 1896 – 6 January 1981), known as A. J. Cronin, was a Scottish physician and novelist. His best-known novel is ''The Citadel'' (1937), about a Scottish doctor who serves in a Welsh mining village before achievi ...

's novel '' Shannon's Way''. Taylor starred in

's horror thriller '' The Birds'' (1963), along with Tippi Hedren,

Suzanne Pleshette Suzanne Pleshette (January 31, 1937 – January 19, 2008) was an American theatre, film, television, and voice actress. Pleshette started her career in the theatre and began appearing in films in the late 1950s and later appeared in prominent ...

, Jessica Tandy and

Veronica Cartwright Veronica Cartwright (born April 20, 1949) is a British-American actress. She is known for appearing in science fiction and horror films, and has earned numerous accolades, including three Primetime Emmy Award nominations. As a child actress, sh ...

, playing a man whose town and home come under attack by menacing birds. Taylor then starred with

Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Jane Fonda, various accolades including two ...

in the romantic comedy '' Sunday in New York'' (also 1963). During the mid-1960s, Taylor worked mostly for MGM. His credits including '' The V.I.P.s'' (1963), his first feature film role as an Australian, with Richard Burton,

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

, and Maggie Smith; ''

Fate Is the Hunter Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although ofte ...

'' (for

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...

, 1964) with Glenn Ford and Suzanne Pleshette; '' 36 Hours'' (1964) with James Garner; ''

Young Cassidy ''Young Cassidy'' is a 1965 British biography drama film directed by Jack Cardiff and starring Rod Taylor, Julie Christie, and Maggie Smith. It is a biographical drama based upon the life of the playwright Seán O'Casey. Plot Set in 1911 and th ...

'' (1965) with Julie Christie and Maggie Smith; '' The Liquidator'' (1965) with

Jill St. John Jill St. John (born Jill Arlyn Oppenheim; August 19, 1940) is a retired American actress. She may be best known for playing Tiffany Case, the first American Bond girl of the 007 franchise, in '' Diamonds Are Forever''. Additional performances i ...

; '' Do Not Disturb'' (1965); and '' The Glass Bottom Boat'' (1966), both co-starring

Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress, singer, and activist. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, " Sent ...

. He began to change his image toward the end of the decade to more tough-guy roles, such as '' Chuka'' (1967), which he also produced, and he starred in ''

Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

'' (1967) with

Catherine Spaak Catherine Spaak (3 April 1945 – 17 April 2022) was a French-born Italian actress and singer who acted in mostly in Italian films with some Hollywood and international productions. She is best known for her roles in the films '' Il Sorpasso'' ( ...

; '' Dark of the Sun'' (or ''The Mercenaries'', 1968), again with Yvette Mimieux; ''

Nobody Runs Forever ''Nobody Runs Forever'', also called ''The High Commissioner'', is a 1968 British political neo noir spy thriller action film directed by Ralph Thomas and based on Jon Cleary's 1966 novel '' The High Commissioner''. It stars Rod Taylor as Au ...

'' (1968) where he played New South Wales Police Sergeant

Scobie Malone Scobie Malone is a fictional Sydney homicide detective created by Australian novelist Jon Cleary. History Named after the jockey Scobie Breasley, Malone made his first appearance in Cleary's 1966 novel '' The High Commissioner''. Cleary says he ...

, this being Taylor's first starring feature film role as an Australian; and '' Darker than Amber'' (1970) as

Travis McGee John Dann MacDonald (July 24, 1916December 28, 1986) was an American writer of novels and short stories. He is known for his thrillers. MacDonald was a prolific author of crime and suspense novels, many set in his adopted home of Florida. One ...

. He was also reportedly up for the role of martial artist Roper in the

Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (; born Lee Jun-fan, ; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist and actor. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines th ...

vehicle '' Enter the Dragon'' (1973). The film was directed by

Robert Clouse Robert Clouse (March 6, 1928 – February 4, 1997) was an American film director and producer, known primarily for his work in the action/adventure and martial arts genres. He died on February 4, 1997, in Oregon of kidney failure. Clouse ...

, who had also directed Taylor in the film ''Darker than Amber'' (1970). Taylor was supposedly deemed too tall for the part, and the role instead went to John Saxon.

Later career

In 1973, Taylor was cast in ''

The Train Robbers ''The Train Robbers'' is a 1973 American Western film written and directed by Burt Kennedy and starring John Wayne, Ann-Margret, Rod Taylor, Ben Johnson, and Ricardo Montalban. Filming took place in Sierra de Órganos National Park in the town ...

'' alongside long time friend

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Go ...

and

Ann-Margret Ann-Margret Olsson (born April 28, 1941) is a Swedish–American actress, singer, and dancer. As an actress and singer, she is credited as Ann-Margret. She is known for her roles in '' Pocketful of Miracles'' (1961), ''State Fair'' (1962), '' ...

. The film was a box office success. Taylor also had some television roles: he starred in ''

Bearcats! ''Bearcats!'' is an American Western television series broadcast on the CBS television network during the fall 1971 television season. It starred Rod Taylor and Dennis Cole as troubleshooters in the period before the American entry into World Wa ...

'' (1971) on CBS and in '' The Oregon Trail'' (1976) on NBC. He had a regular role in the short-lived spy drama series ''

Masquerade Masquerade or Masquerader may refer to: Events * Masquerade ball, a costumed dance event * Masquerade ceremony, a rite or cultural event in many parts of the world, especially the Caribbean and Africa * Masqueraders, the performers in the West ...

'' (1983) and played one of the leads in the equally short-lived series, ''

Outlaws An outlaw is a person living outside the law. Outlaws or The Outlaws may also refer to: Film and television Film * ''The Outlaws'' (1950 film), an Italian crime film * ''Outlaws'' (1985 film), a French film * ''The Outlaws'' (2017 film), a Sou ...

'' (1986). From 1988 to 1990, Taylor appeared in the CBS drama series '' Falcon Crest'' as Frank Agretti, playing opposite Jane Wyman. In the mid-1990s, he appeared in several episodes of '' Murder, She Wrote'' and ''

Walker, Texas Ranger ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film '' Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the ...

''. In 1993, he hosted the documentary '' Time Machine: The Journey Back''. The special ended with a mini-sequel written by David Duncan, the screenwriter of the

film. Taylor recreated his role as George, reuniting him with Filby ( Alan Young). Taylor returned to Australia several times over the years to make films, playing a 1920s traveling showman in ''

The Picture Show Man ''The Picture Show Man'' is a 1977 Australian film about a travelling film exhibitor (John Meillon) in the 1920s. He has to deal with the rebelliousness of his son ( Harold Hopkins) and a rival American exhibitor (Rod Taylor). The film was Rod Ta ...

'' (1977) and a paid killer in ''

On the Run On the Run may refer to: * "On the run", a phrase often used to describe a fugitive, a person fleeing custody Literature * ''On the Run'' (novel), by Nina Bawden * On the Run (novel series), by Gordon Korman * ''On the Run'', a novel in the S ...

'' (1983). In the black comedy '' Welcome to Woop Woop'' (1997), he played the foul-mouthed redneck Daddy-O. By the late 1990s, Taylor had moved into semi-retirement. In 2007, he appeared in the horror telemovie '' Kaw'', which revisits the idea of marauding birds turning on their human tormentors. In this film, however, the cause of the disturbance was discovered by Taylor who plays the town doctor. He appeared in

's '' Inglourious Basterds'' in 2009, portraying

in a cameo. In 2017, a documentary on Taylor's life, "Pulling No Punches", was released and entered into the

Beverly Hills Film Festival The Beverly Hills Film Festival (BHFF) is a film festival in the United States founded in 2001 by independent filmmaker Nino Simone. The festival is an international competition dedicated to showcasing the art and talent of emerging filmmakers ...

Personal life

His first wife was model Peggy Williams (1951–1954). They divorced after allegations of domestic violence. Taylor later claimed that they divorced because they felt they were too young to have a healthy marriage. Taylor dated and was briefly engaged to Swedish actress

Anita Ekberg Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg (; 29 September 193111 January 2015) was a Swedish actress active in American and European films, known for her beauty and stunning figure. She became prominent in her iconic role as Sylvia in the Federico Fellini ...

in the early 1960s. He dated model Pat Sheehan in the late 1960s. His second marriage was to model Mary Hilem (1963–1969). The couple had one daughter, now-retired CNN financial reporter Felicia Taylor (born 1964). Taylor bought a home in

Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by lan ...

in 1967. He married his third wife, Carol Kikumura, in 1980. They had originally dated in the early 1960s when she was an extra on his TV series ''

''. The couple got back together in 1971 and dated for an additional nine years before marrying.

Death

Taylor died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

at his home, surrounded by his family, on 7 January 2015, in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...

, four days before his 85th birthday. He was survived by his wife, Carol, and his daughter Felicia.

Filmography

Feature films

* '' King of the Coral Sea'' (1954) as Jack Janiero (film debut) * '' Long John Silver'' (1954) as

* '' The Virgin Queen'' (1955) as Cpl. Gwilym (uncredited) * '' Top Gun'' (1955) as Lem Sutter * '' Hell on Frisco Bay'' (1956) as John Brodie Evans * '' World Without End'' (1956) as Herbert Ellis * '' The Catered Affair'' (1956) as Ralph Halloran * '' Giant'' (1956) as Sir David Karfrey * '' The Rack'' (1956) as Al (uncredited) * '' Raintree County'' (1957) as Garwood B. Jones * '' Step Down to Terror'' (1958) as Mike Randall * '' Separate Tables'' (1958) as Charles * '' Ask Any Girl'' (1959) as Ross Tayford * '' The Time Machine'' (1960) as H. George Wells * ''

Colossus and the Amazon Queen ''Colossus and the Amazon Queen'' ( it, La regina delle Amazzoni/ ''Queen of the Amazons'') is a 1960 Italian sword and sandal comedy film directed by Vittorio Sala. Cast *Rod Taylor as Pirro * Ed Fury as Glauco * Dorian Gray as Antiope *Da ...

'' (1960) as Pirro * '' One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' (1961) as Narrator Pongo (voice) * '' Seven Seas to Calais'' (1962) as Sir Francis Drake * '' The Birds'' (1963) as Mitch Brenner * '' The V.I.P.s'' (1963) as Les Mangrum * ''

A Gathering of Eagles ''A Gathering of Eagles'' is a 1963 SuperScope Eastmancolor film about the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War and the pressures of command. The plot is patterned after the World War II film ''Twelve O'Clock High'', which producer-screenwrite ...

'' (1963) as Col. Hollis Farr * '' Sunday in New York'' (1963) as Mike Mitchell * ''

'' (1964) as Capt. Jack Savage * '' 36 Hours'' (1965) as Maj. Walter Gerber * ''

'' (1965) as John Cassidy * '' The Liquidator'' (1965) as Boysie Oakes * '' Do Not Disturb'' (1965) as Mike Harper * '' The Glass Bottom Boat'' (1966) as Bruce Templeton * ''

'' (1967) as Peter McDermott * '' Chuka'' (1967) as Chuka * '' Dark of the Sun'' (1968) as Capt. Bruce Curry * ''

'' (1968) (a.k.a. ''The High Commissioner'') as Scobie Malone * '' The Hell with Heroes'' (1968) as Brynie MacKay * '' Zabriskie Point'' (1970) as Lee Allen * '' Darker than Amber'' (1970) as Travis McGee * '' The Man Who Had Power Over Women'' (1970) as Peter Reaney * '' Powderkeg'' (1971, TV movie/pilot for ''

'') as Hank Brackett * '' Family Flight'' (1972, TV movie) as Jason Carlyle * ''

'' (1973) as Grady * '' Gli eroi'' (1973) (a.k.a. ''The Heroes'') as Lieutenant Bob Robson * ''

Trader Horn Alfred Aloysius "Trader" Horn (born Alfred Aloysius Smith; 1861–1931) was an ivory trader in central Africa. He wrote a book, ''Trader Horn'', detailing his journeys. The book also documents his efforts to free slaves; meet the founder of Rhodes ...

'' (1973) as

* ''

The Deadly Trackers ''The Deadly Trackers'' is a 1973 American Western film directed by Barry Shear and starring Richard Harris, Rod Taylor and Al Lettieri. It is based on the novel ''Riata'' by Samuel Fuller. Plot Sheriff Sean Kilpatrick (Harris) is a pacifist. H ...

'' (1973) as Frank Brand * ''

Hell River ''Hell River'', also known as ''Partisans'' ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Partizani, separator=" / ", Партизани) and ''The Last Guerilla'', is a 1974 Yugoslav partisan film starring Rod Taylor as a Yugoslav raised in America who returns home to fight ...

'' (1974) (a.k.a. ''Partizani'') as Marko * '' A Matter of Wife... and Death'' (1975, TV movie) as Shamus McCoy * '' Blondie'' (1976) as Christopher Tauling * '' The Oregon Trail'' (1976, series) as Evan Thorpe * '' Gulliver's Travels'' (1977) as Reldresal / King of Blefuscu (voice, uncredited) * ''

'' (1977) as Palmer * '' The Treasure Seekers'' (1979) as Marian Casey * '' Cry of the Innocent'' (1980, TV movie) as Steve Donegin * '' Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy'' (1981, TV movie) as 'Black Jack' Bouvier * '' Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story'' (1982, TV movie) as Edward Adeane * '' A Time to Die'' (1982) as Jack Bailey * ''

'' (1983) as Mr. Payatta * '' Terror in the Aisles'' (1984) as Himself (stock footage) * '' Marbella, un golpe de cinco estrellas'' (1985) as Commander * ''Half Nelson'' (1985, TV series) * '' Mask of Murder'' (1985) as Supt. Bob McLaine * '' Danielle Steel's 'Palomino''' (1991, TV movie) as Bill King * '' Grass Roots'' (1992, TV movie) as Gen. Willoughby * ''Open Season'' (1995) – Billy Patrick * ''

Point of Betrayal ''Point of Betrayal'' is a 1995 American thriller film about a man ( Rick Johnson) trying to drive his mother (Dina Merrill) insane in order to get her money. The film was directed by Richard Martini and produced by Jonathan D. Krane. Premise A ...

'' (1995) as Ted Kitteridge * '' Welcome to Woop Woop'' (1998) as Daddy-O * '' The Warlord: Battle for the Galaxy'' (1998, TV movie) as General Sorenson * '' Kaw'' (2007, TV movie) as Doc * '' Inglourious Basterds'' (2009) as

(final film role)

Documentaries

* '' Inland with Sturt'' (1951) as George Mcleady * ''

The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal ''The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal'' is a 1985 American documentary film about Academy Award-winning producer/director George Pal. It was written, directed, and produced by Arnold Leibovit. Summary The film follows Pal's career, beginning wi ...

'' (1985) * '' Time Machine: The Journey Back'' (1993) * ''All About the Birds'' (2000) * ''

Not Quite Hollywood ''Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!'' is a 2008 Australian documentary film about the Australian New Wave of 1970s and 1980s low-budget cinema. The film was written and directed by Mark Hartley, who interviewed over ei ...

'' (2008) *Pulling No Punches (2016)

Television

As a regular

Taylor had several lead roles in television, from the early 1960s to the early first decade of the 21st century. Among his television shows as a regular are: * ''

'' with co-star

(1960, ABC) * ''

'' (1971, CBS) * '' The Oregon Trail'' as Evan Thorpe, a widower taking his three children from their

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

farm to the

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. Thou ...

by way of the

Oregon Trail The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what is now the state of Kans ...

(1977, NBC) * ''

'' (1983) * ''

'' (1986)

Guest appearances

* '' Studio 57'' (1955) – "The Last Day on Earth", "The Black Sheep's Daughter" * ''

Lux Video Theatre ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vid ...

'' (1955) – "Dark Tribute", "The Browning Version" * ''

'' (1955) – "The Argonauts" * '' Suspicion'' (1957) – "The Story of Marjorie Reardon" * '' Schlitz Playhouse of Stars'' (1958) – "A Thing to Fight For" * '' Studio One'' (1958) – "Image of Fear" * '' Lux Playhouse'' (1958) – "The Best House in the Valley" * ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of th ...

'' (1958–59) – " Verdict of Three", " The Long March", '' The Great Gatsby'', " The Raider", " Misalliance" * ''

'' (1959) – " And When the Sky Was Opened" * '' Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre'' (1960) – "Picture of Sal" * '' Goodyear Theatre'' (1960) – "Capital Gains" * '' General Electric Theater'' (1960) – "Early to Die", "The Young Years" * '' Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'' (1960) – "Thunder in the Night" * ''

'' (1961) – "Portrait of a Hero" * ''The DuPont Show of the Week'' (1962) – " The Ordeal of Dr. Shannon" * '' Tales of the Unexpected (TV series)'' (1980) – "The Hitch-Hiker" * '' Falcon Crest'' (1988–1990) as Frank Agretti * '' Murder, She Wrote'' (1995) * ''

'' (1996-1997, 2000) – "Redemption", "Texas vs. Cahill", "Wedding Bells"

Theatre credits

* ''Julius Caesar'' by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

(Independent, 1950) * '' Home of the Brave'' by Arthur Laurents (Independent, 1950) * '' Misalliance'' by

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

(John Alden Company, 1951) * ''Twins'' by

Plautus Titus Maccius Plautus (; c. 254 – 184 BC), commonly known as Plautus, was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are the earliest Latin literary works to have survived in their entirety. He wrote Palliata comoedia, the g ...

( Mercury, 1952) * ''

The Comedy of Errors ''The Comedy of Errors'' is one of William Shakespeare's early plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play. It ...

'' by William Shakespeare ( Mercury, 1952) * ''The Witch'' by John Masefield (Mercury, 1952) * '' They Knew What They Wanted'' by Sidney Howard (Mercury, 1952) * '' The Happy Time'' by Samuel A. Taylor (Mercury, 1953)