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 The son of a sales clerk and a department store owner, Bill Bixby was the sixth-generation Californian born as Wilfred Bailey Bixby, on January 22, 1934, in San Francisco, California. An only child growing up in the 1940s and 1950s, he attended schools in the same area, took ballroom dance lessons, before attending Lowell High School, where he excelled in drama. After his graduation from high school, he attended San Francisco City College, where he majored in drama. He transferred to the University of California-Berkeley, where he majored in the pre-law program, but never stopped falling in love with his interest in acting. After almost graduating, he left his native San Francisco, to travel to Los Angeles, where he became a lifeguard and a bellhop.Two years later, in 1959, two executives noticed him and hired him immediately for commercial work and modeling, in Detroit, Michigan. At the same time, he auditioned for theater roles. He joined the Detroit Civic Theatre Company and made his professional stage debut in the musical, "The Boy Friend." Long after his trip to Michigan, he continued doing commercial work and made numerous guest appearances on popular TV sitcoms.He made his TV debut in an episode of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959). He also did many other roles, most notably as "Charles Raymond" in The Joey Bishop Show (1961). After many guest and recurring roles, he landed a co-starring role opposite Ray Walston in My Favorite Martian (1963), in which he portrayed a newspaper reporter playing host to a visitor from another planet. After the first season, it became a hit and Bixby became a household name to millions of fans who liked the show. The show was going well until its cancellation in 1966, which left Bixby in the dark, for the time being. However, he finally got the chance to go onto the big screen. The first of the four post-"Martian" 60s movies he played in was the Western, Ride Beyond Vengeance (1966). The following year, he played in Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding! (1967) and, soon after, he was approached by Elvis Presley to appear in both Clambake (1967), and Speedway (1968). Afterwards, he once again returned to series television, this time playing widowed father, "Tom Corbett", on The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969), based on the popular 1963 movie. After its first season, it became a much bigger hit than his first show and Bixby, heretofore one of Hollywood's most confirmed bachelors, changed his views on marriage and family, subsequently taking actress Brenda Benet as his bride and fathering a son. He also tried his hand at directing an episode of the series, called "Gifts Are For Giving," about Norman's highly treasured gift. After completing its second season, Bixby received an Emmy nomination for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, but didn't win. By its third season in 1972, the show had bad scripts and ABC decided to pull the plug.Once again, Bixby was not long out of work and was offered a chance to star in a lead role as "Anthony Dorian/Anthony Blake," on his first and only NBC dramatic series called, The Magician (1973). The show focused on Anthony performing magic tricks which helped people who were in trouble, and in real-life, Bill became a fine magician, performing to both children and adults. But sadly, the show was canceled after one season due to its expensive costs.After a seven-year absence from the big screen, he co-starred in another western, opposite Don Knotts and Tim Conway, in The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975). Like most of the theatrical movies he did, it was not a blockbuster at the box office, but was still an average hit. In late 1977, he was offered the role of "Dr. David Bruce Banner," in a two-hour pilot called, The Incredible Hulk (1977). About a physician/scientist who turned into a green monster whenever he became angry, the idea appealed to CBS, and several months later, they premiered a new science fiction-dramatic series, called, The Incredible Hulk (1977). When it debuted as a mid-season replacement, it became the #1 show in the United States, and in many other countries. His character became famous for ripping up shirts each time he turned into the Hulk, played by bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno. Bixby had wanted to direct some episodes, but the time he had to spend in the make-up chair for the transformation sequences made that problematical, and he managed to helm only one segment, "Bring Me the Head of the Hulk," in the fourth season. The series was canceled in 1981 (although the last few episodes didn't air until 1982).Bixby, once again, came back to series television, acting in, producing and directing his last sitcom, Goodnight, Beantown (1983), on which he played "Matt Cassidy." Chosen for the role of "Jennifer Barnes," was one of Bixby's old friends, Mariette Hartley, who had won an Emmy for her guest appearance in The Incredible Hulk (1977) as Banner's second wife. The two played co-anchor newscasters of a Boston television station whose sparring on and off the air developed into friendship and respect. Discounting a brief, inconsequential return to the network's schedule in the summer of 1984, the series lasted for less than a year, from April 1983 to January 1984.Bixby now decided to concentrate on directing and worked on Wizards and Warriors (1983), Goodnight, Beantown (1983) and Sledge Hammer! (1986). He also directed the pilot for a New York spy series, "Rockhopper." He also appeared in front of the camera as the host of the daytime anthology series, True Confessions (1985), which dealt with real-life crises of everyday people. Bixby additionally served as host for two shows targeting younger viewers: "Against the Odds," a series of biographies of prominent people, frequently from history, for the Nickelodeon cable channel; and "Once Upon a Classic," a collection of British TV adaptations of literary classics on PBS.He came back to reprise his role of "Dr. David Banner" from The Incredible Hulk (1977) by acting in, producing, and directing the three spin-off movies: The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988), The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989) and The Death of the Incredible Hulk (1990). He also directed TV movies such as Baby of the Bride (1991) and Another Pair of Aces: Three of a Kind (1991).In April 1991, while directing one of his last movies, he became very ill and was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He underwent surgery and by December, his cancer seemed to be in remission, so he came back to guest star as "Nick Osborne" in a two-hour TV movie/pilot called Diagnosis Murder: Diagnosis of Murder (1992). In mid-1992, while his cancer continued to be in remission, Bixby returned to work as a director to direct several episodes of the popular NBC sitcom, Blossom (1990), where he became the main director of the show. At first, he hid his illness from the cast and crew, until one of the producers found out, and then he announced publicly that he wanted to continue working until he could no longer do so. Prior to going public with his cancer, he directed a TV movie starring Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold, The Woman Who Loved Elvis (1993), which was his final directing project.Unfortunately, the cancer returned by mid-1993 and, on November 21, 1993, six days after directing his last episode on "Blossom" (1991), Bill Bixby died at age 59 in his home after a two-year battle with cancer. For over 30 years, he was in great demand and his big roles and directing credits have been a personal testimony to his fans. His life is gone, but his legacy lives on for years to come.
Bio:
The son of a sales clerk and a department store owner, Bill Bixby was the sixth-generation Californian born as Wilfred Bailey Bixby, on January 22, 1934, in San Francisco, California. An only child growing up in the 1940s and 1950s, he attended schools in the same area, took ballroom dance lessons, before attending Lowell High School, where he excelled in drama. After his graduation from high school, he attended San Francisco City College, where he majored in drama. He transferred to the University of California-Berkeley, where he majored in the pre-law program, but never stopped falling in love with his interest in acting. After almost graduating, he left his native San Francisco, to travel to Los Angeles, where he became a lifeguard and a bellhop.Two years later, in 1959, two executives noticed him and hired him immediately for commercial work and modeling, in Detroit, Michigan. At the same time, he auditioned for theater roles. He joined the Detroit Civic Theatre Company and made his professional stage debut in the musical, "The Boy Friend." Long after his trip to Michigan, he continued doing commercial work and made numerous guest appearances on popular TV sitcoms.He made his TV debut in an episode of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959). He also did many other roles, most notably as "Charles Raymond" in The Joey Bishop Show (1961). After many guest and recurring roles, he landed a co-starring role opposite Ray Walston in My Favorite Martian (1963), in which he portrayed a newspaper reporter playing host to a visitor from another planet. After the first season, it became a hit and Bixby became a household name to millions of fans who liked the show. The show was going well until its cancellation in 1966, which left Bixby in the dark, for the time being. However, he finally got the chance to go onto the big screen. The first of the four post-"Martian" 60s movies he played in was the Western, Ride Beyond Vengeance (1966). The following year, he played in Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding! (1967) and, soon after, he was approached by Elvis Presley to appear in both Clambake (1967), and Speedway (1968). Afterwards, he once again returned to series television, this time playing widowed father, "Tom Corbett", on The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969), based on the popular 1963 movie. After its first season, it became a much bigger hit than his first show and Bixby, heretofore one of Hollywood's most confirmed bachelors, changed his views on marriage and family, subsequently taking actress Brenda Benet as his bride and fathering a son. He also tried his hand at directing an episode of the series, called "Gifts Are For Giving," about Norman's highly treasured gift. After completing its second season, Bixby received an Emmy nomination for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, but didn't win. By its third season in 1972, the show had bad scripts and ABC decided to pull the plug.Once again, Bixby was not long out of work and was offered a chance to star in a lead role as "Anthony Dorian/Anthony Blake," on his first and only NBC dramatic series called, The Magician (1973). The show focused on Anthony performing magic tricks which helped people who were in trouble, and in real-life, Bill became a fine magician, performing to both children and adults. But sadly, the show was canceled after one season due to its expensive costs.After a seven-year absence from the big screen, he co-starred in another western, opposite Don Knotts and Tim Conway, in The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975). Like most of the theatrical movies he did, it was not a blockbuster at the box office, but was still an average hit. In late 1977, he was offered the role of "Dr. David Bruce Banner," in a two-hour pilot called, The Incredible Hulk (1977). About a physician/scientist who turned into a green monster whenever he became angry, the idea appealed to CBS, and several months later, they premiered a new science fiction-dramatic series, called, The Incredible Hulk (1977). When it debuted as a mid-season replacement, it became the #1 show in the United States, and in many other countries. His character became famous for ripping up shirts each time he turned into the Hulk, played by bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno. Bixby had wanted to direct some episodes, but the time he had to spend in the make-up chair for the transformation sequences made that problematical, and he managed to helm only one segment, "Bring Me the Head of the Hulk," in the fourth season. The series was canceled in 1981 (although the last few episodes didn't air until 1982).Bixby, once again, came back to series television, acting in, producing and directing his last sitcom, Goodnight, Beantown (1983), on which he played "Matt Cassidy." Chosen for the role of "Jennifer Barnes," was one of Bixby's old friends, Mariette Hartley, who had won an Emmy for her guest appearance in The Incredible Hulk (1977) as Banner's second wife. The two played co-anchor newscasters of a Boston television station whose sparring on and off the air developed into friendship and respect. Discounting a brief, inconsequential return to the network's schedule in the summer of 1984, the series lasted for less than a year, from April 1983 to January 1984.Bixby now decided to concentrate on directing and worked on Wizards and Warriors (1983), Goodnight, Beantown (1983) and Sledge Hammer! (1986). He also directed the pilot for a New York spy series, "Rockhopper." He also appeared in front of the camera as the host of the daytime anthology series, True Confessions (1985), which dealt with real-life crises of everyday people. Bixby additionally served as host for two shows targeting younger viewers: "Against the Odds," a series of biographies of prominent people, frequently from history, for the Nickelodeon cable channel; and "Once Upon a Classic," a collection of British TV adaptations of literary classics on PBS.He came back to reprise his role of "Dr. David Banner" from The Incredible Hulk (1977) by acting in, producing, and directing the three spin-off movies: The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988), The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989) and The Death of the Incredible Hulk (1990). He also directed TV movies such as Baby of the Bride (1991) and Another Pair of Aces: Three of a Kind (1991).In April 1991, while directing one of his last movies, he became very ill and was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He underwent surgery and by December, his cancer seemed to be in remission, so he came back to guest star as "Nick Osborne" in a two-hour TV movie/pilot called Diagnosis Murder: Diagnosis of Murder (1992). In mid-1992, while his cancer continued to be in remission, Bixby returned to work as a director to direct several episodes of the popular NBC sitcom, Blossom (1990), where he became the main director of the show. At first, he hid his illness from the cast and crew, until one of the producers found out, and then he announced publicly that he wanted to continue working until he could no longer do so. Prior to going public with his cancer, he directed a TV movie starring Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold, The Woman Who Loved Elvis (1993), which was his final directing project.Unfortunately, the cancer returned by mid-1993 and, on November 21, 1993, six days after directing his last episode on "Blossom" (1991), Bill Bixby died at age 59 in his home after a two-year battle with cancer. For over 30 years, he was in great demand and his big roles and directing credits have been a personal testimony to his fans. His life is gone, but his legacy lives on for years to come.
Tivia:
After he filed for a divorce from his first wife (Brenda Benet), his 6-year-old son died of a rare infection and, a year later, his ex-wife took her own life.Collapsed on the Blossom (1990) set before he died.When The Incredible Hulk (1977) was on the air, Bixby was very careful never to be photographed with his costar, Lou Ferrigno in his Hulk makeup because he felt for photos to get out of the two of them together would destroy the illusion to children and fans of the show that they were not the same person. The tabloids of that era were always trying to get a picture of David Banner and the Hulk creature together but were unable to do so.His ex-The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969) co-star Brandon Cruz said in an interview that he came from a broken home and Bixby took him in.Five days after his 18th birthday, he signed up for the Marine Corps Reserve; he was a senior in high school. He was honorably discharged on April 8, 1957.Was a professional magician.Remained friends with Lou Ferrigno during and after The Incredible Hulk (1977).According to Dick Martin, Bixby hadn't been seeing Martin's proctologist for five years after Martin had been badgering him to visit their doctor. He agreed, but, at the very last minute, Bixby discovered he had a back problem. His prostate cancer had spread around his liver. He successfully underwent surgery twice, before it eventually came back.In The Incredible Hulk (2008), Bixby can be seen in an episode of The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969) as Dr. Banner (Edward Norton) flips through television channels. Bixby was also, of course, the original Dr. Banner.Was a respected member of the Hollywood magic community, belonging to The Magic Castle, an exclusive club for magicians. During the show's popular, although short-lived production, Bixby as always, invited a few old friends along to co-star such as Pamela Britton, Kristina Holland and Ralph O'Hara.His The Incredible Hulk (1977) co-star, Lou Ferrigno, stated on his own website that Bixby was one of his acting teachers.His former costar on The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969), Brandon Cruz, was reunited with Bixby on an episode of Bixby's The Incredible Hulk (1977). He played a teenage boy who happened to know a lot about planes before Dr. Banner landed the plane.Was a die-hard fan of the music of Elvis Presley, who co-starred in two of his movies, Clambake (1967) and Speedway (1968). Long after Presley's death, he hosted two of the specials in Las Vegas called "Is Elvis Alive?".Was very disappointed when The Incredible Hulk (1977) was canceled after the fifth season.Was first choice for the lead role of Dr. David Banner of The Incredible Hulk (1977). At first, he was uneasy about the role, but after reading some comic books, he auditioned and won the role.Was an accomplished artist.Loni Anderson, a close friend of his, wrote a tribute in her book about his final days, prior to working on the set of Blossom (1990). Before he died, she saw him regularly only when he was visiting Nurses (1991).Brandon Cruz's son, Lincoln Bixby Cruz, was named after him.Met Brenda Benet at a beauty pageant. At the time he was 29 and she was only 18.Missed only 1 episode of The Incredible Hulk (1977), because Bixby was going through a divorce with Brenda Benet. They used clips to feature his character.Was in a relationship with Yvonne Craig.When The Incredible Hulk (1977) debuted, he was worried that his son, Christopher, would be scared to see him turning into a green creature. Therefore, he wouldn't let him watch the show.Cremated and ashes scattered over the Pacific Ocean in Hawaii, USA.Remained good friends with Brandon Cruz during and after The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969). Their friendship became that much stronger after the death of Bixby's son, Christopher, in 1981.Attended Grace Cathedral in the seventh grade. In one notable incident while singing in the choir, he shot the bishop using a slingshot during one service and was kicked out of the choir.Was a contestant on The Dating Game (1965) three times, but never won a date.When asked if he would want his son, Christopher, to become an actor, that he would support him in anything he wanted to pursue. Sadly, Christopher died of a rare throat infection in early 1981.Acting mentor was Ray Walston.He had 12 hobbies: painting, magic, sailing, hiking, fishing, swimming, farming, jogging, golfing, photography, cooking and carpentry.His parents were opposed to his decision to take acting classes at San Francisco City College.Had worked with first wife Brenda Benet in episodes of four series: The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969), The Magician (1973), The Love Boat (1977) and The Incredible Hulk (1977).Despite being one of the biggest names in television history, he never got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.After graduating from Lowell High School, he attended San Francisco College to pursue a major in acting. He was asked to go to the University of California-Berkeley to major in pre-law, but dropped out.Before he was a successful actor and director, he worked as a model and did commercial work for General Motors and Chrysler, in Detroit, Michigan.Susan Sullivan was the primary guest star on the very first episode of The Incredible Hulk (1977). Through much of the 1980s, Bixby and Susan Sullivan were considered the king or queen, respectively, of quality television movies, series and mini-series of that period.His father, Wilfred Bailey Bixby II, was a store clerk, and his mother, Jane MacFarland Bixby, was the manager of the department store.Best remembered by the public for his role as Tim O'Hara on My Favorite Martian (1963) and for his starring role as Dr. David Banner on The Incredible Hulk (1977).He appeared in three popular television shows that ran for at least three years: My Favorite Martian (1963), The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969), and The Incredible Hulk (1977).1972: Won the Parents Without Partners: Exemplary Service Award for his role on The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969).At least two actresses name him as their favorite actor: Mariette Hartley and Loni Anderson, both of whom worked with him on The Incredible Hulk (1977).Had turned down the role of Marlo Thomas's boyfriend in That Girl (1966), though he later guest starred on the show.Was forced to wear contact lenses for his role on The Incredible Hulk (1977) for the 'White Eyes' sequences. He found them uncomfortable.Was very disappointed when The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969) was canceled at the end of the third season, allegedly because of his feuding with producer James Komack.Had worked with ex-classmate Lee Meriwether on an episode of Barnaby Jones (1973).15 years after his death, his mother, Jane, died on November 23, 2008. She lived to be 97.Acting mentor and friend of Brandon Cruz and Lou Ferrigno.Best remembered for having taken Brandon Cruz under his wing, when he was only 7 years old. Their friendship had lasted 25 years, until Bixby's own death, late in 1993.Used to play golf with James Garner.Was a spokesperson for the Leukemia Society of America in the late 1970s.The entire cast of Blossom (1990) attended his funeral with the exception of Mayim Bialik, who was on vacation with her family. |
| Name: |
Bill Bixby |
Type: |
Actor,Director,Producer (IMDB) |
| Area: |
All World |
Platform: |
IMDB |
| Category: |
|
Business scope: |
Actor,Director,Producer |
| Products for sale: |
Actor,Director,Producer |
| Last update: |
2024-07-01 05:26:19 |
| Height: |
5' 9' (1.75 m) |
| Biography: |
The son of a sales clerk and a department store owner, Bill Bixby was the sixth-generation Californian born as Wilfred Bailey Bixby, on January 22, 1934, in San Francisco, California. An only child growing up in the 1940s and 1950s, he attended schoo |
| Trivia: |
After he filed for a divorce from his first wife (Brenda Benet), his 6-year-old son died of a rare infection and, a year later, his ex-wife took her own life.Collapsed on the Blossom (1990) set before he died.When The Incredible Hulk (1977) was on the air, Bixby was very careful never to be photographed with his costar, Lou Ferrigno in his Hulk makeup because he felt for photos to get out of the two of them together would destroy the illusion to children and fans of the show that they were not the same person. The tabloids of that era were always trying to get a picture of David Banner and the Hulk creature together but were unable to do so.His ex-The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969) co-star Brandon Cruz said in an interview that he came from a broken home and Bixby took him in.Five days after his 18th birthday, he signed up for the Marine Corps Reserve; he was a senior in high school. He was honorably discharged on April 8, 1957.Was a professional magician.Remained friends with Lou Ferrigno during and after The Incredible Hulk (1977).According to Dick Martin, Bixby hadn't been seeing Martin's proctologist for five years after Martin had been badgering him to visit their doctor. He agreed, but, at the very last minute, Bixby discovered he had a back problem. His prostate cancer had spread around his liver. He successfully underwent surgery twice, before it eventually came back.In The Incredible Hulk (2008), Bixby can be seen in an episode of The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969) as Dr. Banner (Edward Norton) flips through television channels. Bixby was also, of course, the original Dr. Banner.Was a respected member of the Hollywood magic community, belonging to The Magic Castle, an exclusive club for magicians. During the show's popular, although short-lived production, Bixby as always, invited a few old friends along to co-star such as Pamela Britton, Kristina Holland and Ralph O'Hara.His The Incredible Hulk (1977) co-star, Lou Ferrigno, stated on his own website that Bixby was one of his acting teachers.His former costar on The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969), Brandon Cruz, was reunited with Bixby on an episode of Bixby's The Incredible Hulk (1977). He played a teenage boy who happened to know a lot about planes before Dr. Banner landed the plane.Was a die-hard fan of the music of Elvis Presley, who co-starred in two of his movies, Clambake (1967) and Speedway (1968). Long after Presley's death, he hosted two of the specials in Las Vegas called "Is Elvis Alive?".Was very disappointed when The Incredible Hulk (1977) was canceled after the fifth season.Was first choice for the lead role of Dr. David Banner of The Incredible Hulk (1977). At first, he was uneasy about the role, but after reading some comic books, he auditioned and won the role.Was an accomplished artist.Loni Anderson, a close friend of his, wrote a tribute in her book about his final days, prior to working on the set of Blossom (1990). Before he died, she saw him regularly only when he was visiting Nurses (1991).Brandon Cruz's son, Lincoln Bixby Cruz, was named after him.Met Brenda Benet at a beauty pageant. At the time he was 29 and she was only 18.Missed only 1 episode of The Incredible Hulk (1977), because Bixby was going through a divorce with Brenda Benet. They used clips to feature his character.Was in a relationship with Yvonne Craig.When The Incredible Hulk (1977) debuted, he was worried that his son, Christopher, would be scared to see him turning into a green creature. Therefore, he wouldn't let him watch the show.Cremated and ashes scattered over the Pacific Ocean in Hawaii, USA.Remained good friends with Brandon Cruz during and after The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969). Their friendship became that much stronger after the death of Bixby's son, Christopher, in 1981.Attended Grace Cathedral in the seventh grade. In one notable incident while singing in the choir, he shot the bishop using a slingshot during one service and was kicked out of the choir.Was a contestant on The Dating Game (1965) three times, but never won a date.When asked if he would want his son, Christopher, to become an actor, that he would support him in anything he wanted to pursue. Sadly, Christopher died of a rare throat infection in early 1981.Acting mentor was Ray Walston.He had 12 hobbies: painting, magic, sailing, hiking, fishing, swimming, farming, jogging, golfing, photography, cooking and carpentry.His parents were opposed to his decision to take acting classes at San Francisco City College.Had worked with first wife Brenda Benet in episodes of four series: The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969), The Magician (1973), The Love Boat (1977) and The Incredible Hulk (1977).Despite being one of the biggest names in television history, he never got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.After graduating from Lowell High School, he attended San Francisco College to pursue a major in acting. He was asked to go to the University of California-Berkeley to major in pre-law, but dropped out.Before he was a successful actor and director, he worked as a model and did commercial work for General Motors and Chrysler, in Detroit, Michigan.Susan Sullivan was the primary guest star on the very first episode of The Incredible Hulk (1977). Through much of the 1980s, Bixby and Susan Sullivan were considered the king or queen, respectively, of quality television movies, series and mini-series of that period.His father, Wilfred Bailey Bixby II, was a store clerk, and his mother, Jane MacFarland Bixby, was the manager of the department store.Best remembered by the public for his role as Tim O'Hara on My Favorite Martian (1963) and for his starring role as Dr. David Banner on The Incredible Hulk (1977).He appeared in three popular television shows that ran for at least three years: My Favorite Martian (1963), The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969), and The Incredible Hulk (1977).1972: Won the Parents Without Partners: Exemplary Service Award for his role on The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969).At least two actresses name him as their favorite actor: Mariette Hartley and Loni Anderson, both of whom worked with him on The Incredible Hulk (1977).Had turned down the role of Marlo Thomas's boyfriend in That Girl (1966), though he later guest starred on the show.Was forced to wear contact lenses for his role on The Incredible Hulk (1977) for the 'White Eyes' sequences. He found them uncomfortable.Was very disappointed when The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969) was canceled at the end of the third season, allegedly because of his feuding with producer James Komack.Had worked with ex-classmate Lee Meriwether on an episode of Barnaby Jones (1973).15 years after his death, his mother, Jane, died on November 23, 2008. She lived to be 97.Acting mentor and friend of Brandon Cruz and Lou Ferrigno.Best remembered for having taken Brandon Cruz under his wing, when he was only 7 years old. Their friendship had lasted 25 years, until Bixby's own death, late in 1993.Used to play golf with James Garner.Was a spokesperson for the Leukemia Society of America in the late 1970s.The entire cast of Blossom (1990) attended his funeral with the exception of Mayim Bialik, who was on vacation with her family. |
| Trademarks: |
Calm, reasonable voice.
Performed magic tricks professionally.
Every one of his characters had a likable, mild-mannered personality.
The role of Dr. David Banner on The Incredible Hulk (1977).
Large rectangular glasses |
| Quotes: |
Everyone fantasizes. We all want to be something we're not.
<br />
<hr>
I have learned that there is no way to succeed in anything unless you are willing to try--and trying means you run the risk of failure.
<br />
<hr>
[on receiving the script for The Incredible Hulk (1977) pilot] I didn't even like the title. I wanted to make fun of it because of its name. I told my agent, "You've got to be kidding!" when he suggested I might be interested in it. He said, "Read it!" and so I took it home and thanks to his intelligence, I did read it. Right away I knew this could be done in the style of the monster pictures or the creature films of the 1940s. But one advantage we enjoy over the previous monster pictures is that the Hulk is not evil.
<br />
<hr>
I'm a loner as a person, but then I always was, even as a child.
<br />
<hr>
[on the cancellation of The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969)]: I cannot tell you how disappointed I was. I wanted that series to go on to the point when it came to the teenage stage and we could deal with these problems in an honest contemporary way. But our time slot was changed so often we weren't given a fighting chance. You can't expect people to find you at home when you change your address so often. |
| Job title: |
Actor,Director,Producer |
| Others works: |
(1967) Unsold pilot: Starred a pilot for a proposed ABC sitcom called "Three's a Crowd" where he played man with two wives who didn't know the other existed.
(1968) Unsold pilot: Starred in a sitcom pilot for CBS called "Rom |
| Spouse: |
Judith Kliban (October 3, 1993 - November 21, 1993) (his death)Laura Jane Michael (December 18, 1991 - June 25, 1992) (divorced)Brenda Benet (July 4, 1971 - September 1979) (divorced, 1 child) |
| Parents: |
Wilfred Bailey Everett Jr
Jane Bixby |
|
