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David Huddleston

Highest Rated: 89% Blazing Saddles (1974)

Lowest Rated: 0% Something Big (1971)

Birthday: Sep 17, 1930

Birthplace: Vinton, Virginia, USA

A portly, often bespectacled veteran character actor, David Huddleston knew from an early age he wanted to pursue a career as an actor. The Virginia native participated in school and church productions and after military service headed to NYC's American Academy of Dramatic Arts for his training. Almost immediately after graduating, he found work. appearing in touring companies of musicals and plays. He began to make inroads in film in the 1970s, supporting John Wayne in "Rio Lobo" (1970), James Stewart in "Fools' Parade" (1971) and Gregory Peck in "Billy Two Hats" (1973). As the vicious gang leader who is not without humor in "Bad Company" (1972), Huddleston earned much critical praise, but the film's lack of box-office did not advance his feature career. Mel Brooks used the actor to good effect in "Blazing Saddles" (1974) but he was relegated to inferior material for much of the next decade. In 1985, Huddleston was tapped for the title role in "Santa Claus: The Movie," a less than magical telling of the story of the Christmas icon. It took more than another ten years before the actor found a worthy role, this time as a wheelchair-bound Southern California millionaire known as "The Big Lebowski" (1998) in the Coen brothers feature. Huddleston also found time to make numerous guest appearances on TV shows, in everything from sitcoms to dramas. He co-starred in several series, including "Tenafly" (NBC, 1973-74) and "Petrocelli" (NBC, 1974-76). Huddleston created, co-executive produced and starred in the short-lived sitcom "Hizzoner" (NBC, 1979), about a Southern mayor, He earned an 1990 Emmy nomination for his recurring role as Grandpa Arnold on ABC's "The Wonder Years" and lent strong support as the father of a suspected murderer fighting for custody of his grandchild in the superior "In a Child's Name" (CBS, 1991). Throughout his career, Huddleston has returned to the stage. Among his more notable credits are co-starring as Branch Rickey in "The First" (1981), a musical biography of baseball player Jackie Robinson, appearing in support of Dustin Hoffman in "Death of a Salesman" (1984) and replacing Pat Hingle as Benjamin Franklin in the 1998 Broadway revival of the musical "1776." Although Huddleston slowed his career later in life, he still appeared in TV shows such as "Gilmore Girls" (WB/CW 2000-07), on which he appeared as the ayor of Stars Hollow, and "The West Wing" (NBC 1999-2006), on which he portrayed a Republican senator. Continuing his association with Mel Brooks, Huddleston had a cameo as a judge in the musical remake of "The Producers" (2005). His final role came in the indie thriller "Locker 13" (2014). David Huddleston died on August 2, 2016 of complications of kidney and heart disease in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was 85 years old.

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Highest rated movies

89% 91% Blazing Saddles
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85% 82% Brian's Song
Watchlist
83% 71% Bad Company
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80% 93% The Big Lebowski Watchlist
77% 64% Frantic
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70% 70% Rio Lobo
Watchlist
68% 59% Breakheart Pass
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65% 58% Capricorn One Watchlist
51% 63% The Producers
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40% 56% McQ
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Filmography

Movies

Credit
13% 52% Locker 13 Floyd Marley (Character) - 2014
9% 35% Postal Peter (Character) - 2007
51% 63% The Producers Judge (Character) $19.4M 2005
No Score Yet No Score Yet Reveille Navy Man (Character) - 2004
No Score Yet 18% G Men From Hell Dr. Boifford (Character) - 2000
80% 93% The Big Lebowski Jeffrey Lebowski (Character) $17.4M 1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Man Next Door Sheriff Dawkins (Character) - 1998
21% 42% Joe's Apartment P.I. Smith (Character) $4.6M 1996
No Score Yet No Score Yet Cultivating Charlie Ed Thundertrunk (Character) - 1994
25% 39% Life With Mikey Mr. Corcoran (Character) $12.3M 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet Margaret Bourke-White Remis (Character) - 1989
77% 64% Frantic Peter (Character) $17.5M 1988
No Score Yet 33% The Tracker Lane Crawford (Character) - 1988
No Score Yet 60% When the Bough Breaks Vicar McCaffrey (Character) - 1986
22% 67% Santa Claus Santa Claus (Character) $23.6M 1985
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Act Corky Carew (Character) - 1983
No Score Yet 57% Go for It Tiger (Character) - 1983
No Score Yet No Score Yet M.A.D.D.: The Candy Lightner Story Steve Blankenship (Character) - 1983
No Score Yet 86% Family Reunion Unknown (Character) - 1981
No Score Yet 23% Gorp Walrus Wallman (Character) - 1980
65% 58% Capricorn One Hollis Peaker (Character) - 1978
No Score Yet No Score Yet Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid Sheriff (Character) - 1978
No Score Yet 75% Crime Busters Capt. McBride (Character) - 1977
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Final Eye Chief Sorrenson (Character) - 1977
No Score Yet 50% Sherlock Holmes in New York Inspector Lafferty NYPD (Character) - 1976
No Score Yet No Score Yet Shark Kill Bearde (Character) - 1976
No Score Yet 20% Country Blue Angus Wages (Character) - 1975
68% 59% Breakheart Pass Dr. Molyneux (Character) - 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Oregon Trail Painted Face Kelly (Character) - 1975
40% 56% McQ Pinky (Character) - 1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Gun and the Pulpit Mr. Ross (Character) - 1974
22% 24% The Klansman Mayor Hardy Riddle (Character) - 1974
89% 91% Blazing Saddles Olson Johnson (Character) - 1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet Heatwave! Arnold Brady (Character) - 1974
No Score Yet 46% Billy Two Hats Copeland (Character) - 1973
No Score Yet 59% Death and the Maiden Joseph Harrelson (Character) - 1973
No Score Yet No Score Yet Man Running Lieutenant Sam Church (Character) - 1973
No Score Yet No Score Yet Brock's Last Case Jack Dawson (Character) - 1973
No Score Yet No Score Yet Joyride to Nowhere Lieutenant Sam Church (Character) - 1973
83% 71% Bad Company Big Joe (Character) - 1972
0% 100% Something Big Malachi Morton (Character) - 1971
No Score Yet 87% The Homecoming: A Christmas Story Sheriff Ep Bridges (Character) - 1971
85% 82% Brian's Song Ed McCaskey (Character) - 1971
No Score Yet 59% Fool's Parade Homer Grindstaff (Character) - 1971
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Priest Killer Harrison Davis (Character) - 1971
No Score Yet No Score Yet Suddenly Single Bennie (Character) - 1971
70% 70% Rio Lobo Dr. Ivor Jones (Character) - 1970
No Score Yet No Score Yet Norwood Uncle Lonnie (Character) - 1970

TV

Credit
94% 91% It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Eugene Hamilton (Guest Star) 2010
54% 85% Jericho Unknown (Guest Star) 2007-2008
81% 95% The West Wing Senator Max Lobell (Guest Star) 2000 2002
No Score Yet 88% Gilmore Girls Mayor Harry Porter (Guest Star) 2000-2001
No Score Yet No Score Yet Judging Amy Unknown (Guest Star) 2000
No Score Yet No Score Yet L.A. Doctors Unknown (Guest Star) 1999
64% No Score Yet The Naked Truth Unknown (Guest Star) 1997
No Score Yet No Score Yet Walker, Texas Ranger Unknown (Guest Star) 1994
92% 90% Star Trek: The Next Generation The Conductor (Guest Star) 1994
No Score Yet 88% The Wonder Years Grandpa Arnold (Guest Star) 1990-1992
No Score Yet 80% Columbo The Mayor (Guest Star) 1990
No Score Yet 89% Murder, She Wrote Sheriff Ed Ten Eyck (Guest Star) 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Nutt House Big Jake Herder (Guest Star) 1989
No Score Yet 95% Magnum, P.I. Frank Peterson (Guest Star) 1985
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Fall Guy Unknown (Guest Star) 1983
No Score Yet No Score Yet Trapper John, M.D. Unknown (Guest Star) 1982
No Score Yet No Score Yet Family Reunion Sen. Chester Winfield (Character) 1981
No Score Yet No Score Yet Benson Unknown (Guest Star) 1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet Hee Haw Guest 1977
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Waltons Unknown (Guest Star) 1972 1977
No Score Yet No Score Yet Barnaby Jones Unknown (Guest Star) 1977
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Practice Unknown (Guest Star) 1976
No Score Yet No Score Yet Charlie's Angels Unknown (Guest Star) 1976
No Score Yet No Score Yet Good Heavens Unknown (Guest Star) 1976
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bronk Unknown (Guest Star) 1976
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Rockford Files Sherm (Guest Star) 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet Police Woman Milton Brooks (Guest Star) 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet Petrocelli Unknown (Guest Star) 1974-1975
No Score Yet 100% Kung Fu Unknown (Guest Star) 1973 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet Gunsmoke Emmett (Guest Star) 1971 1973-1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Mary Tyler Moore Show Freddy (Guest Star) 1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet Paper Moon Unknown (Guest Star) 1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet Snoop Sisters Unknown (Guest Star) 1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet The New Dick Van Dyke Show Unknown (Guest Star) 1973
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bonanza Unknown (Guest Star) 1971-1972
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Sixth Sense Unknown (Guest Star) 1972
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Rookies Unknown (Guest Star) 1972
No Score Yet No Score Yet Longstreet Unknown (Guest Star) 1971
No Score Yet No Score Yet Cannon Jimmy Winters (Guest Star) 1971
No Score Yet No Score Yet McMillan and Wife Pylant (Guest Star) 1971
No Score Yet 48% Bewitched Dog Pound Attendant (Guest Star) 1970-1971
No Score Yet No Score Yet Room 222 Unknown (Guest Star) 1971