Bruce Dern

Bruce Dern

Bruce MacLeish Dern (born June 4, 1936) is an American actor.

Dern was born in Chicago, Illinois to John Dern and Jean MacLeish. His paternal grandfather was George Dern, a former Utah governor and Secretary of War, his uncle was poet Archibald MacLeish, and his Godfather was well-known politician Adlai Stevenson.

Dern is generally regarded as a talented actor who has suffered from typecasting, due to having had a series of roles as mentally unstable characters early in his film career. His best-known role may be that of Freeman Lowell, the caretaker of Earth's last forests in Silent Running (1972), but other memorable roles include Asa Watts in The Cowboys (1972), and Michael Lander, the unbalanced blimp pilot in the film version of Thomas Harris's Black Sunday.

Bruce Dern has stated that his role as Asa Watts in The Cowboys made it difficult for him to get work in Hollywood for several years. As Asa Watts, he killed John Wayne's character by shooting him in the back. Wayne told Dern during filming "They'll hate you for this". That scene made Dern so unpopular with the moviegoing public that he couldn't get work for some time afterwards. Dern also noted that John Wayne really roughed him up in their fight scene and that was responsible for years of back problems and many chiropractor visits for Dern.

He was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in the multi-Oscar-winning Coming Home (1978) with Jane Fonda. He was also nominated for the "Best Actor" prize at the Berlin Film Festival for That Championship Season (1982).

Dern is the father of actress Laura Dern and was formerly married to actress Diane Ladd. He is a fan of Chelsea F.C.. [1]

Filmography

• Big Love (2006)
• Down in the Valley (2005)
• Believe in Me (2005) ... Ellis Brawley
• The Hard Easy (2005) ... Gene
• Monster (2003) ... Thomas
• Hard Ground (2003) (TV) ... Nate Hutchinson
• Masked and Anonymous (2003) ... The Editor
• The Glass House (2001) ... Begleiter
• All The Pretty Horses (2000) ... The Judge
• The Haunting (1999) ... Mr. Dudley
• Small Soldiers (1998) (voice) ... Link Static
• Last Man Standing (1996) ... Sheriff Ed Galt
• Down Periscope (1996) ... Admiral Yancy Graham
• Mulholland Falls (1996) (uncredited) ... The Chief
• Wild Bill (1995) ... Will Plummer
• Diggstown (1992) ... John Gillon
• After Dark, My Sweet (1990) ... Uncle Bud
• The 'burbs (1989) ... Mark Rumsfield
• 1969 (1988) ... Cliff
• Uncle Tom's Cabin (1987) (TV) ... Augustine St. Claire
• On the Edge (1986)
• That Championship Season (1982)
• Tattoo (1981)
• Middle Age Crazy (1980) ... Bobby Lee
• Coming Home (1977) ... Bob Hyde
• The Driver (1978) ... The Detective
• Black Sunday (1977) ... Michael Lander
• Family Plot (1976) ... George Lumley
• Smile (1975) ... Big Bob Freelander
• Posse (1975) ... Jack Strawhorn
• The Great Gatsby (1974) ... Tom Buchanan
• The Laughing Policeman (1973) ... Leo Larsen
• The Cowboys (1972) ... Asa Watts ("Long Hair")
• Silent Running (1972) ...Freeman Lowell
• The King of Marvin Gardens (1972) ... Jason Staebler
• Drive He Said (1971)
• The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant (1971)
• They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) ... James
• Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969) ... Joe Danby
• Hang 'Em High (1968) ... Miller, Cooper Hanging Party
• Psych-Out (1968) ... Steve Davis
• Will Penny (1968) ... Rafe Quint
• The Trip (1967) ... John
• The Wild Angels (1966) ... Loser
• Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)... John Mayhew
• Marnie (1964)... Sailor

External link

• Bruce Dern at IMDb
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