Bruce MacLeish Dern is an American actor.
He frequently takes roles as a supporting character actor, often playing villains of
unstable nature.
He has appeared in more than 80 feature films, and received Academy Award nominations for
Best Supporting Actor for the 1978 film Coming Home and Best Actor for the 2013 film Nebraska.
Early life Dern was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son
of Jean and John Dern, a utility chief and attorney.
He grew up in Kenilworth, Illinois.
His paternal grandfather was George Henry Dern, a former Utah governor and Secretary
of War.
Dern's maternal grandfather was a chairman of the Carson, Pirie, and Scott stores, his
maternal granduncle was poet Archibald MacLeish, and his maternal great-grandfather was Scottish-born
businessman Andrew MacLeish.
Dern's godfather was former Illinois governor and two-time presidential candidate Adlai
Stevenson.
His ancestry includes Dutch, English, German, and Scottish.
He attended The Choate School and the University of Pennsylvania.
Career Early in his career, Dern acted in the Philadelphia
premiere of Waiting for Godot opposite Lyle Kessler, and first appeared onscreen in Alfred
Hitchcock' North by Northwest followed by another uncredited role in the 1960 film Wild
River.
He then appeared as a guest star in several popular 1960s television shows, including
Route 66, Naked City, Sea Hunt, Surfside 6, 77 Sunset Strip, The Outer Limits, and The
Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
In the 1962-63 season Dern played recurring role of E.J.
Stocker in the ABC adventure/drama series about the rodeo circuit, Stoney Burke, starring
Jack Lord in the title role and with Warren Oates.
In 1964,he appeared in a major Alfred Hitchcock film, the psychological thriller Marnie, in
a short role as the sailor seen in flashbacks about Marnie's mother.
Also in 1964 he had a small but crucial film role in Hush…
Hush, Sweet Charlotte as the lover of the young Charlotte.
During the next five years, Dern continued appearing in several popular television series,
with multiple appearances as different characters, including: Wagon Train, The Virginian, Rawhide,
12 O'Clock High, The Fugitive, The F.B.I., The Big Valley, Gunsmoke and Bonanza, among
others.
During that period, he also appeared in several films, including The Wild Angels, The War
Wagon, The Trip, Psych-Out, Will Penny, and the early Clint Eastwood film, Hang 'Em High
as a rustler/murderer.
Among Dern's first 20 film roles was a part in the Sydney Pollack picture They Shoot Horses,
Don't They?, in 1969.
That same year, he co-starred with James Garner and Walter Brennan in the classic film Support
Your Local Sheriff!
as gunfighter Joe Danby.
In 1972, he appeared in four films: as the enemy and killer of John Wayne's character
in The Cowboys notable for his character cold-bloodedly shooting Wayne in the back.
Wayne warned Dern, "America will hate you for this."
Dern wryly replied, "Yeah, but they'll love me in Berkeley."
His best-known role may be that of Freeman Lowell, the caretaker of Earth's last forests
in the dark sci-fi film Silent Running.
He then starred with Jack Nicholson in The King of Marvin Gardens; and also in Thumb
Tripping, after having been seen in over 90 TV episodes or films.
Other memorable roles include Tom Buchanan in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby;
or a psychotic Goodyear Blimp pilot who launches a terrorist attack at the Super Bowl in 1977's
Black Sunday, and as Captain Bob Hyde in 1978's Coming Home, for which he received an Academy
Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
In 1976, he appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's final film Family Plot, playing the boyfriend
of a medium played by Barbara Harris; Dern told an interviewer that, due to Hitchcock's
failing health, the director often asked his assistance during the production.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Dern kept working but was unable to hit the mark as he did before:
after the films of the '70s, he often played roles in flops like Tattoo and All the Pretty
Horses.
Occasionally, he did land a few good films, including TV movies.
In 1983, he won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 33rd Berlin International Film Festival
for his role in That Championship Season.
His most recent efforts include the independent movies The Astronaut Farmer and Monster, a
recurring role on the HBO series Big Love, and the monster movie Swamp Devil for RHI
Films New York and the Sci Fi Channel.
On November 1, 2010, he was presented the 2,419th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
His daughter Laura Dern and his ex-wife Diane Ladd received stars on the same date.
He was honored with a Legend Award at the inaugural Gold Coast International Film Festival
on June 1, 2011.
On May 26, 2013 he won the Best Actor award at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival for his role
in Alexander Payne's Nebraska.
The role, which received significant critical acclaim, subsequently earned Dern Golden Globe
and Academy Award nominations for Best Actor, along with other accolades.
Filmography
Awards and nominations References
External links Bruce Dern at the Internet Movie Database
Bruce Dern at the Internet Broadway Database Bruce Dern at the University of Wisconsin's
Actors Studio audio collection Bruce Dern at AllMovie
Cinema Retro's Evening with Bruce Dern at The Players, New York City