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Barry Sullivan
Barry Sullivan
81 years (Aug 29, 1912 – Jun 6, 1994)
New York City, New York, USA
74 Movies
50 TV Shows

Barry Sullivan

Barry Sullivan was an American film and television actor whose career spanned from the 1930s through the 1980s, working steadily as a leading man and supporting player in Hollywood dramas and westerns. He appeared in a wide range of studio-era productions and later transitioned into extensive television work, becoming a familiar face on the small screen. Sullivan's rugged, no-nonsense screen presence suited him well for roles in crime pictures and westerns throughout the mid-20th century. He worked consistently across decades without ever becoming a top-tier star, building a long and reliable character-actor career.
Barry Sullivan was an American film and television actor whose career spanned from the 1930s through the 1980s, working steadily as a leading man and supporting player in Hollywood dramas and westerns. He appeared in a wide range of studio-era productions and later transitioned into extensive television work, becoming a familiar face on the small screen. Sullivan's rugged, no-nonsense screen presence suited him well for roles in crime pictures and westerns throughout the mid-20th century. He worked consistently across decades without ever becoming a top-tier star, building a long and reliable character-actor career.
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Full Filmography
Backstairs at the White House
Atty. Gen. Harry Daugherty · 4 episodes
★ 6.1
1979–
TV
The Immigrants
Grant Whittier · 2 episodes
1978–
TV
Caravans
Richardson
★ 5.8
1978
Film
Vega$
Clay Sumner · 1 episode
★ 7.0
1978–
TV
The Bastard
Abraham Ware · 2 episodes
★ 7.0
1978–
TV
Fantasy Island
Prof. Neville Marlowe · 1 episode
★ 6.5
1978–
TV
Oh, God!
Bishop Reardon
★ 6.4
1977
Film
The Love Boat
Phillip Shaffer · 1 episode
★ 6.2
1977–
TV
Once an Eagle
Gen. Bannerman · 7 episodes
★ 6.8
1976–
TV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Barry Sullivan still alive?
Barry Sullivan passed away on June 6, 1994 at age 81.
What are the most famous roles of Barry Sullivan?
Barry Sullivan is best known for roles in Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, Earthquake, The Bad and the Beautiful.
How many movies has Barry Sullivan been in?
Over a 57-year career (since 1937), Barry Sullivan has appeared in 73 movies and 50 TV shows.
What was Barry Sullivan's first movie?
The career of Barry Sullivan began with Dime a Dance (1937).
What is Barry Sullivan's most recent movie or series?
Barry Sullivan's most recent release is Casino, which premiered on August 1, 1980.
What TV shows has Barry Sullivan appeared in?
On television, Barry Sullivan has appeared in Little House on the Prairie, Bonanza, Mission: Impossible, The Bionic Woman.
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Barry Sullivan
Barry Sullivan
1912-08-29 · New York City, New York, USA

Barry Sullivan (August 29, 1912 – June 6, 1994) was an American movie actor who appeared in over 100 movies from the 1930s to the 1980s.

Born in New York City, Sullivan fell into acting when in college playing semi-pro football. During the later Depression years, Sullivan was told that because of his 6 ft 3 in (1.9 m) stature and rugged good looks he could "make money" simply standing on a Broadway stage. This began a successful career on Broadway, movies and television.

One of Sullivan's most memorable roles was playing a movie director in The Bad and the Beautiful opposite Kirk Douglas. Sullivan toured the US with Bette Davis in theatrical readings of the poetry of Carl Sandburg and starred opposite her in the 1951 film Payment on Demand. In 1950, Sullivan appeared in the film A Life of Her Own and replaced Vincent Price in the role of Leslie Charteris' Simon Templar on the NBC Radio show The Saint. Unfortunately, Sullivan only lasted two episodes before the show was cancelled, and then resurrected five weeks later with Vincent Price once again playing the starring role.

Sullivan's first starring TV show was a syndicated adaptation of the radio series The Man Called X for Ziv Television in 1956-1957, as secret agent Ken Thurston, the role Herbert Marshall originally portrayed before the microphone. In the 1957-1958 season, Sullivan starred in the adventure/drama television series Harbormaster. He played a commercial ship's captain, David Scott, and Paul Burke played his partner, Jeff Kittridge, in five episodes of the series, which aired first on CBS and then ABC under the revised title Adventure at Scott Island.

In 1960, Sullivan played frontier sheriff Pat Garrett opposite Clu Gulager as outlaw Billy the Kid in the western television series The Tall Man (although the series ran for seventy-five half-hour episodes, the one in which Garrett kills Billy was never filmed). Sullivan appeared in Sam Peckinpah's Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973) as John Chisum, but his scene was excised from the release print (though later restored to the film). He had a featured role in the 1976 miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man Book II. In additional to The Tall Man, Sullivan also starred in the television series The Road West, which aired on NBC on Monday, alternating with Perry Como), during the 1966-1967 season. Sullivan played the role of family patriarch Ben Pride.

Sullivan guest starred in many series, including The DuPont Show with June Allyson, The Reporter, The Love Boat, Little House on the Prairie, and McMillan and Wife. He starred in many Hallmark Hall of Fame specials including a highly acclaimed production of "The Price" opposite George C. Scott. Sullivan was consistently in demand for the entirety of his career. His acting career spanned romantic leading man roles to villains and finally to character roles. In his later years, Sullivan had roles in the films, Oh God with George Burns and Earthquake, where he shared scenes with Ava Gardner.

Sullivan has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: one at 1500 Vine St. for his work in television, and another at 6160 Hollywood Blvd. for motion pictures.

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Known for
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