George Kennedy, the Oscar-winning actor best known for playing rugged, straight-talking characters, drew much of his onscreen authority from real-life experience. Before stepping into the spotlight, he spent 16 years serving in the U.S. Army, a commitment that shaped both his discipline and demeanor. His military career seemed promising until an unexpected back injury forced him into early retirement. The abrupt end to his service left many wondering: had fate not intervened, would Kennedy have remained in uniform—or was his true calling always waiting for him in front of the camera?
George Kennedy’s early beginnings in show business
George Kennedy was born on February 18, 1925, in New York City, New York, into a family deeply connected to the entertainment world. His father was a musician and orchestra leader, and his mother had been a ballet dancer, so he was introduced to show business at a young age.
Kennedy made his stage debut at just two years old in a touring production of Bringing Up Father. Unfortunately, his father passed away when he was four, leaving his mother to raise him alone.
Even with this loss, Kennedy stayed focused on his growing career, performing on the radio from the age of seven until the start of World War II. After graduating high school, he decided to join the U.S. Army.
Serving under Gen. George Patton
George Kennedy initially tried to enlist in the US Army Air Forces, but his physical stature posed problems.
“I’m six-foot-four, and even in those days I weighed 210 pound,” Kennedy once reminisced. “I was interested in airplanes then, and I’m interested in airplanes now. The best explanation came from a master sergeant in the Air Force. He said, ‘George, there’s nothing wrong with you. But we can either put you in an airplane or we can put a 200-pound bomb in an airplane. We’d rather put the bomb in the airplane.'”
Instead, Kennedy enlisted as an infantryman in the US Army, serving under Gen. George Patton, whom he’d later portray in 1978’s Brass Target. One of the most notable engagements he participated in was the Battle of the Bulge. Reflecting on the war later in life, he commented on the danger he and his fellow servicemen faced.
“Kids who had never done anything more dangerous than play kickball in the street were shooting BAR’s and mortars and killing each other… The war was one horrendous surprise after another. I can’t think of anything I did during the war that did not involve death,” he said.
Kennedy’s time with the military came to an end after 16 years due a back injury he suffered in the late 1950s. At the time of his retirement, he’d achieved the rank of captain and earned a number of recognitions, including two Bronze Stars.
Developing the US Army Information Office
While in the Army, George Kennedy used his background as a radio actor to become a disc jockey for the Armed Forces Network (AFN), working in an environment similar to the one portrayed in the 1987 film Good Morning, Vietnam.
This job had a lasting impact on both the Army and Kennedy himself. For the military, it helped contribute to the creation of the US Army Information Office, which supported the entertainment industry with technical expertise. For Kennedy, it provided important experience that later helped shape his acting career after he left the service.
George Kennedy always played the tough guy
After leaving the Army, George Kennedy worked as a technical advisor on The Phil Silvers Show (1955–59). In this position, he occasionally played small, uncredited characters, sparking his interest in pursuing a professional acting career. This led to supporting roles in various television series, where he often played cowboys, outlaws, or lawmen.
Although Kennedy had made several TV appearances, his film debut came in the early 1960s. Among the notable films from his early career are Charade (1963), Flight of the Phoenix (1966) and The Dirty Dozen (1967). However, his breakthrough role came with Cool Hand Luke (1967), earning him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. During this period, he acted alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Paul Newman, Cary Grant, Kirk Douglas and Joan Crawford.
Kennedy appeared in over 200 movies and TV shows
During the 1970s and ’80s, George Kennedy’s career hit a rough patch, with many of his appearances limited to B-movies and smaller, low-budget productions. To keep working, he transitioned to television, taking on guest roles and made-for-TV movies. But in the late ’80s, Kennedy made a surprising comeback thanks to his role as the hilariously deadpan Captain Ed Hocken in The Naked Gun film series. The comedies became cult favorites, reviving his popularity and introducing him to a younger audience.
Over the course of his long career, Kennedy racked up more than 200 credits in film and television. He made his final screen appearance in The Gambler (2014), before quietly stepping away from Hollywood. In 2016, he died in Middleton, Idaho, at the age of 91, leaving behind a legacy that spanned tough-guy dramas, war epics, and screwball comedies.