David Harold Meyer
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David Janssen, born David Harold Meyer in 1931, starred as Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive 1963. He also starred in Richard Diamond, Private Detective and Harry O. He died from a heart attack in 1980 at age 48.
Names, aliases, and relatives of David Janssen — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
David Janssen by the numbers — life, work, and family.
David Janssen — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
David Harold Meyer first arrived on March 27, 1931, in Naponee, Nebraska. His parents divorced, and he took the surname of his stepfather, Eugene Janssen. The family moved to Hollywood when he was a teenager. He attended Fairfax High School, where he excelled in basketball and track, setting a school-scoring record that stood for over 20 years. His interest in acting developed there.
Janssen made his film debut in a bit part in It’s a Pleasure 1945. At 18, he signed a contract with 20th Century-Fox but was dropped because of his prominent ears. He then signed with Universal-International in the early 1950s, appearing in 32 films as a supporting player. His breakthrough came when he landed the lead role in the TV series Richard Diamond, Private Detective 1956. After that ended, he returned to films. In 1963, he was cast as Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive, which became a hit and made his name. After the series ended in 1967, he took on a demanding schedule of film and TV-movie roles, including The Green Berets 1968 and Macho Callahan 1970. He later starred in the series O’Hara, U.S. Treasury 1971 and Harry O 1973. In the 1970s, he appeared in nearly 20 made-for-TV movies.
Janssen married Ellie Graham in 1958; they divorced in 1970. He had an affair with actress Suzanne Pleshette in the mid-1960s while his marriage was troubled. In 1975, he married Dani Crayne, who was with him at his death. He had no children. He drank heavily and smoked four packs of cigarettes a day. He was a close friend of Richard Harris and Stuart Whitman.
David Janssen’s portrayal of Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive earned praise. His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was placed near his favorite childhood ice cream shop in 1989. Fellow actor Patrick Macnee called him the best television actor. He is primarily remembered for The Fugitive, which continues to air in syndication.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by David Janssen — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from David Janssen — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
TV Is My Sleeping Pill.
Good Living I’ve Learned, Not Inherited.
You Have No Idea How Much Work Goes into an Hour Show. It’s Three Times Harder Than Doing a Half-hour Show and That’s Not Faulty Arithmetic.
Little-known facts about David Janssen — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
Richard Harris was a close friend of Janssen. Upon hearing of his death, Harris sat outside a cathedral in New York in the snow for hours.
Stuart Whitman was a close friend. On the morning of Janssen’s death, Whitman was driving by and saw emergency vehicles, entered the house, and accompanied Janssen to the hospital. He also attended the funeral.
Janssen’s mother and both sisters appeared as extras in The Fugitive 1963.
Quinn Martin’s eulogy for Janssen on February 17, 1980: He was a true professional, a superstar.
Janssen believed he was the illegitimate son of Clark Gable, according to Debbie Reynolds’ memoir.
During production of The Fugitive, Janssen worked twelve to fourteen hours a day, often missing dinners and social events.
His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, dedicated in 1989, is only a block from the Chinese Theater and was placed in front of his favorite ice cream shop as a child.
As a Universal-International contract player in the 1950s, Janssen attended acting classes with Clint Eastwood. Eastwood briefly dated Janssen’s widow, Dani Crayne.
Linda Evans said of Janssen: I never met anyone who didn’t adore David. To this day I still miss that guy; he was one of a kind.
Issues with alcohol, excessive cigarette smoking and overwork caused Janssen to age prematurely by his early 40s, evident in films from 1975 to 1980.
At 18, Janssen held a 3-year-old Cher while her mother filmed a watch commercial.
Angie Dickinson described Janssen as: He was a great gentleman, a great date, and a great love.
Both Linda Evans and Jean Seberg said Janssen was their mothers’ favorite actor.
Janssen was a voracious reader, buying two copies of each book: one for his L.A. home and one for Palm Springs.
He played tennis, golf and was ambidextrous.
Pallbearers at his funeral on February 17, 1980 included Rod Stewart, Gregory Peck, Gene Kelly, Richard Harris, Milton Berle, Linda Evans’s husband Stan Herman, and Suzanne Pleshette’s husband Tom Gallagher.
He was a top track star at school.
At the beginning of his film career, he declined surgery to make his ears less prominent.
He made 21 TV movies, including two mini-series.
He was also a songwriter.
He worked frequently for Dick Powell on TV.
He advised Farrah Fawcett to turn down Charlie’s Angels 1976.
His last role was in the film Inchon 1981; he died before completion but his part was not deleted.
He smoked four packs of cigarettes a day.
Publicist Frank Liberman represented Janssen for 16 years and called him wonderful, one of the brightest men I’ve ever known, very articulate.
He is best remembered for his starring role as Dr. Richard Kimble on The Fugitive 1963.
Close friend of Jerry Orbach, met him doing a stage play Mister Roberts in Dayton, Ohio, summer 1959.
Deborah Raffin said: I was frightened by his rough, tough image. He’s totally different, sensitive, considerate, a true gentleman.
He excelled at basketball in high school, setting a school-scoring record that lasted over 20 years.
His ancestry was German, Swiss-German, and Scottish-Irish.
He contributed a turkey pot pie recipe to Diana Millay’s cookbook I’d Rather Eat Than Act.
He twisted his right knee in 1948 while pole vaulting for reporters.
His mother was a Ziegfeld beauty and Miss Nebraska 1928.
In between appearing in two failing Broadway plays, he worked as a short order cook in a Times Square drugstore.
He was one of the most successful TV actors of the time.
He hosted Highlights of the Ice Capades NBC-TV, Nov. 4, 1970 on ice skates.
He was good friends with Paul Burke.
He had 6 film credits before graduating high school.
He had an intense affair with Suzanne Pleshette in the mid-1960s while having marital problems with his first wife Ellie.
Of his first nine roles, six were uncredited and one had scenes deleted.
He had an older half-brother and two younger half-brothers.
He described himself as half-Jewish because of his Jewish stepfather, though not of Jewish descent.
His mother was Berniece Janssen.
He was in a relationship with Sandra Giles in 1956.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about David Janssen.
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