The son of a sales clerk and a department store owner, Bill Bixby was the sixth-generation Californian born as Wilfred Bailey Bixby, on January 22, 1934, in San Francisco, California. An only child growing up in the 1940s and 1950s, he attended schools in the same area, took ballroom dance lessons, before attending Lowell High School, where he excelled in drama. After his graduation from high school, he attended San Francisco City College, where he majored in drama. He transferred to the University of California-Berkeley, where he majored in the pre-law program, but never stopped falling in love with his interest in acting. After almost graduating, he left his native San Francisco, to travel to Los Angeles, where he became a lifeguard and a bellhop.
Two years later, in 1959, two executives noticed him and hired him immediately for commercial work and modeling, in Detroit, Michigan. At the same time, he auditioned for theater roles. He joined the Detroit Civic Theatre Company and made his professional stage debut in the musical, "The Boy Friend". Long after his trip to Michigan, he continued doing commercial work and made numerous guest appearances on popular TV sitcoms.
He made his TV debut in an episode of 逗比情事多 (1959). He also did many other roles, most notably as "Charles Raymond" in The Joey Bishop Show (1961). After many guest and recurring roles, he landed a co-starring role opposite 雷·沃尔斯顿 in My Favorite Martian (1963), in which he portrayed a newspaper reporter playing host to a visitor from another planet. After the first season, it became a hit and Bixby became a household name to millions of fans who liked the show. The show was going well until its cancellation in 1966, which left Bixby in the dark, for the time being. However, he finally got the chance to go onto the big screen. The first of the four post-"Martian" 60s movies he played in was the Western, Ride Beyond Vengeance (1966). The following year, he played in Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding! (1967) and, soon after, he was approached by 埃尔维斯·普雷斯利 to appear in both 新潮沙滩 (1967), and Speedway (1968). Afterwards, he once again returned to series television, this time playing widowed father, "Tom Corbett", on 埃迪父亲的求爱 (1969), based on the popular 1963 movie. After its first season, it became a much bigger hit than his first show and Bixby, heretofore one of Hollywood's most confirmed bachelors, changed his views on marriage and family, subsequently taking actress Brenda Benet as his bride and fathering a son. He also tried his hand at directing an episode of the series, called "Gifts Are For Giving", about Norman's highly treasured gift. After completing its second season, Bixby received an Emmy nomination for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, but didn't win. By its third season in 1972, the show had bad scripts and ABC decided to pull the plug.
Once again, Bixby was not long out of work and was offered a chance to star in a lead role as "Anthony Dorian/Anthony Blake", on his first and only NBC dramatic series called, The Magician (1973). The show focused on Anthony performing magic tricks which helped people who were in trouble, and in real-life, Bill became a fine magician, performing to both children and adults. But sadly, the show was canceled after one season due to its expensive costs.
After a seven-year absence from the big screen, he co-starred in another western, opposite 唐·诺茨 and 蒂姆·康威, in 三小福闯金关 (1975). Like most of the theatrical movies he did, it was not a blockbuster at the box office, but was still an average hit. In late 1977, he was offered the role of "Dr. David Bruce Banner", in a two-hour pilot called, The Incredible Hulk: The Incredible Hulk (1977). About a physician/scientist who turned into a green monster whenever he became angry, the idea appealed to CBS, and several months later, they premiered a new science fiction-dramatic series, called, The Incredible Hulk (1977). When it debuted as a mid-season replacement, it became the #1 show in the United States, and in many other countries. His character became famous for ripping up shirts each time he turned into the Hulk, played by bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno. Bixby had wanted to direct some episodes, but the time he had to spend in the make-up chair for the transformation sequences made that problematical, and he managed to helm only one segment, "Bring Me the Head of the Hulk", in the fourth season. The series was canceled in 1981 (although the last few episodes didn't air until 1982).
Bixby, once again, came back to series television, acting in, producing and directing his last sitcom, Goodnight, Beantown (1983), on which he played "Matt Cassidy". Chosen for the role of "Jennifer Barnes", was one of Bixby's old friends, 玛丽特·哈莉, who had won an Emmy for her guest appearance in The Incredible Hulk (1977) as Banner's second wife. The two played co-anchor newscasters of a Boston television station whose sparring on and off the air developed into friendship and respect. Discounting a brief, inconsequential return to the network's schedule in the summer of 1984, the series lasted for less than a year, from April 1983 to January 1984.
Bixby now decided to concentrate on directing and worked on Wizards and Warriors (1983), Goodnight, Beantown (1983) and Sledge Hammer! (1986). He also directed the pilot for a New York spy series, "Rockhopper". He also appeared in front of the camera as the host of the daytime anthology series, True Confessions (1985), which dealt with real-life crises of everyday people. Bixby additionally served as host for two shows targeting younger viewers: "Against the Odds", a series of biographies of prominent people, frequently from history, for the Nickelodeon cable channel; and "Once Upon a Classic", a collection of British TV adaptations of literary classics on PBS.
He came back to reprise his role of "Dr. David Banner" from The Incredible Hulk (1977) by acting in, producing, and directing the three spin-off movies: The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988), 浩克的审判 (1989) and 无敌浩克之死 (1990). He also directed TV movies such as 单身俏妈咪 (1991) and 最后王牌2 (1991).
In April 1991, while directing one of his last movies, he became very ill and was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He underwent surgery and by December, his cancer seemed to be in remission, so he came back to guest star as "Nick Osborne" in a two-hour TV movie/pilot called Diagnosis Murder: Diagnosis of Murder (1992). In mid-1992, while his cancer continued to be in remission, Bixby returned to work as a director to direct several episodes of the popular NBC sitcom, Blossom (1990), where he became the main director of the show. At first, he hid his illness from the cast and crew, until one of the producers found out, and then he announced publicly that he wanted to continue working until he could no longer do so. Prior to going public with his cancer, he directed a TV movie starring 罗西妮·巴尔 and 汤姆·阿诺德, The Woman Who Loved Elvis (1993), which was his final directing project.
Unfortunately, the cancer returned by mid-1993 and, on November 21, 1993, six days after directing his last episode on "Blossom" (1991), Bill Bixby died at age 59 in his home after a two-year battle with cancer. For over 30 years, he was in great demand and his big roles and directing credits have been a personal testimony to his fans. His life is gone, but his legacy lives on for years to come.
Born at 11:20 p.m. PST.
Cremated and ashes scattered over the Pacific Ocean in Hawaii, USA.
After he filed for a divorce from his first wife (Brenda Benet), his 6-year-old son died of a rare infection and, a year later, his ex-wife took her own life.
After graduating from Lowell High School, he attended San Francisco College to pursue a major in acting. He was asked to go to the University of California-Berkeley to major in pre-law, but dropped out.
Classmate of 李·麦瑞威瑟
Actor Brandon Cruz's son Lincoln Bixby Cruz was named after him.
When The Incredible Hulk (1977) debuted, he was worried that his son Christopher would be scared to see his father turning into a green creature. Therefore, he wouldn't let the boy watch the show.
Member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.
Son of Wilfred Bailey Everett Jr. and Jane Bixby; he was their only child.
Was an accomplished artist.
Was a contestant on 约会游戏 (1965) three times, but never won a date.
Was three credits shy of graduating from college at the University of California-Berkeley.
Before he was a successful actor and director, he worked as a lifeguard and a bellhop.
Met his third and final wife, Judith Kliban, in Hawaii, just before his 59th birthday. [1993]
Was a professional magician.
Appeared frequently as a panelist on The Hollywood Squares (Daytime) (1965).
Tom Corbett, Bixby's character on 埃迪父亲的求爱 (1969), was ranked #15 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" [20 June 2004 issue].
Loni Anderson, a close friend of his, wrote a tribute in her book about his final days, prior to working on the set of Blossom (1990). Before he died, she saw him regularly only when he was visiting Nurses (1991).
His grandfather, Wilfred Everett, was a physician and surgeon, and was a University of California-Davis graduate in 1907.
He had 12 hobbies: painting, magic, sailing, hiking, fishing, swimming, farming, jogging, golfing, photography, cooking and carpentry.
Five days after his 18th birthday, he signed up for the Marine Corps Reserve; he was a senior in high school. He was honorably discharged on April 8, 1957.
As a teenager, he was a member of the quartet Uncalled Four.
Appeared with fellow comedian Richard Dawson on several game shows: the pilot of a trashy 1970s game show, Cop Out! (1972), Password (1961), and Masquerade Party (1974), which Dawson hosted.
He appeared in three popular television shows that ran for at least three years: My Favorite Martian (1963), 埃迪父亲的求爱 (1969), and The Incredible Hulk (1977).
Starred in a pilot with 芭芭拉·费尔顿 that has never been aired.
Before he was a successful actor and director, he organized shows at a resort in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
1972: Won the Parents Without Partners: Exemplary Service Award for his role on 埃迪父亲的求爱 (1969).
Met Brenda Benet at a beauty pageant. At the time he was 29 and she was only 18.
At least two actresses name him as their favorite actor: 玛丽特·哈莉 and Loni Anderson, both of whom worked with him on The Incredible Hulk (1977).
Graduated from Lowell High School in San Francisco, California, in 1952.
His father, Wilfred Bailey Everett Jr., died on June 4, 1971, just 4 weeks before Bill and Brenda Benet were married.
Remained good friends with Brandon Cruz during and after 埃迪父亲的求爱 (1969). The friendship became that much stronger after the death of Bixby's son Christopher in 1981.
Appeared as a character named Banner twice: Harry Banner on That Girl (1966) and Dr. David Bruce Banner on The Incredible Hulk (1977).
Of English descent.
In 无敌浩克 (2008), Bixby can be seen in an episode of 埃迪父亲的求爱 (1969) as Dr. Banner (爱德华·诺顿) flips through television channels. Bixby was also, of course, the original Dr. Banner.
Attended Grace Cathedral in the seventh grade. In one notable incident while singing in the choir, he shot the bishop using the slingshot during one service and was kicked out of the choir.
The entire cast of Blossom (1990) attended his funeral, with the exception of 马伊姆·拜力克, who was on vacation with her family.
Collapsed on the Blossom (1990) set before he died.
Was very disappointed when The Incredible Hulk (1977) was canceled, after the fifth season, because of high rising costs.
Before he graduated, his parents were so concerned about his only hope for his chance at becoming an actor, that they wanted him to become either a lawyer, dentist or even a doctor, because his parents didn't have the appropriate tools to cope with this.
When he was 12, he mother taught him some manners. She talked him into taking ballroom dance lessons. In the middle of the lobby at one of the hotels where he used to dance in San Francisco, he once burst into an imitation of 杰瑞·刘易斯.
According to Dick Martin, Bixby hadn't been seeing Martin's proctologist for five years after Martin had been badgering him to visit their doctor. He agreed, but, at the very last minute, Bixby discovered he had a back problem. His prostate cancer had spread around his liver. He successfully underwent surgery twice, before it eventually came back.
Remained friends with Lou Ferrigno during and after The Incredible Hulk (1977).
Was very disappointed when 埃迪父亲的求爱 (1969) was canceled at the end of the third season, allegedly because of his feuding with producer 詹姆斯·科马驰.
Best remembered by the public for his role as Tim O'Hara on My Favorite Martian (1963) and for his starring role as Dr. David Banner on The Incredible Hulk (1977).
Was a spokesperson for the Leukemia Society of America in the late 1970s.
Was raised in the same city as 芭芭拉·伊登.
Actors, weather forecasters, and game show announcers 尼古拉斯·凯奇, 乌比·戈德堡, 德鲁·加尔利, Pat Finn, Rich Fields and Randy West, all said Bixby was one of their childhood television heroes.
Was a self-described libertarian.
His The Incredible Hulk (1977) co-star, Lou Ferrigno, stated on his own website that Bixby was one of his acting teachers.
His former co-star on 埃迪父亲的求爱 (1969), Brandon Cruz, was reunited with Bixby on an episode of Bixby's The Incredible Hulk (1977). Cruz played a teenage boy who happened to know a lot about planes before Dr. Banner landed the plane.
Was a heavy smoker.
Was a die-hard fan of the music of 埃尔维斯·普雷斯利, who co-starred in two of his movies, 新潮沙滩 (1967) and Speedway (1968). Long after Presley's death, he hosted two of the specials in Las Vegas called "Is Elvis Alive?".
15 years after his death, his mother, Jane, died on November 23, 2008. She lived to be 97.
His parents were opposed to his decision to take acting classes at San Francisco City College.
As of 2012, 30 years after the cancellation of The Incredible Hulk (1977), and more than 20 years after 无敌浩克之死 (1990), he is still the only actor to have played Dr. Banner in more than one film. 艾瑞克·巴纳 (绿巨人浩克 (2003)), 爱德华·诺顿 (无敌浩克 (2008), and 马克·鲁弗洛 (复仇者联盟 (2012) have each played the role one time each. Even if Ruffalo plays the role a second time, Bixby has several years on the television series, and four television movies to his credit.
Was diagnosed with cancer at the same time as actor 迈克尔·兰登. Coincidentally, both Landon and Bixby were at the same hospital [5 April 1991].
Acting mentor and friend of Brandon Cruz and Lou Ferrigno.
Acting mentor was 雷·沃尔斯顿.
Was first choice for the lead role of Dr. David Banner of The Incredible Hulk (1977). At first, he was uneasy about the role, but after reading some comic books, he auditioned and won the role.
With the encouragement of his aunt Helen Schubert, Bixby entered into acting.
Bob Newhart and 迈克·康纳斯 attended his funeral.
His father, Wilfred Bailey Bixby II, was a store clerk, and his mother, Jane MacFarland Bixby, was the manager of the department store.
Missed only 1 episode of The Incredible Hulk (1977), because Bixby was going through a divorce with Brenda Benet. They used clips to feature his character.
Had worked with ex-classmate 李·麦瑞威瑟 on an episode of Barnaby Jones (1973).
Had worked with first wife Brenda Benet in episodes of four series: 埃迪父亲的求爱 (1969), The Magician (1973), The Love Boat (1977) and The Incredible Hulk (1977).
Had turned down the role of 马尔洛·托马斯's boyfriend in That Girl (1966), though he later guest starred on the show.
When Bixby was age 8, his father was enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II and traveled to the South Pacific.
Longtime friend of 丹尼·托马斯.
Bill Bixby passed away on November 21, 1993. Almost 2 years before his death, he made his final guest appearance on the debut pilot episode of Diagnosis Murder (1993) with 迪克·范.
Was 詹姆斯·科马驰's first choice for the lead role of Tom Corbett in 埃迪父亲的求爱 (1969).
Had guest-starred in episodes of both series that hailed his hometown of San Francisco: Ironside (1967) and The Streets of San Francisco (1972).
Began directing at age 36.
He was widely known to be a very private person.
Knew 查克·诺瑞斯 very well.
Was a respected member of the Hollywood magic community, belonging to The Magic Castle, an exclusive club for magicians. During the show's popular, although short-lived production, Bixby as always, invited a few old friends along to co-star such as Pamela Britton, Kristina Holland and Ralph O'Hara.
An average student at Lowell High School, he primarily excelled in both Speech and Drama, and was a member of the Lowell Forensic Society. He also competed in high school speech tournaments regionally.
When asked if he would want his son, Christopher, to become an actor, that he would support his son in anything he wanted to pursue. Sadly his son, Christopher, died of a rare throat infection in early 1981.
Before he was a successful actor and director, he worked as a model and did commercial work for General Motors and Chrysler, in Detroit, Michigan.
Used to play golf with 詹姆斯·加纳.
Attended 马伊姆·拜力克's high school graduation party.
苏珊·沙利文 was the primary guest star on the very first episode of The Incredible Hulk (1977). Through much of the 1980s, Bill Bixby and Susan Sullivan were considered the king or queen, respectively, of quality television movies, series and mini-series of that period.
Was forced to wear contact lenses for his role on The Incredible Hulk (1977) for the 'White Eyes' sequences. He found them uncomfortable.
While starring in The Incredible Hulk (1977), Bixby was allergic to the makeup used for the scenes in which his character transformed into the Hulk. Location shoots and extensive special effects scenes meant that Bixby spent a lot of time on the set.
Met Laura Jane Michaels while working on 浩克的审判 (1989), in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, after he took over the directorial duties from Korea.
Was in a relationship with 伊冯娜·克雷格.
His ex-埃迪父亲的求爱 (1969) co-star Brandon Cruz said in an interview that he came from a broken home and Bixby took him in.
When The Incredible Hulk (1977) was on the air, Bixby was very careful never to be photographed with his co-star, Lou Ferrigno in his Hulk makeup because he felt for photos to get out of the two of them together would destroy the illusion to children and fans of the show that they were not the same person. The tabloids of that era were always trying to get a picture of David Banner and the Hulk creature together but were unable to do so.
Served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1952 - 56.
Despite being one of the biggest names in television history, he never got a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame.
大卫·班纳 took his stage name from the character's name in The Incredible Hulk (1977).
He directed the final episode of 洋场私探 (1967).
Bill Bixby was one of the busiest leading men on American TV from the early 60s till the beginning of the 90s.
There were plans to make a further "Incredible Hulk" TV movie, this time with the She-Hulk character included in the story. Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno had agreed to reprise their respective roles. Sadly, none of this bore fruition as Bixby had been diagnosed with prostrate cancer.
Best remembered for having taken Brandon Cruz under his wing, when he was only 7 years old. Their friendship had lasted 25 years, until Bixby's own death, late in 1993.
Bill Bixby and 迈克尔·兰登 only met once: during a competition for a game show, in the 1970s. On opposing teams, both were very competitive and both wanted to win but, whereas Bill understood that it was a friendly game, Landon took it extremely seriously, to the point he ignored Bixby's congenial disposition and completely snubbed him. The two never worked together in any scripted show.
Calm, reasonable voice.
Performed magic tricks professionally.
Every one of his characters had a likable, mild-mannered personality.
The role of Dr. David Banner on The Incredible Hulk (1977).
