Stocky tough-guy character actor Richard Jaeckel was one of
Hollywood's most prolific supporting stars. Born in Long Island, New
York, on October 10, 1926, Jaeckel's family moved to Los Angeles when
he was still in his teens. After graduation from Hollywood High School,
Jaeckel was discovered by a casting director while working as a mailboy
for 20th Century-Fox. Although he had some reluctance to act, Jaeckel
accepted a key part in the war epic Guadalcanal tiedoittaa (1943) and remained in films for
over 50 years, graduating from playing baby-faced teenagers (like
Dick Clark, Jaeckel never seemed to age) to gunfighters and hired killers
with ease. From 1944-48 he served in the US Navy, and after his
discharge he co-starred in Iwo Jima (1949) with John Wayne. Jaeckel's other
notable roles in films include one of a trio of GIs accused of raping a
German girl in Kaupunki ilman sääliä (1961)--a standout performance--and Likainen tusina (1967) as tough MP
Sgt. Clyde Bowren, who goes along on the mission to keep an eye on the
prisoners he's trained, a role he reprised in a made-for-TV sequel in
1985. Jaeckel also received an Academy Award nomination as Best
Supporting Actor for his funny but tragic performance in Ei tuumaakaan (1971).
Although he appeared in over 70 films, he was very active in television
series such as Frontier Circus (1961), Banyon (1971), Firehouse (1974), Salvage 1 (1979), At Ease (1983), Kovaa peliä Bostonissa (1985) and
Supercarrier (1988). From 1991-94 he played Lt. Ben Edwards on the hit series
Baywatch (1989). He passed away after a three-year battle with melanoma cancer
on June 14, 1997, at the Motion Picture and Television Hospital in
Woodland Hills, California. Jaeckel was 70 years old.
