Bruce Dern

About Bruce Dern

Bruce MacLeish Dern (born June 4, 1936) is an Academy Award-nominated American TV and screen actor, who has appeared in over 128 TV shows and films.

Dern was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Jean (née MacLeish) and John Dern. His paternal grandfather was George Dern, a former Utah governor and Secretary of War, and his uncle was poet Archibald MacLeish. His godfather was well-known politician Adlai Stevenson and his godmother was Eleanor Roosevelt. Dern graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall, a private school in Connecticut. Dern is the father of actress Laura Dern and was formerly married to actress Diane Ladd.

Bruce Dern first appeared on screen, for an uncredited role, in the 1960 film Wild River. He then appeared, as a guest star, in several popular 1960s television shows, including Route 66, Naked City, Sea Hunt, Surfside 6, 77 Sunset Strip, The Outer Limits, and several others. In 1964, Bruce Dern appeared in a major Alfred Hitchcock film, the psychological thriller Marnie, in a short role as the sailor seen in flashbacks about Marnie's mother. Also in 1964, he had a film role in Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte. During the next 5 years, Dern continued appearing in several popular TV war, crime and western shows, but with multiple episodes per show, as different characters, including: Wagon Train (3), The Virginian (3), Rawhide (1), 12 O'Clock High (4), The Fugitive (5), The F.B.I. (2), The Big Valley (5), Gunsmoke (4) and Bonanza (2), among others. During that period, he also appeared in several films, including The Wild Angels (1966), The War Wagon, The Trip (1967), Will Penny (1968), and the early Clint Eastwood film, Hang 'Em High (1968) as a rustler/murderer.