Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Remembering Todd Armstrong


John Harris Armstrong was born on July 25, 1937 in St. Louis, Missouri. He moved to California and studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse College of Theatre Arts, where his classmates included Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman. His entry into films came when he was working as a landscape gardener for actress Gloria Henry, who played the mother on the Dennis the Menace television series. Henry learned of her gardener's acting aspirations and successfully arranged for Armstrong to get a screen test at Columbia.

Armstrong appeared in 13 episodes of the TV series “Manhunt” and had supporting roles in the 1962 films “Walk On The Wild Side” (where he was credited as Todd Anderson) and “Five Finger Exercise”. “Jason And The Argonauts” was his first starring role, although his voice was redubbed by an uncredited British actor, Tim Turner.

He had only one additional leading role, in Bryan Forbes' “King Rat” (1965); his later work consisted of supporting parts in films and guest work on television work including his only Euro-western “Thunder at the Border” (1966) with Rod Cameron. Todd died in Butte, California on November 17 1992 of a self-inflicted gunshot. Today we remember Todd Armstrong on what would have been his 75th birthday.

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