Jack Kelly Biography

Fast Facts

• Joined the Army during World War II and served as a weather observer in Alaska
• First appeared in a soap ad when he was two weeks old and spent much of his childhood appearing on stage and in radio dramas in New York
• Made his acting debut as a child actor in films like "The Story of Alexander Graham Bell" and "Young Mr․ Lincoln" in 1939
• Quote: "I'm a nonconformist, flamboyant․ But, hey, this isn't a solemn court with red ermine collars and powdered wigs․ It's only politics․"
• After retiring from acting he worked as a city councilman and mayor of Huntington Beach, California
• Best known for his role as Bart Maverick in the TV series "Maverick" and as Lt․ Jerry Farman in "Forbidden Planet․"
• Made cameo appearances in several "Maverick" spin-offs and films, including "The New Maverick" in 1978 and "The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw" in 1991
• Once described his role in "Maverick" as the "high point of his acting career," although he had no illusions about the role and its acting requirements