Ted Hartley Biography

Fast Facts

• Won the Special Prize at the Hamptons International Film Festival in 1998 with his wife, Dina Merrill, for their support of screenwriters in developing nations
• Attended Shattuck Military School and the Naval Academy to pursue his love for aviation
• Made his acting debut with a recurring role in the TV series "Peyton Place" in 1965
• Worked as a congressional liaison for the Pentagon and as a Presidential aide while doing his tour as a commissioned officer
• Quote: "My grandmother always told me 'the chicken eats his meal grain by grain,' so I believe it's not a good use of time worrying if I deserve all the things that have happened․․․I am grateful for all of the experiences and move on․․․one grain at a time․"
• Best known for his role as Lewis Belding in "High Plains Drifter" and as Frank in "Barefoot in the Park․"
• After a back injury forced him to retire from the Navy, he pursued a career in investment banking before finally settling on another of his childhood dreams: acting
• Chairman and CEO of RKO Pictures, LLC, which he merged with his former company Pavilion Communications Inc․ and restructured to make it an important independent studio
• Wrote an essay for a contest at Warner Brothers at the age of 14 called "Why I Would Like to Fly," which earned him flying lessons
• Was a U․S․ Olympic finalist on the wrestling team, which he practiced throughout his school years