Lloyd bridges - wikipedia

Biography of Lloyd Bridges

Lloyd Bridges was an American actor who played over 200 roles in films and television shows throughout his career. However, one of his most famous roles remains his portrayal of Mike Nelson in the adventure TV series "Sea Hunt," which aired in 1958.

Lloyd Bridges was born on January 15, 1913, in San Leandro, California. His parents were Harriet Evelyn Brown and Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Sr., who had investments in the California hotel business and owned a movie theater.

In 1931, Lloyd graduated from high school in Petaluma, California, and enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he studied political science and became a member of the "Sigma Alpha Epsilon" fraternity. It was at UCLA that he met his future wife, Dorothy Simpson, whom he married in 1938 in New York City.

In 1939, Bridges made his Broadway debut in a production of Shakespeare's play "Othello." In 1941, he joined the acting company of the repertoire theater owned by Columbia Pictures, where he played small roles. Soon after, he left the theater and enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II.

After the war, Bridges returned to acting. During the early 1950s spy frenzy, he managed to get included on the "blacklists" of actors suspected of having ties to communist organizations. However, after the FBI investigation cleared his name, he was able to continue his career.

Bridges had his first experience in film in 1936, but his name wasn't even mentioned in the credits. He returned to filmmaking in 1940 and by 1945 had appeared in sixty films, but without much success. In most of them, his name still didn't appear in the credits, although Bridges worked extensively.

Television became his chance for success. As Mike Nelson, the main character of the TV series "Sea Hunt," Lloyd Bridges gained national recognition, appearing in 155 episodes over four seasons. Following that, he became the star of his own TV show, "The Lloyd Bridges Show," which featured his sons Beau Bridges and Jeff Bridges, who are now both well-known actors. Bridges was also a regular cast member of the western series "The Loner." He played the lead role in the TV series "San Francisco International Airport" from 1970 to 1971 and "Joe Forrester" from 1975 to 1976. He later appeared in "Paper Dolls" in 1984, "Capital News" in 1990, and the comedy western "Harts of the West" from 1993 to 1994. In addition, he was incredibly popular as a guest star and made frequent appearances in numerous TV shows. From 1936 to 1998, he had a total of 216 roles in film and television.

Lloyd Bridges was a proponent of the theory of a world government. He believed that the destruction caused by wars and environmental pollution knows no borders. He believed that only an effective world government could ensure the supremacy of the law and manage destructive forces. Additionally, Bridges was involved in the activities of several public organizations, including the Los Angeles chapters of the "American Oceans Campaign" and "Heal the Bay," which focus on marine conservation.

Lloyd Bridges passed away on March 10, 1998, at the age of 85 in Los Angeles, California, due to natural causes. His wife Dorothy, born in 1915, passed away in 2009. They had four children: actors Beau Bridges and Jeff Bridges, and daughter Lucinda Louise Bridges. Another son, Garrett Myles Bridges, who was born between Beau and Jeff, died on August 3, 1948, from sudden infant death syndrome. Actor Jordan Bridges, son of Beau and grandson of Lloyd and Dorothy, also followed in the family's footsteps. Lloyd Bridges' last film, "Jane Austen's Mafia!," was dedicated to his memory.