Simon Oakland

Biography for Simon Oakland

One of the movies' most memorable tough guys, Simon Oakland actually began his career as a concert violinist, turning to acting in the late 1940's. After a long string of roles in Broadway hits, including "Light Up the Sky", "The Shrike" and "Inherit the Wind", Oakland made his film debut as the tough but compassionate journalist who speaks up for Susan Hayward's Barbara Grahame in I Want to Live! (1958). He would go on to play a long series of tough guy types, albeit usually on the right side of the law, in such films as The Sand Pebbles (1966), Tony Rome (1967), Psycho (1960), and, most notably, nasty Lieutenant Schrank in West Side Story (1961). He was also a frequently seen face on TV, at one point serving as a regular or semi-regular on four different series at once. Much respected by his co-workers as a total professional, he died, after a long battle with cancer, one day after his 68th birthday.

Actor known in the USA, seen in "Psychosis" and in "West Side Story" among others. Died in 1983 of cancer.

Simon Oakland was an American actor known for his roles in films and television series from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He notably played in films such as "Psycho" by Alfred Hitchcock, "Fail-Safe" by Sidney Lumet and "The Sand Pebbles" by Robert Wise. Oakland was also active in the world of theater and played in plays by William Shakespeare, Arthur Miller and Eugene O'Neill. Apart from his acting career, Oakland was also an accomplished musician and played the piano, the clarinet and the guitar. He died in 1983 at the age of 66.

Photos

Filmography

Trivia

• In the early 1980s, he narrated television commercials for Federal Express and The Journal Newspapers (Washington, D.C., area).
• Until the 1940s, he was a concert violinist.
• Through his career, he performed on Broadway.
• He made his film debut as the "tough, but compassionate" journalist who speaks up for Susan Hayward's Barbara Graham in I Want to Live! (1958). He would wind up playing this type often over the course of his career.
• He went on to play a long series of tough guy types, usually on the right side of the law (or in positions of authority), most notably in Psycho (1960), West Side Story (1961) and as Antonio Vincenzo (Kolchak's boss) in the sci-fi TV series "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" (1974). A gifted actor, he often accepted roles that were inferior to his acting ability and often played on type rather than talent. He was highly respected by his co-workers as an actor; he died of cancer, one day after his 68th birthday.

Family

• Spouse : Lois (? - 29 August 1983) (his death) 1 child

Author of the card

• Creation date: 13/12/2007 by franckenstein
• Last update: 02/03/2008 by chris