Earl Holliman, a prolific TV actor who starred in the very first episode of The Twilight Zone, has passed away. The actor, who also starred alongside James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor in 1956’s Giant, died Monday in Los Angeles following a short illness. Holliman was 96.
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His niece, Theresa Mullins Harris, shared the news on social media.
“His dream at 5 years old of becoming a movie star came true, more than he ever could have imagined,’ she wrote. “He loved hearing all the good things his fans had to say about him.”
Holliman, born on September 11, 1928, embarked on his screen career in the 1950s.
Per IMDb, Holliman earned a Golden Globe Award for his supporting role as Jim Curry in the 1956 film The Rainmaker, starring Burt Lancaster and Katharine Hepburn—a part he won over Elvis Presley.
Earl Holliman’s Appearances in ‘Forbidden Planet’ and ‘The Twilight Zone’ Made Him Legendary in Genre Circles
That same year, he also appeared in the sci-fi classic Forbidden Planet. He even has a memorable scene opposite Robby the Robot.
Before making history as the lead character in the inaugural episode of The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling’s groundbreaking anthology series, Holliman had already appeared in several guest-starring roles on 1950s television.
Still, Holliman’s turn in the pilot episode all but guaranteed generations of TV viewers would be familar with him.
The October 1959 episode “Where Is Everybody?” begins with Mike Ferris, played by Holliman, wandering through a seemingly abandoned town. Despite signs of life (boiling coffee, a playing jukebox, etc), no people are visible. This eerie setup intensifies, leading to an unpredictable climax that became a hallmark of the beloved series.
Meanwhile, Holliman’s first series lead was in the CBS Western Hotel de Paree as Sundance, a man who returns to a Colorado town after serving time for accidentally killing someone. The town’s hotel is run by relatives of his victim, and Sundance becomes a strongarm and peacekeeper, using shiny discs in his hatband to blind rivals.
However, the series was short-lived, running one season from 1959 to 1960.
After a short stint in the theater, Holliman retuned to TV.
Holliman appeared in numerous popular dramas of the 1960s and ’70s, including Bonanza, The Virginian, The Fugitive, Marcus Welby M.D., It Takes a Thief, Ironside, The Rookies, Medical Center, The F.B.I., The Streets of San Francisco, and Police Story.
Earl Holliman Lands His Signature Role
However, in the 70s, Holliman finally landed his most well-known TV role.
Holliman was cast to star opposite Angie Dickenson in Police Woman, NBC’s 1974-78 drama centered on LAPD undercover cop Sgt. Pepper Anderson and her vice squad team reported to Holliman’s Lt. Bill Crowley. The show was an initial hit, finishing in the Primetime Top 15 in 1974-75, but couldn’t hold that momentum and ended in 1978.
Holliman also became a mainstay on variety and game shows.
He featured on The Hollywood Squares and various versions of the Pyramid game. He made over a dozen guest appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Holliman also graced several other talk shows hosted by Mike Douglas, Dinah Shore, John Davidson, and Chuck Woolery.
Holliman Picks Up Another Golden Globe Nomination
Meanwhile, the actor received another Golden Globe nomination for a 1992 episode of Delta featuring Delta Burke.
During the 1990s, Holliman also appeared on Murder, She Wrote, had a recurring role on Caroline in the City, and made a guest appearance as himself on The Larry Sanders Show.
He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1977.