Van Williams

Van (Van Zandt) Williams is a former American actor (born February 27, 1934, in Fort Worth, Texas) best known for his brief yet world famous television role as "Britt Reid" "aka" "The Green Hornet" with the late Bruce Lee as his sidekick Kato, in the 1966-1967 ABC "The Green Hornet" television series, and for his earlier leading role as Kenny Madison in both Warner Bros. television detective series "Bourbon Street Beat" (1959) and its sequel "Surfside Six" (1960).

Life and career

A diving instructor in Hawaii in 1956, Williams was discovered there in 1957 by producer Mike Todd, who urged Williams to come to Hollywood to try his hand at acting. Todd, one of the husbands of Elizabeth Taylor, died in a plane crash, but Williams took vocal and acting lessons and was signed to a contract by Warner Brothers in 1959. His big break came as costar of the ABC television series "Bourbon Street Beat", set in New Orleans. The program aired during the 1959-1960 season; his costars were Andrew Duggan and Richard Long. Williams later worked in a General Electric production with Ronald W. Reagan, and his "Bourbon Street Beat" character, Kenny Madison, was recycled into the "Surfside 6" television series in exactly the same time slot, with Troy Donahue. Williams also appeared in the films "Tall Story" (1960) and "The Caretakers" (1963) and as Pat Burns on the ABC series "The Tycoon" with Walter Brennan. After his Warner Brothers contract lapsed in 1964, Williams worked in TV commercials and guest appearances on various TV series.

"The Green Hornet"

In 1966 ABC-TV revived George W. Trendle's famous radio character in a new series, "The Green Hornet". Van Williams signed with 20th Century-Fox to portray the mysterious masked hero and his true identity, newspaper editor Britt Reid (grandson of the brother of John Reid, "The Lone Ranger").

Williams had a great deal of input on "The Green Hornet". He rejected two scripts because they were too talky ("Lots of action," he said at the time, "that's what makes a show."). He also noted that "The Green Hornet is a pretty deadpan guy," and played the role straight, unlike the tongue-in-cheek portrayals seen on the same producer's "Batman" show. Williams asked for more screen time for Bruce Lee. Williams was astute enough to know that Lee and his martial-arts athletics were attracting the most interest in the series, and emphasizing him could have kept the series alive, at a time when nonwhite actors were discouraged by Hollywood.

"The Green Hornet" was a very expensive series to produce. Thirty half-hours were scheduled, but the budget over-runs proved so costly that the series wrapped after only 26 episodes. Williams and Lee also made guest appearances, in character, on the "Batman" series.

Bruce Lee died of a cerebral edema in 1973. Williams's acting career faded around that time, though he made a few television guest appearances.

Even while Williams was starring in "The Green Hornet", he didn't need the money. A shrewd businessman, Williams invested in various commercial ventures (a "'TV Guide".profile of 1966, titled "Banker with a Sting," characterized him as "your friendly neighborhood tycoon"). At one time, Williams owned a small business that marketed telecommunications products, and spent several months a year in Southern California as a reserve deputy with the Malibu station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. He is also a partner in the 4000 acre (16 km²) Waialua Ranch on Oahu, Hawaii. Williams keeps in touch with the American public at autograph conventions from time to time, where he remains popular among Green Hornet and Bruce Lee fans. Syndication on cable television has brought back many old television series, introducing Williams to a new generation of viewers.

He and his wife Vicki have three grown children. He has twin daughters from a prior marriage who remain in his home state of Texas. Williams resides today in Ketchum, Idaho.

Filmography

Cinema

* "Tall Story" (1960)
* "The Caretakers" (1963)

Television

* "Bourbon Street Beat" (1959-1960) as "Ken Madison"
* "The Green Hornet" (1966-1967) "title role aka Britt Reid":"includes cross-over episodes on Batman"
* "Surfside 6" as "Ken Madison"
*"The Big Valley
* "The Tycoon"
* "Dick Van Dyke Show" as Corporal Clark Rice
* "Westwind" as Steve Andrews

ources

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* [http://estraven.silverday.net/lee/library/print/bruce/related/van.html Biographical article on Van Williams]
* [http://estraven.silverday.net/lee/bruce/career/TV/green/main.html Article on "The Green Hornet"]