Chuck Connors
Birthday: 10 April 1921, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Birth Name: Kevin Joseph Aloysius Connors
Height: 197 cm
Chuck Connors was born Kevin Joseph Connors in Brooklyn, New York, to Marcella (Londrigan) and Alban Francis "Allan" Connors. His parents were immigrants from the Dominion of Newfoundland (n ...Show More
[About being a rugged sports player before he became a rugged leading man] I'm in about as good shap Show more
[About being a rugged sports player before he became a rugged leading man] I'm in about as good shape as when I quit baseball in 1952. Hide
[Of Johnny Crawford] When Johnny came on the set in 1958, he was a little 12-year-old boy. He called Show more
[Of Johnny Crawford] When Johnny came on the set in 1958, he was a little 12-year-old boy. He called everyone in the cast or crew "Sir" or "Ma'am". During the course of the five years of our run, he had two hit records, and he was nominated for an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor. And yet, when the show was finished after five seasons, Johnny went around and thanked everyone in the cast and crew, and he still called them "Sir" or "Ma'am". Hide
[regarding his baseball career] I was a switch-hitter, remember? At most things, I'm a good with one Show more
[regarding his baseball career] I was a switch-hitter, remember? At most things, I'm a good with one hand as the other. Hide
[on The Rifleman (1958)'s theme song] I hear the same thing everywhere I go.
[on The Rifleman (1958)'s theme song] I hear the same thing everywhere I go.
[In 1989] I was a bum of a hitter just not cut out for the majors. But, I will never forget Stan's k Show more
[In 1989] I was a bum of a hitter just not cut out for the majors. But, I will never forget Stan's kindness. When he finished watching me cut away at the ball, Stan slapped me on the back and told me to keep swinging. Hide
[on how he landed the starring role in South Sea Woman (1953)] I had done just a couple of pictures, Show more
[on how he landed the starring role in South Sea Woman (1953)] I had done just a couple of pictures, and I was sitting outside a little dressing room at Warner Bros, and they were testing a lot of people [for the role of Pvt. Davie White] and I was sitting in my Marine uniform waiting to be called and I went out to get a breath of fresh air, when down the street comes Burt Lancaster in a Marine uniform. And in those days the stars never tested with the actors. So I said to him, "Mr. Lancaster what are you doing here?" And he was a baseball fan, so he just decided to come down and test with me. So he took me in the dressing room to, as he said, "run the lines", and I didn't even know what that expression meant then. Finally I figured him out and I said, "Oh, you mean you want to practice?" So anyhow we read the scene and man he looked at me and said, "Boy we've got to work on this!" About then my name is called on the loudspeaker to come in on stage and Burt goes to the door and yells out to the people, "Hey, I'm talking here, we'll be another 20 minutes, go ahead and test somebody else". Well he went over that scene, seven pages long, to give me some semblance of approaching it proper. And then I went in and did it and got the part. But Burt took that time on his own and I gotta give him credit. Hide
[on his popularity while playing the 40-something Lucas McCain on The Rifleman (1958)] What did I fi Show more
[on his popularity while playing the 40-something Lucas McCain on The Rifleman (1958)] What did I find out? That the concept of "Rifleman" is sound. I asked if people wanted any changes. Most of them said to leave it as it is. I asked if they wanted Lucas McCain to marry. They said no. Hide
[In 1988] Somebody would like to have that [my agent]. He'll take that instead of commission.
[In 1988] Somebody would like to have that [my agent]. He'll take that instead of commission.
[on the cancellation of The Rifleman (1958)] I knew what [The Lucy Show (1962)] would do to our rati Show more
[on the cancellation of The Rifleman (1958)] I knew what [The Lucy Show (1962)] would do to our ratings and I didn't want to wait around until our show was dropped and I might be an actor nobody wanted. The show would have gone five years, and that's long enough. By that time, you have done everything possible with your characters. If you keep on going, you're just cheating the public. Hide
[In 1973] The President gave me about two dozen presidential tie clips and ladies' pins, with instru Show more
[In 1973] The President gave me about two dozen presidential tie clips and ladies' pins, with instructions to spread them around when I thought it appropriate, Brezhnev [Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev] will get more than a tie clip. I've ordered two engraved Colt revolvers for the General Secretary, Brezhnev is quite a western buff. Hide
[on his Lucas McCain character] Lucas was a righteous character, despite all the violence. We had th Show more
[on his Lucas McCain character] Lucas was a righteous character, despite all the violence. We had the benefit of the father-son relationship, so I could have a little scene at the end of the show where I would explain to Mark, essentially, that sometimes violence is necessary, but it isn't good. And there was a lot of violence on The Rifleman (1958). We once figured out that I killed on the average of two and a half people per show. That's a lot of violence, but it was always covered by the scene with the little boy. And he would say, in essence, "Gee, you won Pa". And I would say, "Wait a minute son. You never win when you kill someone. It demeans you, it takes something away. People have got to learn to do away with violence and guns, and to love each other". And the viewers would forget the fact that I had killed three people during the show, because of the tender epilogue with Mark [Johnny's favorite scenes]. The warm father-son relationship was the heart of the program, and not only did we perform it, but Johnny and I became very close friends. Hide
[About the character he was best-known for] I can never get rid of The Rifleman (1958), and I don't Show more
[About the character he was best-known for] I can never get rid of The Rifleman (1958), and I don't want to. It's a good image. Basically, [the show] was the simplicity of the love between the father and the son. That was the foundation. The rifle was for show, but the relationship was for real. There was some violence, but at the end, I would explain to the boy that the violence was not something we wanted to do, but had to do. Hide
[on working in Pat and Mike (1952)] They paid me $500 for my week's work in that movie. I figured th Show more
[on working in Pat and Mike (1952)] They paid me $500 for my week's work in that movie. I figured they'd made some mistake on the adding machine, but I stuck the check in my pocket and shut up. Baseball, I told myself, just lost a first baseman. Hide
[on his first introduction to Johnny Crawford, who was auditioning to play his son Mark in The Rifle Show more
[on his first introduction to Johnny Crawford, who was auditioning to play his son Mark in The Rifleman (1958)] I remember the first time I saw him, I was sitting there with the producer and we were interviewing kids to play Mark. We must have interviewed 20 or 30, then Johnny came in and before we even talked to him I said, "That's him, that's The Rifleman's son". Hide
[In 1961] I've been wanting to do a movie. I've had some offers, but they always wanted me to play t Show more
[In 1961] I've been wanting to do a movie. I've had some offers, but they always wanted me to play the same kind of character as Lucas McCain [The Rifleman (1958)]. So I turned the pictures down, including The Alamo (1960). People see me for free every week as Lucas; why would they pay to see me in the same type of role? Hide
[In 1953] I owe baseball all that I have and much of what I hope to have. Baseball made my entrance Show more
[In 1953] I owe baseball all that I have and much of what I hope to have. Baseball made my entrance to the film industry immeasurably easier than I could have made it alone. To the greatest game in the world I shall be eternally in debt. Hide
Well, it isn't because I'm the fidgety guy, seriously, I have to sit there like a mummy you can't mo Show more
Well, it isn't because I'm the fidgety guy, seriously, I have to sit there like a mummy you can't move. Regular makeup you can turn around and I sit there like that, and the worst part of it is, after working 14 hours, I can't just take it off, I have to sit for another hour because of the way they made these appliances, and they have to be taken out very slowly. Hide
[In 1992, about being typecasted because of The Rifleman (1958)] If you're ever being typecasted--as Show more
[In 1992, about being typecasted because of The Rifleman (1958)] If you're ever being typecasted--as most of us are-- that's a great way to be typecasted. So, "The Rifleman" is still popular with a lot of people, and I'm proud to be associated. Hide
[of Barry Goldwater who suggested he try for the Senate in February 1967 during a conversation at th Show more
[of Barry Goldwater who suggested he try for the Senate in February 1967 during a conversation at the Tucson National Country Club] I was in the foursome in front of him and Arnold Palmer. We've met several times before and we were talking about Ronnie's [Ronald Reagan] election and politics in general when the senator said I should run for the Senate. I was flattered. I told him I didn't think it would be possible. He told me I might change my mind later on. Hide
Now who goes to the games in LA? Producers, directors, writers, casting directors. So because of the Show more
Now who goes to the games in LA? Producers, directors, writers, casting directors. So because of the good year, I became a kind of favorite of the show business people, unbeknownst to myself. Hide
[comparing his baseball and acting careers] So why not be a switch hitter with the rifle, too? Let's Show more
[comparing his baseball and acting careers] So why not be a switch hitter with the rifle, too? Let's learn both ways. Hide
I'm more than satisfied to stay put in Los Angeles. The Coast League is one of the best leagues in b Show more
I'm more than satisfied to stay put in Los Angeles. The Coast League is one of the best leagues in baseball and the living and playing conditions are superior. Hide
[In 1958] You're doing fine work. That pitch was right in there.
[In 1958] You're doing fine work. That pitch was right in there.
I have only five days to win the job. So I can't take time out for injuries.
I have only five days to win the job. So I can't take time out for injuries.
[In 1960] What's cost? This is insurance. At what we pay Connors, what will it cost if he's crippled Show more
[In 1960] What's cost? This is insurance. At what we pay Connors, what will it cost if he's crippled? Hide
I don't want my kids growing up believing that there is nothing destructive in the world. I want the Show more
I don't want my kids growing up believing that there is nothing destructive in the world. I want them to know that there is good and bad in the world, that you can be hurt physically, that guns can kill you, that drugs are bad for you, that not everyone means well. Hide
[In 1987 about playing the lead in Werewolf (1987)] It's played very straight and dramatically, but Show more
[In 1987 about playing the lead in Werewolf (1987)] It's played very straight and dramatically, but with a tinge of black humor, I play evil incarnate, a 1,600-year-old man in full control of his werewolfism. Janos will kill and eat anybody and anything. Eric, on the other hand, kills only bad people in defense of his own life or those of innocent victims. Hide
Chuck Connors's FILMOGRAPHY
All
as Actor (26)
Chuck Connors'S roles
Tom Moore
Tab Fielding
Mr. Slausen
Button Smith, Pete Johnson, Rocky Nelson, Sam Bass
King Powers
Burn Sanderson
