Grant Sullivan (actor)

Grant Sullivan (born Jerry Schulz, June 30, 1924 – May 31, 2011) was an American actor who starred as investigator Brett Clark in the television series, Pony Express, which aired in syndication from 1959 to 1960.[1]

Grant Sullivan
Sullivan in Pony Express press photo
Born
Jerry Schulz

June 30, 1924
Fremont, Nebraska, U.S.
DiedMay 31, 2011(2011-05-31) (aged 86)
Laguna Beach, California, U.S.
OccupationActor, realtor
Spouse(s)Mary Samuel (1951 - ?)
Olgita De Castor (1962 - ?)
Valedia Sullivan (married c. 1969-2011, his death)

Early years

The Fremont, Nebraska-born Jerry Schulz was reared in Southern California.[1] As a student at Anaheim Union High School, he excelled in sports and on stage.[2]

Sullivan was a meteorologist in the United States Navy during World War II.[2] He enrolled at Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to study drama and then moved to New York City to pursue acting. He changed his name to Grant Sullivan[2] and appeared on Broadway in Auntie Mame (1956)[3] before he moved to television roles. His other stage credits included Happy Birthday with Joan Blondell, Portrait Of a Lady with Jennifer Jones, and Tonight Or Never with Ilona Massey.[4]

For his role in Pony Express, he trained to ride horses with stuntman/actor Boyd Morgan.[1]

Prior to Pony Express, Sullivan appeared in such series as The Secret Files of Captain Video, Robert Montgomery Presents, 77 Sunset Strip, and Ray Milland's Markham. Once his own series ended, he was cast in two 1961 episodes of Dale Robertson's western series, Tales of Wells Fargo, "The Diamond Dude" and "Death Raffle." In 1965, he guest starred on Robert Culp's I Spy on NBC. In 1966, he appeared in Jim Nabors' Gomer Pyle, USMC. In 1967, he was a cast as a space alien in the episode "Kidnapped in Space" on CBS's Lost in Space.

Realtor

Sullivan left acting in the early 1970s and became a realtor. He worked as a business executive for both Mission Viejo Company and Great Western Real Estate until his retirement.[1]

Personal life

In June 1951, Sullivan married Mary Samuel, who was known as Maxine when she performed with the Hour of Charm Orchestra.[5] In 1962, he married Olgita De Castor, a member of The DeCastro Sisters singing group.[6]

Death

Sullivan died of cancer at his home in Laguna Beach, California on May 31, 2011, aged 86.[1] He was survived by his wife of 42 years, Valedia Sullivan, and a brother, Don Schulz.[1]

gollark: I believe Gradle is famed for taking ages.
gollark: You can add on extra stuff, it works pretty reliably, it's quite well integrated, and very simple to use.
gollark: I quite like Rust's `cargo`.
gollark: Java project tooling seems very annoying.
gollark: IPR?

References
  1. "Grant Sullivan obituary". Los Angeles Times. 2011-06-12. Retrieved 2011-06-17.
  2. Krec, Ted (May 1, 1960). "Long Beach Boy Totes the Mail". Independent Press-Telegram. California, Long Beach. p. 84. Retrieved May 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Grant Sullivan". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  4. Rahn, Pete (May 20, 1960). "Actor Rides for Fame On TV 'Pony Express'". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Missouri, St. Louis. p. 39. Retrieved May 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Spaceman Wins Heart Of Teen-Age Set". Detroit Free Press. Michigan, Detroit. July 26, 1953. p. 59. Retrieved May 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Miller, Jeanne (January 11, 1965). "Prefers Comedy". The San Francisco Examiner. California, San Francisco. p. 54. Retrieved May 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.