Darren McGavin

Darren McGavin
McGavin in 1950
Born	William Lyle Richardson (1922-05-07)May 7, 1922 Spokane, Washington, U.S.
Died	February 25, 2006(2006-02-25) (aged 83) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Alma mater	University of the Pacific
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1940–2003
Spouses	Anita Williams ​ ​ (m. 1942; div. 1943)​ Melanie York ​ ​ (m. 1944; div. 1969)​ Kathie Browne ​ ​ (m. 1969; died 2003)​
Children	4

Darren McGavin (born William Lyle Richardson; May 7, 1922 – February 25, 2006) was an American actor.

McGavin began his career working as a set painter for Columbia Pictures. In 1954, he originated roles in Broadway productions of My Three Angels and The Rainmaker, followed by film roles in David Lean's Summertime and Otto Preminger's The Man with the Golden Arm (both 1955).

On television, McGavin portrayed the title character in Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (1958–1959), and starred in Riverboat (1959–1961) and Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974–1975). For his recurring role on the sitcom Murphy Brown, he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

His film credits include No Deposit, No Return (1976), Airport '77 (1977), Hot Lead and Cold Feet (1978), A Christmas Story (1983), Happy Hell Night (1992), and Billy Madison (1995). Despite playing a significant role in the baseball film The Natural (1984), due to a contract dispute, McGavin was uncredited for his portrayal of a shady bookie, Gus Sands.