Twilight Zone actor Earl Holliman died at his Los Angeles home on Monday, Pop Culture reported. The Golden Globe-winning actor is best known for starring in the premiere episode of the beloved science fiction suspense series.
Holliman's spouse, Craig Curtis, confirmed his passing while his niece Theresa Mullins Harris announced the news to the world via Facebook. "I’m very sad to report that my Uncle, Earl Holliman passed away this afternoon after a short illness," she wrote to his fans, who remain in disbelief.
"He was 96 years old, and the last of his siblings. He had a long wonderful life. His dream at 5 years old of becoming a movie star came true, more than he ever could have imagined," Harris continued.
"He loved hearing all the good things his fans had to say about him. He will be missed by all. I’m so glad that I was able to go out and spend time with him one last time this week."
Holliman had a prolific career that began with a slew of successes in 1956, including a Gold Globe for Best Supporting Actor in The Rainmaker, the New York Times reported. He beat out Elvis Presley for that role despite the singer's star power at the time.
Screenwriter Allan Weiss, who saw Presley's audition, said that the musician "played the rebellious younger brother with amateurish conviction — like the lead in a high school play." Holliman had the right looks and bravado for that kind of role, a fact that kept him working for decades.
That year, Holliman brought to life the role of spaceship chef in Forbidden Planet, which included his part in a humourous storyline about Robby the Robot making whiskey. Holliman starred alongside Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean in his final role in Giant also that same year.
Even with a string of successes, Holliman would not go on to be the leading man with top billing as many others aspired to be. That was just fine with Holliman, a 1967 interview revealed.
"Money is getting important to me. The trouble is, I can’t handle success," Holliman told the Los Angeles Times back then. Nevertheless, his crowing achievement would be his very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018.
Throughout his career, Holliman would appear on hit television shows such as Gunsmoke, Murder She Wrote, and CHiPs. His rugged good looks and country charm made him the top choice for such roles.
However, Holliman's legacy will forever be tied to his 1959 performance in Rod Serling's iconic series The Twilight Zone. The series' debut episode titled "Where is Everybody?" featured Holliman as an Air Force serviceman who finds himself wandering in a deserted world while suffering from amnesia.
Another notable tevelis role came in 1974 when Holliman was cast as Lt. Bill Crowley in the television hit Police Woman opposite Angie Dickinson. He spent four seasons on the series and earned an appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson because of the notoriety it brought.
After decades in the film and television industry, Holliman received a Gold Globe nod for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a television series for Delta. The series, starring Delta Burke, only ran for one season in 1992.
Holliman's extensive career exists in film and television reels that will endure for generations. He will be missed by fans of classic television and all who knew him.
