Fess Parker
Fess Elisha Parker, Jr. ( born August 16, 1924 in Fort Worth, Texas, † March 18, 2010 in Santa Ynez, California ) was an American actor and winemaker.
Life
Fess Parker grew up near San Angelo, where his father ran a farm. During the Second World War, Parker served in the U.S. Navy. 1950 put Parker at the University of Texas with a BA in History from.
Film career
He then moved to California and studied drama at the University of Southern California, with the aim to acquire a Master of Arts in Theatre Studies. However, first engagements as an actor prevented the successful completion of the course.
In the early 1950s played Parker his first roles in various films, including Formicula (1954). He was taken by the Walt Disney Studios under contract and suddenly known for his roles in the Disney television series Davy Crockett (1954-1956) and developed from it, also internationally used cinema releases Davy Crockett, King of the Trappers (1954) and Davy Crockett and Flusspiraten (1956). Walt Disney made him thereupon also the star of his feature films Mission: Impossible (1956 ), train the Fearless (1956 ), His friend Jello (1957) and The Heart of an Indian (1958). The Walt Disney Company appointed him in 1991 for Disney Legend.
In the U.S. television series Daniel Boone, Parker played from 1964 to 1970, the historical figure of the pioneer and adventurer Daniel Boone. Here he directed several episodes also self directed and acted as producer.
Parker married on January 18, 1960 Marcella Belle Rinehart, with whom he had two children.
More career
In the 1970s, Fess Parker largely retired from the film business and was instead working as a real estate agent and hotelier. From the late 1980s he worked in California as a winemaker at the family-owned wineries in Los Olivos in the Santa Ynez Valley. The company has produced several award-winning wines. In allusion to his film role as Davy Crockett, he chose as the logo of the company a golden raccoon hat.
Parker was a longtime friend of Ronald Reagan, whose property is located near Parker's wineries. He represented Reagan in 1985 in an official capacity in Australia and it was by presidential adviser Michael Deaver the ambassador offered there, which he refused. He was also as a challenger against Alan Cranston for the office of U.S. Senator in conversation.