Michael Anderson Jr.
Michael Anderson Jr. ( born August 6, 1943 in Hillingdon, Middlesex as Michael Joseph Anderson Jr.) is a British actor with over 75 roles in film and television. He was known especially as a young performer with theater productions from the 1960s such as The Adventures of Captain Grant, the wife of his bosom, The Sons of Katie Elder, The Greatest Story Ever Told or Sierra Charriba.
Life and career
Michael Joseph Anderson Jr. was born 1943 in Hillingdon, in the County of Middlesex in England, the son of Michael Joseph Anderson. His father worked in the early 1940s, first as an actor even before production assistant and then eventually only became a successful Oscar- nominated director. Even his grandparents and great-great- aunt had been celebrated actor. Son, Michael Anderson Jr. followed the family tradition and the early footsteps of his father into the movie business and became an actor. Anderson received his training at the Arts Educational School in drama and ballet.
His first roles he got in English TV series and feature films such as 1956 in the British television series The Count of Monte Cristo. In 1958 he had then made his feature film debut in David MacDonald's adventure film The Avengers in the purple coat. He played in J. Lee Thompson thriller Tiger Bay and then in Fred Zinnemann's The Sundowners. After the movie, Play It Cool, he left England in 1962 to make a career in Hollywood. He quickly gained a foothold with the Jules Verne film adaptation The Adventures of Captain Grant by director Robert Stevenson. After he had worked only in the U.S. television series for two more years followed in the years 1964-1967, several career highlights.
In 1964 he was engaged by Delbert Mann as a youthful lover for his comedy The woman of his heart. This was followed by important supporting roles in Hollywood big budget productions as in George Stevens Biblical epic The Greatest Story Ever Told or in Henry Hathaway's classic Western The Sons of Katie Elder with John Wayne, Dean Martin and Earl Holliman.
Reception
German translation of the quote by Henry Hathaway on Michael Anderson Jr.: " Do you see this child " ... - You said about Michael Anderson, Jr., "What a child! " " He does not play, it comes straight from the heart ," said Henry Hathaway. "
Then we saw him in Arnold Laven Cavalry Western The Magnificent Rider and in the same year, he starred in Sam Peckinpah's film soldiers Sierra Charriba next to Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, Jim Hutton and James Coburn.
From 1966 to 1967 he then embodied in 26 episodes, the male lead of the Clayt Monroe in the family saga The Monroes.
After that he played in the 1970s and 1980s in numerous TV movies and episodes of television series, but could only rarely able to match the level and success of the 1960s. The two most appealing roles he played in the films of his father Michael Anderson of smaller Parts him in the science fiction classics were fleeing into the 23rd century, The Martian Chronicles. Then Michael Anderson Jr. played almost without exception only roles in the average television production. With a small supporting role in the TV movie Rescuers: Stories of Courage: Two Families in 1998 he left end his career at age 55.
Michael Anderson Jr. is the stepson of actress Adrienne Ellis and step-brother of actress Laurie Holden. His brother is the film producer David Anderson.