David William Huddleston (born September 17, 1930) is an American actor, best known for his roles in Santa Claus: The Movie and The Big Lebowski.

Biography

Early life

Huddleston was born in Vinton, Virginia, the son of Ismay Hope (née Dooley) and Lewis Melvin Huddleston. He was briefly an officer in the United States Air Force before beginning his formal education in acting at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Huddleston attended Fork Union Military Academy for high school (Class of 1949) and is listed among the school's prominent alumni.

Career

Known mainly as a character actor, Huddleston starred in the title role of 1985's big-budget film Santa Claus: The Movie, which featured a top-billed Dudley Moore as an elf.

Huddleston's first major role came in the 1968 drama A Lovely Way to Die. Shortly afterward the actor became a frequent guest star on several of the leading television series of the 1960s and 1970s, among them, Adam-12, Then Came Bronson, Gunsmoke, Bewitched, Bonanza, Cannon, McMillan and Wife, The Waltons, The Rookies, Medical Center, Kung Fu, Emergency!, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Police Woman, Hawaii Five-O,Charlie's Angels, Sanford and Son and The Rockford Files. Among Huddleston's notable feature film credits prior to Santa Claus: The Movie are his co-starring roles in Blazing Saddles (1974); Billy Two Hats (1974); McQ (1974); Breakheart Pass (1975); The Greatest (1977); The World's Greatest Lover (1977); and Smokey and the Bandit II (1980).

Huddleston resumed his television career with roles in various television movies, among them Heat Wave! (1974); The Oregon Trail (1976); Shark Kill (1976); Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid (1978); Family Reunion (1981); Computercide (1982); and M.A.D.D.: Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (1983). For much of the 1980s, Huddleston also starred in a series of television commercials for the Citrus Hill brand of orange juice. Huddleston's post-Santa Claus career has found him making occasional co-starring roles, in Spot Marks the X (1986); Frantic (1988); Life with Mikey (1993); The Big Lebowski (1998); and G-Men from Hell (2000). Later, he also had a recurring role as Grandpa "Gramps" Albert in The Wonder Years (1988–1993). He appeared twice on The West Wing as Max Lobell, a Republican Senator who allies with Jed Bartlett on the issue of campaign finance reform. His appearance as Benjamin Franklin in a Boston stage production of 1776 is referenced in the book Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell. In 2009 he appeared in the thriller Locker 13.

Huddleston's eldest son, Michael Huddleston, is also a longtime actor and performer. Huddleston is a long-time friend and former manager of musician/songwriter/businessman Roy Clark of Hee Haw fame.

References

1. David Huddleston Biography (1930-)
2. David Huddleston Biography - Yahoo! Movies
3. http://www.forkunion.com/prominent-alumni.html

External links