Brendon Boone

Brendon Boone was born in Meridian, MS, to the Reverend Dr. Norman Boone Sr. and Leola (Speed) Boone. Brendon spent his early years moving from town to town every time his father was transferred by the Methodist Church to a new congregation, which included several years in San Diego while Rev. Boone served as a Navy Chaplain during WWII. As a child, Brendon excelled at basketball and football, and was the Mississippi state Soap Box Derby champion in 1952. When he eventually was disappointed by coming in second at the World Soap Box Derby competition in Ohio, he was encouraged by an attending celebrity, Jimmy Stewart, to return to Mississippi with his head held high, because he was still a champion in his home state. After studying architecture, English, and theology, first at Georgia Tech and then at Emory University, Brendon transferred to the prestigious theater program at Rollins College in Florida, where his portrayal of Sakini in the Annie Russell Theater production of "Teahouse of the August Moon" won widespread acclaim and attracted the attention of Hollywood producers. After a brief stint studying in New York, Brendon moved to Hollywood, where he began his career writing, producing and starring in "The Tormented Years" with Jane Russell's brother Jamie directing. Early guest starring roles on TV, in such shows as "Bonanza", "Rawhide" and "The Virginian" and the TV movie "Assault!" led to his starring in the WWII action series, "Garrison's Gorillas" in 1967-68, as the enigmatic, knife wielding half-breed Indian, Chief, a role he'd created originally for "Assault!", and which earned him a Golden Globe nomination from the International Hollywood Foreign Press Association for Most Popular TV Star - Male. Additional TV guest starring credits include "Gunsmoke" (where his portrayal of Hawk in the episode of the same named earned that series one of its highest ratings), "Quincy, ME", "Emergency", "Falcon Crest", "Fantasy Island", and "Jake and the Fat Man", and the TV movies "The Hanged Man", "Death Race", "Hanging by a Thread" and "The Hostage Heart". He also starred with Stephen Boyd, Cameron Mitchell, France Nuyen and Ray Milland in the 1973 feature film, "The Big Game".