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George Kennedy

George Kennedy

Actor · Died February 28, 2016, aged 91 · New York City, New York, USA

George Kennedy (February 18, 1925 — February 28, 2016) was a European-American businessman, entrepreneur, A World War II veteran, actor, adviser, radio dj, and author. Kennedy at one stage in his career cornered the market at playing tough, no-nonsense characters who were either quite crooked or possessed hearts of gold. Kennedy notched up an impressive 200+ appearances in both TV and film, and was well respected within the Hollywood community. He started out in TV westerns in the late 1950s and early 1960s: Have Gun - Will Travel (1957), Rawhide (1959), Maverick (1957), Colt .45 (1957), among others; before scoring minor roles in films including Lonely Are the Brave (1962), The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) and The Flight of the Phoenix (1965). The late 1960s was a very busy period for Kennedy, and he was strongly in favor with casting agents, appearing in Hurry Sundown (1967), The Dirty Dozen (1967) and scoring an Oscar win as Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Cool Hand Luke (1967). The disaster film boom of the 1970s was kind to Kennedy, too, and his talents were in demand for Airport(1970) and the three subsequent sequels, as a grizzled cop in Earthquake (1974), plus the buddy/road film Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) as vicious bank robber Red Leary. The 1980s saw Kennedy appear in a mishmash of roles, playing various characters; however, Kennedy and Leslie Nielsen surprised everyone with their comedic talents in the hugely successful The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988), and the two screen veterans hammed it up again in, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991), plus Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994). Kennedy remained busy in Hollywood and lent his distinctive voice to the animated Cats Don't Dance (1997) and the children's action film Small Soldiers (1998). A Hollywood stalwart for nearly 50 years, he is one of the most enjoyable actors to watch on screen. His last role was in the film The Gambler (2014), as Mark Wahlberg's character's grandfather. George Kennedy died on February 28, 2016 in Middleton, Idaho.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 18, 1925
Died
February 28, 2016 (aged 91)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
98 on MovieCove · 166 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 64 days to Oct 27Down 28% in 30 days

What are George Kennedy's films like?

Across their 74 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Action22 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 31st percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy14 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama13 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 32nd percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Horror5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 13th percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Mystery2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Mystery movies
Western2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 28th percentile
: browse their Western movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
26%
Survival
19%
Bonds
18%
Self
14%
Power
12%
Society
9%
Ideas
2%
Survival21 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice21 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds10 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge7 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty9 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity8 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love7 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 74 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 32 · Serious 19 · Dark 23

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 34 · Stylized 31 · Heightened 9

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 15 · Charged 31 · Intense 28

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 26 · Shifting 42 · Whiplash 6

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 37 · Some laughs 24 · Funny 13

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 27 · Even-paced 43 · Relentless 4

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 41 · Engaged 28 · Full focus 5

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 36 · Affecting 27 · Heavy 11

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 65 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

48 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 11 of 48 analyzed roles.

Shadow
11 of 48
Ally
10 of 48
Mentor
9 of 48
Hero
8 of 48
Herald
6 of 48
Threshold guardian
4 of 48
Show the 48 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
52
Absurd
20
Thrilling
19
Melancholic
23
Joyful
14
Other
63

How their films linger

Fun26 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet22 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful21 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good20 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 7 with a twist

  • Happy29
  • Bittersweet28
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous13

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch George Kennedy's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 47 of their 98 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (31).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for George Kennedy's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

166 credits, 98 with a MovieCove page; 12 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Airports (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Actor

  • The Gambler(2014)

    as Ed

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Another Happy Day(2011)

    as Joe Baker

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Six Days in Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Monty Crenshaw

  • 2 Everything 2 Terrible 2: Tokyo Drift(2010)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Man Who Came Back(2008)

    as Judge Duke

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Boneyard Collection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Professor Zebediah Jones (segment "The Devil's Due at Midnight")

  • Sands of Oblivion(2007)

    as John Tevis

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Don't Come Knocking(2005)

    as Director

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Three Bad Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Ed Fiske

  • Truce (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Dr. Peter Gannon

  • Monster Makers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Dexter Brisbane

  • View from the Top(2003)

    as Passenger Requesting Vodka (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Men in White(1998)

    as Army

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Dennis the Menace Strikes Again!(1998)

    as Mr. Johnson

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Small Soldiers(1998)

    as Brick Bazooka (voice)

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Dallas: War of the Ewings(1998)

    as Carter McKay

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Hollyweird (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as George Kennedy

  • Cats Don't Dance(1997)

    as L.B. Mammoth (voice)

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Bayou Ghost (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Officer Lowe

  • Dallas: J.R. Returns(1996)

    as Carter McKay

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as General Axton (voice)

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • Santo Bugito (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Ralph (voice)

  • Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult(1994)

    as Ed Hocken

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Duckman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Movie Director (voice)

  • Distant Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Tom Bradfield

  • Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story(1992)

    as Father Dave Hagan

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Intensive Care (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Dr. Bruckner

  • The Commish(1991)

    Show 1 episode · as Al Scali

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear(1991)

    as Ed Hocken

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Driving Me Crazy(1991)

    as John McCready

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Hangfire(1991)

    as Warden Barles

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Good Cops, Bad Cops(1990)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Mayumi: Virgin Terrorist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Bahraini Investigator

  • Hired to Kill(1990)

    as Thomas

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Wings(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as George Kennedy

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • Brain Dead(1990)

    as Vance

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Ministry of Vengeance(1989)

    as Rev. Hughes

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Esmeralda Bay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Wilson

  • The Terror Within(1989)

    as Hal

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!(1988)

    as Ed Hocken

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Uninvited(1988)

    as Mike Harvey

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Top Line(1988)

    as Heinrich Holzmann

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Nightmare at Noon(1988)

    as Sherrif Hanks

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Private Road: No Trespassing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Sam Milshaw

  • Demonwarp(1988)

    as Bill Crafton

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Counterforce (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Vince Colby

  • Born to Race(1988)

    as Vincent Duplain

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • What Price Victory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Big Buck Brayton

  • Kenny Rogers as The Gambler, Part III: The Legend Continues(1987)

    as General Nelson Miles

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Creepshow 2(1987)

    as Ray Spruce

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • The Gunfighters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Deke Turner

  • Radioactive Dreams(1984)

    as Spade Chandler

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Liberty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Seamus Reilly

  • The Delta Force(1986)

    as Father O'Malley

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Savage Dawn(1985)

    as Tick Rand

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • International Airport (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Rudy Van Leuven

  • Rigged (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Ben Wheeler

  • Half Nelson(1985)

    as Parsons

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • A Rare Breed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Actor

  • Bolero(1984)

    as Cotton

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • The Jesse Owens Story(1984)

    as Charles 'Charley' Riley

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Chattanooga Choo Choo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Bert

  • Wacko (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Mr. Doctor Graves

  • Just Before Dawn(1981)

    as Roy McLean

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Archer: Fugitive from the Empire(1981)

    as Brakus

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Modern Romance(1981)

    as George Kennedy / Zeron

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Hotwire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Farley & Harley Fontenot

  • Virus(1980)

    as Admiral Conway

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Death Ship(1980)

    as Captain Ashland

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Steel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Big Lew Cassidy

  • The Concorde... Airport '79(1979)

    as Joe Patroni

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Search and Destroy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Anthony Fusqua

  • The Double McGuffin(1979)

    as Chief Talasek

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Backstairs at the White House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 4 episodes · as Pres. Warren G. Harding

  • Brass Target(1978)

    as Gen. George S. Patton

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Death on the Nile(1978)

    as Andrew Pennington

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Dallas(1978)

    Show 52 episodes · as Carter McKay

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows

  • Mean Dog Blues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Captain Omar Kinsman

  • Proof of the Man(1977)

    as Ken Shuftan

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Airport '77(1977)

    as Joe Patroni

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • The 'Human' Factor(1975)

    as John Kinsdale

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • The Eiger Sanction(1975)

    as Ben Bowman

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Blue Knight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Bumper Morgan

  • The Blue Knight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 24 episodes · as Officer Bumper Morgan

  • Earthquake(1974)

    as Sgt. Lew Slade

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Airport 1975(1974)

    as Joe Patroni

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Thunderbolt and Lightfoot(1974)

    as Red Leary

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • A Cry in the Wilderness(1974)

    as Sam Hadley

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Sonic Boom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Ben Dover

  • Deliver Us from Evil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Walter 'Cowboy' McAdams

  • Cahill U.S. Marshal(1973)

    as Abe Fraser

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Lost Horizon(1973)

    as Sam Cornelius

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • A Great American Tragedy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Brad Wilkes

  • The Bull of the West(1972)

    as 'Bear' Suchette

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Priest Killer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Father Samuel Cavanaugh

  • Fools' Parade(1971)

    as Dallas 'Doc' Council

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Sarge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 15 episodes · as Samuel Cavanaugh

  • Sarge: The Badge or the Cross (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Sarge Swanson

  • Dirty Dingus Magee(1970)

    as Herkimer 'Hoke' Birdsill

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Zig Zag (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Paul R. Cameron

  • Airport(1970)

    as Joe Patroni

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Tick, Tick, Tick(1970)

    as John Little

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Gaily, Gaily (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Axel P. Johanson

  • The Good Guys and the Bad Guys(1969)

    as McKay

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Guns of the Magnificent Seven(1969)

    as Chris

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • The Pink Jungle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Sammy Ryderbeit

  • The Boston Strangler(1968)

    as Det. Phil DiNatale

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Legend of Lylah Clare(1968)

    as Matt Burke

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Bandolero!(1968)

    as Sheriff July Johnson

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Ballad of Josie(1967)

    as Arch Ogden

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Cool Hand Luke(1967)

    as Dragline

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Dirty Dozen(1967)

    as Major Max Armbruster

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Ironside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Father Samuel Cavanaugh

  • Hurry Sundown(1967)

    as Sheriff Coombs

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Tarzan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Flight of the Phoenix(1965)

    as Bellamy

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Mirage(1965)

    as Willard

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Laredo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Big Valley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Thatcher

  • The Legend of Jesse James (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Blodgett

  • The Sons of Katie Elder(1965)

    as Curley

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Shenandoah(1965)

    as Col. Fairchild

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • In Harm's Way(1965)

    as Colonel Gregory

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte(1964)

    as Foreman

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • See How They Run(1964)

    as Rudy

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Daniel Boone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Zach Morgan

  • The Rogues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Major Vyx

  • Island of the Blue Dolphins(1964)

    as Aleut Captain

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • McHale's Navy(1964)

    as Henri Le Clerc

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Strait-Jacket(1964)

    as Leo Krause

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Charade(1963)

    as Herman Scobie

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Der

  • The Great Adventure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Sergeant Muldaney

  • Grindl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Man from the Diners' Club(1963)

    as George

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Going My Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as George Martin

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • The Virginian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Huck Harkness · as Jack Marshman · as Tom 'Bear' Suchette

  • Lonely Are the Brave(1962)

    as Deputy Sheriff Gutierrez

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Gunfight at Black Horse Canyon(1961)

    as Hawk

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Dr. Kildare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 2 episodes · as Joe Cramer · as Sergeant Hensley

  • Kraft Mystery Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come(1961)

    as Nathan Dillon

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • The Asphalt Jungle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Gunslinger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as Sheriff

  • Route 66(1960)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Surfside 6 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Gabe Buchanan

  • The Andy Griffith Show(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as State Police Detective

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Outlaws (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Thriller (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as John Paterson

  • The Tall Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Riverboat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Gunner Slagle

  • Bonanza(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Peter Long · as Waldo Watson

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Rawhide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as George Wales

  • 77 Sunset Strip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Bat Masterson(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Sheriff Zeke Armitage

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Lawman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Peter Gunn(1958)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Maverick(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Deputy Jones

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Perry Mason(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as George Spangler

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Sugarfoot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Ross Kuhn · as Sykes

  • Have Gun, Will Travel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 4 episodes · as Big Jim · as Deke - Killer · as Sam Tarnitzer

  • Cheyenne(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Lee Nelson

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • The Phil Silvers Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 2 episodes · as Kennedy (uncredited)

  • Gunsmoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Bayloe · as Ben Payson · as Cyrus · as Emil · as Hug · as Stark · as Swarner

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 166 titles from 1955 to 2025; peak year 1987.

Biggest box office

Airport (1970)

$100M worldwide

Highest rated

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19552025

Peak 1987 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 25 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting166 of 166: 166 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rd

By decade

1950s14 · acting1960s49 · acting1970s33 · acting1980s33 · acting1990s24 · acting2000s8 · acting2010s4 · acting2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 9% of 56 roles
62677277828792

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do George Kennedy's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 45th percentile, the median of all 85; across their 74 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 43rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

43rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 74

Approval · how many liked their films

41stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 74

Reach · how many have seen their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 74

Midcredits score across 98 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up27
  • 50th to 74th24
  • 25th to 49th25
  • Below 25th22

Shape of the crowd

37 of their 98 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved12
  • Universally Panned2
  • Cult Classic4
  • Crowd Pleaser33
  • Broadly Agreed10
  • Mixed37

Most divisive · actor

Men in White (1998)

88th percentile spread · 70% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Midcredits 98th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 60/100 in their films, across 73 reviewed titles; fans 72, detractors 39. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is George Kennedy's work okay for kids?

Across up to 31 MovieCove titles with content scores, every category sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore23 titles34–71 · median 53 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity31 titles8–56 · median 29 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity20 titles21–61 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs20 titles26–39 · median 34 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense23 titles22–66 · median 46 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does George Kennedy work with?

People who share at least 2 of George Kennedy's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Andrew V. McLaglen shares the most, 5.

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Actors

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Mixed roles