Willard Parker American film actor Date of Birth: 05.02.1912 Country: USA

Biography of Willard Parker

Willard Parker was an American film actor who was born on February 5, 1912, in New York City. He initially pursued a career as a meter reader after finishing school. However, due to his impressive physical attributes, being a tall and athletic man with curly blond hair standing at 6'3" (191 cm), he decided to become a professional tennis player.

In 1937, at the age of 25, Willard Parker made a significant career change. He changed his name to a more memorable stage name, Willard Parker, and made his debut in the film industry with a role in the musical western "The Devil's Saddle Legion". Although Parker had previous stage experience, Hollywood at the time had no shortage of talented actors with attractive looks, so he initially received minor roles that were not even credited.

In 1940-1941, Parker played the lead role in the Broadway play "Johnny Belinda" and later performed in the musical "Lady in the Dark" in 1941-1942 and 1943. Eventually, his luck turned around when he signed a contract with Columbia Pictures and started receiving leading and supporting roles in B-movies. Many of his films belonged to the western, adventure, or action genres.

One of Parker's most memorable roles was in the 1953 musical "Kiss Me Kate" alongside Kathryn Grayson. In the mid-1950s, he shifted his focus to television and landed a prominent role in the series "Tales of the Texas Rangers" which aired from 1955 to 1959. Over the course of his career, which spanned from 1937 to 1972, Willard Parker appeared in more than 50 roles.

Outside of his acting career, Parker had a personal life filled with marriages. His first wife was theater actress Marion Pierce, whom he married in 1939. They had a son who later became a banker. Parker and Pierce divorced in 1951, and in the same year, he married British actress Virginia Field. It was Field's third and final marriage. They did not have any children together, but Parker raised Field's daughter from her previous marriage, Margaret Field Douglas, who was born in 1945.

Virginia Field passed away on January 2, 1992, at the age of 74. Willard Parker died on December 4, 1996, in Rancho Mirage, California, at the age of 84, due to a heart attack.