Gil Perkins

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Gil Perkins
Perkins in Teenage Thunder (1957)
Born
Gilbert Vincent Perkins

August 24, 1907 (1907-08-24)
Melbourne, Australia
DiedMarch 28, 1999 (1999-03-29) (aged 91)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1929–1980

Gilbert Vincent Perkins (24 August 1907 – 28 March 1999) was an Australian film and television actor.

Early life[edit]

As a teenager, Perkins was a trackman and an athlete. He ran away from home at a young age and joined the crew of a Norwegian cargo ship as a deck hand.

Early career[edit]

In his early adult life, he left for Hollywood. He modified his Australian accent to be more British-sounding so that he could portray British characters. His first role was as an extra for The Divine Lady in 1929, while his first credited role was as Sgt. Cox in Journey's End the following year.

Career peak[edit]

Eventually, Perkins became a regular stuntman for William Boyd. He also did stunt work for Bruce Cabot in King Kong and Spencer Tracy in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He also worked for Universal Pictures in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. Throughout his career, he acted and did stunts in many feature films and television shows. In 1956 Perkins appeared as Mingo in the TV western Cheyenne in the episode titled "Johnny Bravo."

He also did some special effect work, normally for action sequences. He appeared as a Gladiator in Demetrius and the Gladiators, a sequel to 20th Century Fox's biblical epic, The Robe. He was already 50 years of age when he played the "teenaged" monster in the 1958 science fiction/horror film Teenage Monster.[1]

Later works[edit]

In 1960, Perkins co-founded the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures. Four years later, he became the treasurer of the Screen Actors Guild, a position he held for fifteen years. His official retirement was in 1972, though he continued working for some years later. His last acting role was in Raging Bull in 1980, but his last credited role was as a fantasy lover in Odyssey, the Ultimate Trip. He died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, of natural causes, and was cremated with his ashes scattered at sea.[2]

Filmography[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ IMDb, Teenage Monster, 1958.
  2. ^ Wilson, Scott (19 August 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. ISBN 9781476625997.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gil Perkins.
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