Gene Evans

Diagnoses

Vocation

Family

American actor with a career that spanned four decades. He got his first taste of theatrical fun during WWII when he performed with a troupe of fellow soldiers in Europe. His military service as an Army combat engineer saw combat and trauma and he was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star for bravery in action. When the war ended, he made his way back to California where he had spent part of his youth. In 1947, he made his debut in a film "Under Colorado Skies." He subsequently appeared in many Westerns and action movies as well as TV series. He often played gritty, hard-boiled characters. His movies included "The War Wagon" (1967), T"he Ballad of Cable Hogue," (1970) "Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid" (1973) and Walking Tall (1973). Some consider his performance in the 1951 movie "The Steel Helmet" to be his finest. For lighter fare, he appeared in "Operation Petticoat" (1959). In 1956, he became a familiar face to TV audiences when he played the father in the series "My Friend Flicka." Evans remained active in film and TV until the late 1980s. He died of heart failure on April 1, 1998 in Jackson, Tennessee, age 73, survived by three children. Link to Wikipedia biography