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Born in Worcester, MA. On stage from 1934, he was brought to Hollywood by James Cagney, who saw him peform in Los Angeles, and made his screen debut in the role of the prodigy brother for whom Cagney sacrifices all in CITY FOR CONQUEST (1940). Dividing his time between coasts, Kennedy began building himself a reputation for excellence of performance on Broadway and in films. He triumphed on the stage in two Arthur Miller plays of the late 1940s, All My Sons (1947) and Death of a Salesman (1949). He won a Tony® Award for his portrayal of Biff in the latter. He later starred in two more Miller plays, The Crucible (1953) and The Price (1968). In films, meanwhile, he demonstrated great versatility in a wide range of supporting roles and occasional leads, portraying with admirable subtlety a broad array of character shades ranging from benevolent to villainous and gaining five Academy Award nominations for his efforts. In the 1970s he appeared in numerous cheap European melodramas and in TV movies. He was absent from the screen for much of the 80s, during which he battled thyroid cancer and eye disease. He died of a brain tumor at 76, survived by a daughter, actress Laurie Kennedy, from his marriage to stage actress Mary Cheffey.
5 nominations |
Nominated for Supporting Actor