Matinee Classics - Tom Laughlin Biography & Filmography

Tom Laughlin ACTOR

TOM LAUGHLIN BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Tom Laughlin was born on August 10th, 1931 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with the middle name Robert. After high school he went on to study at the University of Wisconsin and then later transferred to Marquette University where he played college football.

His interest in acting first developed when he attended a production of, "A Streetcar Named Desire". He then continued playing college football but also joined the theater program. In addition, Laughlin formed his own stock group and not only acted but also directed the stage production of, "All My Sons".

Laughlin then made his third college transfer to the University of South Dakota, this time focusing his major in radio acting, directing and producing. After earning his college degree he began to pursue a career as an actor.

His work first started with appearing on the television series, "Climax!" (1955) followed by, "Matinee Theater" (1955), "Front Row Center" (1956) and "Navy Log" (1955-1956). In addition to his early television work he also added such film credits to his resume as, "These Wilder Years" (1956), "Tea and Sympathy"(1956), "The Delinquents" (1957), "Lafayette Escadrille" (1958), "South Pacific" (1958) and "Senior Prom" (1958).

In addition to his acting he also directed his first film, "The Proper Time" which released in 1960. Other films he directed over the course of his career were, "The Born Losers" (1967), "Billy Jack" (1971), "The Trail of Billy Jack" (1974) and "Billy Jack Goes to Washington" (1977).

In the early 1960's, he took a break from acting to open a Montessori preschool in Santa Monica, California which became the largest preschool of this type in California, although by 1965, the school went bankrupt. He then returned back to acting and directing.

Some of his latest acting roles before retiring were in the films, "The Master Gunfighter" (1975), "Voyage of the Damned" (1976), "The Big Sleep" (1978) and "The Legend of the Lone Ranger" (1981).

After retiring he turned his focus onto politics and tried to run for President of the United States in 1992, 2004 and again in 2008. He also became a published author writing numerous books on Jungian psychology and has developed a number of theories regarding the causes of cancer.

Tom Laughlin has married only one time to Delores Taylor whom he wed in 1954 and remains married today to her with three children. He resides in Camarillo, California and currently suffers from Coeliac disease which is an auto-immune disorder.