John Hillerman
Encyclopedia
John Benedict Hillerman (born December 20, 1932) is an American
actor, known for his starring role on the television show Magnum, P.I.
, the son of Lenora Joan (née Medlinger) and Christopher Benedict Hillerman, a gas station owner. Young Hillerman grew up in Denison and attended St. Xavier's Academy. After graduation, he attended the University of Texas at Austin
for three years where he majored in journalism
. In 1953, he joined the United States Air Force
, serving for four years and achieving the rank of Sergeant
. During his years of military service, he worked with various theatrical groups, and upon his discharge he moved to New York City
to study at the American Theatre Wing
. In 1957, he began his career in professional theater as the resident juvenile at Chautauqua Playhouse in Middleton, Ohio
.
in 1959 and worked in live performances in a variety of venues before making his motion picture debut in 1970. He had roles in such noteworthy films as The Last Picture Show
(1971), What's Up, Doc?
(1972), High Plains Drifter
(1973), Paper Moon
(1973), Blazing Saddles
(1974), and Chinatown (1974). His other roles include Lucky Lady
(1975), and a small appearance in the comedy film Up the Creek (1984).
In 1975, he was a co-star in Ellery Queen
as Simon Brimmer, a radio detective
who hosted a live
radio show
and tried to outsmart Ellery Queen (Jim Hutton
). From 1976 to 1980, he had a recurring role as Mr. Conners on the television series One Day at a Time
, and he co-starred as Betty White's
ex-husband on the short-lived The Betty White Show
in 1977.
In 1982 John Hillerman played in the T.V. pilot of Tales of the Gold Monkey
, where he played a Nazi character by the name of Monocle. He is probably best remembered for his role as former British Army
Sergeant Major
Jonathan Quayle Higgins III
("Higgins") on the television series Magnum, P.I.
(1980–1988). The English accent that Hillerman used as Jonathan Higgins in Magnum P.I. and in other roles is not natural. Hailing from Texas, Hillerman had to learn this accent, which he developed by watching and listening to the performances of Laurence Olivier
.
In 1984, he hosted the David Hemmings
directed puzzle video Money Hunt: The Mystery of the Missing Link
. In 1990, Hillerman returned to television to perform for one season as Lloyd Hogan in the series The Hogan Family
.
In 1993, he appeared in Berlin Break for one season. He played the role of Mac Mackenzie, a former spy and currently the proprietor of "Mac's", a bar in West Berlin
considered to be neutral territory during the Cold War. He teamed up with two jobless spies as investigators: Valentin Renko (Nicholas Clay), an ex-KGB
agent, and Willy Richter (Kai Wulff), an ex-BND
(West German secret service) operative. The show also featured Jeff MacKay
(who played "Mac" MacReynolds in Magnum P.I.).
Hillerman retired in 2009, and now resides in his home state of Texas
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor, known for his starring role on the television show Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I. is an American television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from 1980 to 1988 in first-run broadcast on the American CBS television network....
Early life
Hillerman was born in Denison, TexasDenison, Texas
Denison is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States. The population was 22,773 at the 2000 census; it is estimated to have grown to 24,127 in 2009. Denison is one of two principal cities in the Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, the son of Lenora Joan (née Medlinger) and Christopher Benedict Hillerman, a gas station owner. Young Hillerman grew up in Denison and attended St. Xavier's Academy. After graduation, he attended the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
for three years where he majored in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
. In 1953, he joined the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, serving for four years and achieving the rank of Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
. During his years of military service, he worked with various theatrical groups, and upon his discharge he moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to study at the American Theatre Wing
American Theatre Wing
The American Theatre Wing is a New York City-based organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre," according to its mission statement...
. In 1957, he began his career in professional theater as the resident juvenile at Chautauqua Playhouse in Middleton, Ohio
Middleton, Ohio
Middleton is the name of two places in the U.S. state of Ohio:*Middleton, Columbiana County, Ohio*Middleton, Hocking County, Ohio...
.
Career
Hillerman appeared on BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in 1959 and worked in live performances in a variety of venues before making his motion picture debut in 1970. He had roles in such noteworthy films as The Last Picture Show
The Last Picture Show
The Last Picture Show is a 1971 American drama film directed by Peter Bogdanovich, adapted from a semi-autobiographical 1966 novel of the same name by Larry McMurtry....
(1971), What's Up, Doc?
What's Up, Doc? (1972 film)
What's Up, Doc? is a 1972 screwball comedy film released by Warner Bros., directed by Peter Bogdanovich and starring Barbra Streisand, Ryan O'Neal, and Madeline Kahn...
(1972), High Plains Drifter
High Plains Drifter
High Plains Drifter is a 1973 American Western film, with a hint of the supernatural, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood and produced by Robert Daley for The Malpaso Company and Universal Pictures. Eastwood plays a mysterious gunfighter hired by the residents of a corrupt frontier mining town...
(1973), Paper Moon
Paper Moon (film)
Paper Moon is a 1973 American comedy film directed by Peter Bogdanovich and released by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was adapted from the novel Addie Pray by Joe David Brown, and the film was shot in black-and-white. The film is set during the Great Depression in the U.S. states of Kansas and...
(1973), Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles is a 1974 satirical Western comedy film directed by Mel Brooks. Starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, the film was written by Brooks, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, and Al Uger, and was based on Bergman's story and draft. The movie was nominated for three...
(1974), and Chinatown (1974). His other roles include Lucky Lady
Lucky Lady
Lucky Lady is a 1975 American film directed by Stanley Donen and starring Gene Hackman, Liza Minnelli and Burt Reynolds, with Robby Benson. Its story takes place during Prohibition in the United States in the year 1930....
(1975), and a small appearance in the comedy film Up the Creek (1984).
In 1975, he was a co-star in Ellery Queen
Ellery Queen (TV series)
Ellery Queen is an American television detective mystery series that ran for one season from 1975 to 1976 on NBC. It starred Jim Hutton as Ellery Queen, and David Wayne as his father, Inspector Richard Queen...
as Simon Brimmer, a radio detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
who hosted a live
Live radio
Live radio is radio broadcast without delay. Before the days of television, audiences listened to live dramas, comedies, quiz shows, and concerts on the radio much the same way that they now do on TV. Most talk radio is live radio where people can speak about their opinions/lives....
radio show
Radio programming
Radio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
and tried to outsmart Ellery Queen (Jim Hutton
Jim Hutton
Dana James Hutton , usually credited as Jim Hutton, was an American actor in film and television probably best remembered for his role as Ellery Queen in the 1970s TV series of the same name.-Early life and career:...
). From 1976 to 1980, he had a recurring role as Mr. Conners on the television series One Day at a Time
One Day at a Time
One Day at a Time is an American situation comedy on the CBS network that aired from December 16, 1975 until May 28, 1984. It portrays Ann Romano, a divorced mother, played by Bonnie Franklin, her two teenage daughters Julie and Barbara Cooper and Schneider, their building superintendent .The show...
, and he co-starred as Betty White's
Betty White
Betty White Ludden , better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and...
ex-husband on the short-lived The Betty White Show
The Betty White Show
The Betty White Show is an American sitcom which aired on CBS from September 12, 1977, to January 2, 1978. Fourteen episodes were transmitted. The series was produced by MTM Enterprises.-Synopsis:...
in 1977.
In 1982 John Hillerman played in the T.V. pilot of Tales of the Gold Monkey
Tales of the Gold Monkey
Tales of the Gold Monkey is a 1982 television show broadcast by ABC. Most critics saw it as the network's attempt to capitalize on the fame of the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark the previous year, in the same vein as Bring 'Em Back Alive on CBS...
, where he played a Nazi character by the name of Monocle. He is probably best remembered for his role as former British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
Sergeant Major
Sergeant Major
Sergeants major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. In Commonwealth countries, Sergeants Major are usually appointments held by senior non-commissioned officers or warrant officers...
Jonathan Quayle Higgins III
Jonathan Higgins
-Bibliography:*Heroes, Monsters & Messiahs, Page 220 by Elizabeth Hirschman - 2000*Harry and Wally's Favorite TV shows, pages 307-307 by Harry Castleman and Walter J...
("Higgins") on the television series Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I. is an American television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from 1980 to 1988 in first-run broadcast on the American CBS television network....
(1980–1988). The English accent that Hillerman used as Jonathan Higgins in Magnum P.I. and in other roles is not natural. Hailing from Texas, Hillerman had to learn this accent, which he developed by watching and listening to the performances of Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
.
In 1984, he hosted the David Hemmings
David Hemmings
David Edward Leslie Hemmings was an English film, theatre and television actor as well as a film and television director and producer....
directed puzzle video Money Hunt: The Mystery of the Missing Link
Money Hunt: The Mystery of the Missing Link
Money Hunt: The Mystery of the Missing Link was a 1984 contest video directed by David Hemmings and written by Gregory Ross. The video was a contest containing the clues necessary to solve a puzzle...
. In 1990, Hillerman returned to television to perform for one season as Lloyd Hogan in the series The Hogan Family
The Hogan Family
The Hogan Family is an American television situation comedy that aired from March 1, 1986 to July 20, 1991...
.
In 1993, he appeared in Berlin Break for one season. He played the role of Mac Mackenzie, a former spy and currently the proprietor of "Mac's", a bar in West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
considered to be neutral territory during the Cold War. He teamed up with two jobless spies as investigators: Valentin Renko (Nicholas Clay), an ex-KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
agent, and Willy Richter (Kai Wulff), an ex-BND
Bundesnachrichtendienst
The Bundesnachrichtendienst [ˌbʊndəsˈnaːχʁɪçtnˌdiːnst] is the foreign intelligence agency of Germany, directly subordinated to the Chancellor's Office. Its headquarters are in Pullach near Munich, and Berlin . The BND has 300 locations in Germany and foreign countries...
(West German secret service) operative. The show also featured Jeff MacKay
Jeff MacKay
Jeffery Neill MacKay was an American character actor.MacKay is best remembered as Magnum's friend "Mac" on Magnum, P.I., he was also featured in recurring roles in Black Sheep Squadron, JAG, Battlestar Galactica, Airwolf, The Greatest American Hero, and Tales of the Gold...
(who played "Mac" MacReynolds in Magnum P.I.).
Hillerman retired in 2009, and now resides in his home state of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Awards and nominations
- Hillerman was nominated for the Golden Globe AwardGolden Globe AwardThe Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
s for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV in 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987 and 1988 for his role in Magnum, P.I.Magnum, P.I.Magnum, P.I. is an American television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from 1980 to 1988 in first-run broadcast on the American CBS television network....
He won the award in 1982.
- Hillerman was nominated for an Emmy AwardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama SeriesPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor - Drama SeriesThis is a list of the winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.-1960s:*1960: no award*1961: Roddy McDowall – Not Without Honor*1962: no award*1963: no award...
in 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1987 for his role in Magnum, P.I. He won the award in 1987.