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Darryl Hickman

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Actor

The Resume

    (July 28, 1931- )
    Born in Hollywood, California
    Birth name is Darryl Gerard Hickman
    Child star, former television executive, and acting coach
    Older brother to television star Dwayne Hickman
    Appeared in close to 100 films by the age of 25
    Acted in 'The Grapes of Wrath,' 'Men of Boys Town,' 'The Human Comedy,' 'Leave Her to Heaven,' 'The Strange Love of Martha Ivers,' 'Captain Eddie,' 'Henry Aldrich, Boy Scout,' 'Tea and Sympathy,' 'The Happy Years,' and 'Network'
    Author of 'The Unconscious Actor: Out of Control, In Full Command,' published in April 2007
    Best known for his dramatic drowning scene, as Cornel Wilde's polio-stricken brother Danny, in 'Leave Her to Heaven'

Why he might be annoying:

    He was a Meglin Kiddie.
    He began his career at the age of 3.
    He claimed to have been named after Darryl F. Zanuck.
    As is often the case with ex-child stars, he tends to pepper his interviews with complaints about 'not having had a real childhood.'
    He was too shy to ask Liz Taylor out on a date and so he had Roddy McDowall do it for him on the studio backlot.
    He was intent on becoming a Passionate Monk in St. Louis but backed out, claiming that it 'wasn't for him.'
    In a cruel case of 'Baby Jane' irony, Dwayne was known as 'Darryl Hickman's brother' when they were kids, but outshone his brother as adults with his success as Dobie Gillis (at which point Darryl became known as 'Dwayne Hickman's brother').
    He claimed to have been treated terribly by 'Leave Her to Heaven' director, John M. Stahl, until the footage of his drowning scene was test screened for Zanuck, who raved about it.
    After the positive reviews of the scene, Stahl's treatment towards him improved and instead his negativity was directed at leading man, Cornel Wilde, who allegedly came up to him on his last day of filming to say 'I won't ever forget the way you've treated me.'

Why he might not be annoying:

    He called George Cukor 'the best director I'd ever worked with.'
    It's a cramp, Ellen! Ellen, it's a cramp! Ellen!! (still gives people chills)
    He nearly drowned and contracted pneumonia during the filming of the famous scene (the water was so cold that his stunt double backed out of the job).
    In a case of art imitating life, Gene Tierney reportedly acted like a cold, aloof bitch to him during filming.
    He, himself, had a good relationship with Cornel Wilde, and enjoyed playing football & baseball with him on the set.
    As of 2015, he is the last surviving cast member of 'The Grapes of Wrath' film.
    He decided he wanted to pursue acting into adulthood after watching Henry Fonda deliver his 'I'll be there' speech on the Grapes of Wrath studio lot.
    Henry Fonda wrote in Hickman's autograph book, 'proud I am to be your big brother.'
    He developed a remarkable grasp on the teachings of Stanislavski, eventually forming his own acting style called 'the Process.'
    He made several films, over the course of his career, with Shirley Temple.. Years later, he met her at a party and admitted to having had a crush on her - she replied, 'why didn't you say something, sooner? I had a crush on you too!'

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 16 Votes: 37.50% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 10 Votes: 30.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 20 Votes: 40.0% Annoying