Who was Dwayne Hickman? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Dwayne Bernard Hickman

Died At Age: 87

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Joan Roberts (m. 1983), Carol Christensen (m. 1963–1972), Joanne Papile (m. 1977–1981)

father: Milton

mother: Katherine Hickman

children: Albert Thomas Hickman, John Hickman

Born Country: United States

Actors American Men

Height: 5'8" (173 cm), 5'8" Males

Died on: January 9, 2022

place of death: Los Angeles, California, United States

Cause of Death: Parkinson's Disease

U.S. State: California

City: Los Angeles

More Facts

education: Loyola Marymount University

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Childhood & Early Life

Dwayne Hickman was born on May 18, 1934, in Los Angeles, California, USA, to Milton and Katherine Hickman. His father was an insurance salesman and his mother was a housewife. He grew up alongside his elder brother Darryl Hickman.

He studied at Cathedral High School, graduating in 1952, and later attended Loyola University.

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Career

One of Dwayne Hickman’s early acting roles was in 1942, in an “Our Gang” comedy titled ‘Melodies Old and New’. In the ensuing years, he had roles in the films ‘Captain Eddie’, ‘The Hoodlum Saint’, ‘Faithful in My Fashion’, and ‘The Secret Heart’.

In 1946, he was cast as Bobby in Columbia Pictures’ second instalment in the eight-part “Rusty” movie series ‘The Return of Rusty’. The film also starred Ted Donaldson, John Litel, Mark Dennis and Barbara Wooddell in lead roles.

Hickman later reprised his role of Bobby in ‘For the Love of Rusty’, ‘The Son of Rusty’, ‘My Dog Rusty’, ‘Rusty Leads the Way’, ‘Rusty Saves a Life’ and ‘Rusty's Birthday’.

The year 1950, saw him in ‘The Happy Years’, a film that depicted the adventures of a young school boy. That year, the actor also guest-starred in an episode of ‘The Lone Ranger’.

He then took a break from acting to complete his education and eventually made a comeback with appearances in ‘Lux Video Theatre’ and ‘The Loretta Young Show’.

From 1955 to 1959, he played his breakthrough role of Chuck on ‘The Bob Cummings Show’. While still on the show, he also had guest appearances on ‘The Adventures of Ozzie’ and ‘Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!’

Hickman next featured in the western musical comedy movie 'Cat Ballou' in 1965. The story involves a lady who hires a gunman to protect her father’s ranch, and later to avenge his murder, just to discover that the gunman is not what she expected.

He then went on to sign a deal with American International Pictures. With the studio, he worked on the movies ‘Ski Party’, ‘How to Stuff a Wild Bikini’ and ‘Dr Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine’, all of which were released in 1965.

One of his last feature film roles was in the 1967 movie ‘Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding’. In his later acting career, the artist also guest-starred on ‘The Flying Nun’, ‘Vacation Playhouse’, and ‘Kolchak: The Night Stalker’ among other TV shows.

From 1977 to 1988, he worked as a programming executive at the renowned television network CBS.

In the late 1980s, he began trying his hands in directing, directing episodes of the TV shows ‘Charles in Charge’, ‘Duet’, ‘Open House’, ‘Get a Life’, ‘Designing Women’, and ‘Sister, Sister’.

Hickman also occasionally acted in the late 1980s and 1990s, performing in the movie ‘A Night at the Roxbury’ and the TV series ‘Murder, She Wrote’. He had a semi-regular role on the TV series ‘Clueless.’

Major Works

In 1958, Dwayne Hickman was cast in the titular role of Dobie in ‘The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis’. The show aired on CBS from 1959 until 1963. The actor’s performance garnered much attention as he played a teenager at the age of twenty-five!

Personal Life, Family & Death

Dwayne Hickman married actress, Carol Christensen, in 1963. They had a son named John Christensen Hickman. The couple divorced in 1972.

The actor married his second wife, Joanne Purtle Papile, in 1977. Their marriage lasted till 1981.

Hickman then went on to tie the knot for the third time, this time with actress/writer, Joan Roberts. The two married in 1983, and were together until his death. They had a son named Albert Thomas Hickman.

Death

Dwayne Hickman died on January 9, 2022, from complications of Parkinson's disease in Los Angeles. He was 87.

Dwayne Hickman Biography

Death