Who was Paul Gleason? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Paul Xavier Gleason

Died At Age: 67

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Candy Moore (m. 1971 – div. 1978), Susan Kehl (m. 1995 – his death. 2006)

father: George L. Gleason

mother: Eleanor Doyle

Actors American Men

Height: 6'0" (183 cm), 6'0" Males

Died on: May 27, 2006

place of death: Burbank, California, United States

: Lung Cancer

Cause of Death: Cancer

City: Jersey City, New Jersey

U.S. State: New Jersey

More Facts

education: Florida State University

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Career

In 1959–60, Paul Gleason signed a professional baseball contract with the Cleveland Indians and played two minor league seasons before pursuing his sudden interest in acting. He made his uncredited film debut in the movie ‘Panic in Year Zero!’ (1962), followed by an official appearance in the movie ‘Winter A-Go-Go’ in 1965. He also made guest appearances in many TV series including ‘The Green Hornet’, ‘Mission Impossible’, and ‘Adam-12’ in the late 1960s. After working with many smaller productions, he made his first Broadway appearance in Neil Simon's ‘The Gingerbread Lady’ (1971). He then appeared in revivals of ‘The Front Page’ (1972) and ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest’ (1973). His first notable film role was of Long Tom in ‘Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze’ (1975) after which he worked extensively in Roger Corman productions.

He made appearances in more than 60 movies and was well-known for portraying Dr. David Thornton in ‘All My Children’ (1976-78). He also received much acclaim for the role of the no-nonsense principal Richard Vernon in ‘The Breakfast Club’ (1985). His other popular works include the role of an FBI agent in ‘Trading Places’ (1982), and a police chief in ‘Die Hard’ (1988) and ‘Miami Blues’ (1990). He also made several television appearances in shows like ‘Hill Street Blues’ (1981), ‘Friends’ (1994), and ‘Dawson's Creek’ (1998). He made his last appearance in an independent film ‘The Book of Caleb’ for which he received his first and only producer’s credit.

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Family & Personal Life

Paul Gleason was born on May 4, 1939, in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Eleanor (née Doyle) and George L. Gleason. His mother was a registered nurse and his father was a professional boxer, restaurateur, ironworker, and roofing manufacturer. Not long after his birth, his family moved to Florida where he grew up on Miami Beach. At the age of 16, he ran away from home and hitchhiked on the east coast where he played baseball and slept on the beaches.

He studied in North Miami High School and Florida State University on a football scholarship. Being an athlete, he predicted that his career would be in sports and signed a professional baseball contract with the Cleveland Indians but played in just two minor league seasons between 1959 and 1960.

He was introduced to sitcom icon Ozzie Nelson during a trip to the west coast in his last season, which led to an appearance in ‘The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet’. Suddenly, acting became an option for him given his stagnant baseball career. He then joined The Actors Studio in New York City, where he trained for four years under the mentorship of Lee Strasberg before moving to Los Angeles and making his acting debut. Along with his acting career, he participated in many celebrity golf tournaments each year, mingling with fans and signing autographs.

He married actress Candy Moore on March 13, 1971. The couple had one daughter named Shannon Gleason and divorced in 1978. Later on, he married Susan Kehl in 1995 and remained married until his death. The couple had one daughter, Kaitlin Gleason, and a son.

He died on May 27, 2006, in a hospital in Burbank, California, from mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer linked to asbestos to which he was most likely exposed in his teenage years while assisting his father on construction jobs. He was 67 years old. His remains were buried near the south-east corner of the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, LA.

Paul Gleason Biography