Biography
John Saxon never intentionally set out to be a Brando clone, but his resemblance to
Marlon Brando was something he was born with, so what was there to do? A student of
Stella Adler at the Actor's Studio, Saxon's first film was
Running Wild (1955). Thanks to "hunk" assignments in films like
The Restless Years (1957),
The Reluctant Debutante (1958), and Summer Youth (1958), Saxon was briefly the object of many a teenage crush. He shed himself of his heartthrob image in the early '60s with a string of unsympathetic roles, making a leading man comeback of sorts as
Bruce Lee's co-star in the immensely popular
Enter the Dragon (1973). Fans could watch Saxon's expertise as an actor increase (and his hairline recede) during his three-year (1969-1972) stint as Dr. Ted Stuart on the NBC television series The Bold Ones. He later appeared as a semiregular on the prime-time TV soaper
Dallas. In 1988, John Saxon made his directorial debut with the low-budget feature Death House. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide