DeForest Kelly: biography, filmography and interesting facts

Defoe Kelly is a talented actor who left this world in 1999. Despite his departure, he continues to live in the roles played. As a child, he pictured himself as a doctor who saved people. Not surprisingly, his most famous character was Dr. Leonard McCoy, whose image Kelly embodied in the cult television project "Star Trek". What is known about the celebrity?

Kelly's Deforest: Childhood

Homeland of the famous American is the state of Georgia, where he was born in 1920. Defoe Kelly in his early childhood for the role of his idol chose his uncle - a talented doctor who achieved great success in his profession. The boy also intended to connect life with medicine. But the Great Depression broke into his plans roughly. Parents did not have the means to pay for their son's studies. It is also known that in his childhood DeForest Kelly was a soloist in the church choir. Acquired in the Baptist parish skills are useful to him in life.

Youth years

After leaving school, the future actor went to relatives in Long Beach, intending to spend in California only a couple of weeks. However, unexpectedly for all, he decided to stay, having found work in the oil company. It was there that DeForest Kelly first became interested in the theater. He joined an amateur troupe. The actor's youth fell on the hard years of the Second World War. He was forced to quit his job and go to the front, becoming a member of the American Air Corps.

Postwar years

It can not be said that the actor's path to fame was long and winding. His first role he received in 1945. This happened a few months after Kelly returned from the front. The debut for a talented young man was the short film "The Time to Kill." Two years later Kelly Deforest starred for the first time. Unusual appearance allowed him to attract the attention of director Maxwell Shane. Maître decided that the novice actor is ideal for embodying one of the key images in his new detective "Fear in the Night." The picture tells of a man who sees a prophetic dream about bringing him charges of murder. Critics and audience approvingly reacted to the tape.

Marriage

Even before the start of World War II, Kelly Deforest met a charming girl - Caroline Dowling. Young people met through the amateur theater, in which they both performed. Caroline promised to wait for the lover from the front, and she kept her promise. Already in 1945, a wedding took place, which turned out to be modest in view of the lack of funds from the newlyweds.

It is known that they saved even on registration, referring to a judge who did not take payment for registration of marriages of soldiers. Originally looked and Indian rings, which the newlyweds put on each other's fingers during the ceremony. Ornaments cost no more than 25 cents. The union, in a hurry, was surprisingly strong, Caroline and Kelly separated only the death of the actor. After the wedding, the newlyweds settled in New York. Caroline did not seek recognition as an actress. She preferred to become a manager in a large corporation. Her husband decided to continue his journey to glory.

Movies and TV shows

What does his biography say about his future roles? Deflowing Kelly soon after moving to New York, starred in the movie "You're here." The audience reacted to the dramatic story coolly. However, the directors paid attention to the talented actor. His first significant success was the invitation to the tape "The Last Shootout in the District of Corral", where his partners on the set were Douglas and Lancaster.

It was thanks to the role of Hayk Clenton, in the image of which Kelly organically blended during the filming in the above picture, he was for many years enthusiastically called to play bad guys. Deborest often accepted such proposals, as evidenced by the westerns with his participation: "Sorcerer", "County of Weeping Trees." However, he did not leave the dream of leaving the bored role in the past. For the sake of this, Kelly agreed to embody the image of a romantic hero in the drama "Where Love Has Leave." Unfortunately, the film did not become popular.

"Star Trek"

As already mentioned, not only in the successful films filmed DeForest Kelly. Films with his participation often received negative reviews from critics. For example, you can remember the tape "Police Story", in which the actor invited Roddenberry. The project had high expectations, which were not justified. However, it was thanks to the shooting in this picture that Kelly got on the set of "Star Trek".

Dr. Leonard McCoy - that's how Deforest forever remembered thousands of spectators. His famous character is a ship's doctor, constantly inventing in his secret laboratory antidotes, which protect heroes from various cosmic misfortunes. Leonard McCoy's image of the actor was able to try on himself and in numerous continuations of the cult history. The audience would be outraged if a bright character, played by Deforest Kelly, was cut from the plot. The best films with his participation are those that belong to the epic "Star Trek". In this critics are unanimous.

Interesting Facts

Few people know that Kelly's favorite business was gardening. The actor got the opportunity to indulge his hobby when he made a difficult decision to retire to a well-deserved rest. Favorite flowers of "Dr. McCoy" were roses, which he enthusiastically grew on his site. But not only gardening was fond of Kelly Deforest. From childhood he could not imagine life without reading. The actor gave preference to poems, which he tried to write himself. Unfortunately, he found the fruits of his work unworthy of publication. Also from time to time he was captured by painting. However, these periods did not happen often. The reasons why Kelly and his wife had no children remained unknown. The actor never agreed to answer this question when he was asked by journalists.

Death

The actor did not become in June 1999. His death came after a long illness. Therefore, his relatives were already ready to part. "Dr. McCoy" lived in the world for 79 years. His body was cremated, as he wished in his will.