Deforest Kelly is a talented actor who left this world in 1999. Despite his departure, he continues to live in roles played. In childhood, he presented himself as a doctor saving people. It is not surprising that 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?
Deforest Kelly: childhood
The birthplace of the famous American is the state of Georgia, where he was born in 1920. Deforest Kelly, in early childhood, chose his uncle to be his idol, a talented doctor who achieved great success in his profession. The boy also intended to connect life with medicine. But the Great Depression that broke out roughly interfered with his plans. My parents did not find the means to pay for my son’s studies. It is also known that as a child, Deforest Kelly soloed in a church choir. Skills acquired in a Baptist ward have been useful to him many times.
Adolescence
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 everyone, he decided to stay, finding a part-time job at an oil company. It was there that Deforest Kelly first became interested in theater. He joined an amateur troupe. The youth of the actor fell on the difficult years of World War II. He was forced to quit his job and go to the front, becoming a member of the American Air Corps.
Post-war years
This is not to say that the path of the actor to fame was long and winding. He received his first role in 1945. This happened a few months after Kelly returned from the front. The debut for the talented young man was the short film "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. The master decided that the aspiring actor is ideally suited to embody one of the key images in his new detective novel “Fear in the Night”. The picture tells of a man who sees a prophetic dream of being charged with murder. Critics and viewers approvingly approached the tape.
Marriage
Even before the start of World War II, Kelly Deforest met a charming girl - Caroline Dowling. The young people met through an amateur theater in which they both performed. Caroline promised to wait for her lover from the front, and she kept this word. Already in 1945, a wedding took place, which was modest due to the lack of funds for the newlyweds.
It is known that they even saved on registration by contacting a judge who did not charge fees for registering marriages of front-line soldiers. The Indian rings, which the newlyweds put on each other's fingers during the ceremony, also looked original. Jewelry cost no more than 25 cents. The union, made in a hurry, turned out to be surprisingly strong, Caroline and Kelly were separated only by 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 path to fame.
Films and TV shows
What does his biography say about further roles? Deforest Kelly, shortly after moving to New York, starred in the movie "You Are Here." The audience reacted to the dramatic story coolly. However, the directors drew attention to a talented actor. His first significant success was an invitation to the film "Last Shootout in Corral County," where Douglas and Lancaster became his partners on the set.
It was thanks to the role of Ike Clanton, in the image of which Kelly organically blended during the filming of the aforementioned film, that he was called enthusiastically for many years to play bad guys. Deforest often accepted such offers, as evidenced by the Westerns with his participation: "Sorcerer", "County of Weeping Trees." However, he was not left with a dream to leave a 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 Went. Unfortunately, the film did not become popular.
"Star way"
As already mentioned, Deforest Kelly starred not only in successful films. Films with his participation often received negative reviews from critics. For example, you can recall the tape "Police Story", in which the actor was invited by Roddenberry. The project had high expectations that did not materialize. However, it was thanks to the filming in this picture that Kelly got on the set of Star Trek.
Dr. Leonard McCoy - that’s how Deforest is forever remembered by thousands of viewers. His famous character is a ship's doctor, constantly inventing in his secret laboratory the antidotes that protect heroes from various cosmic misfortunes. The actor had the opportunity to try on the image of Leonard McCoy on himself in numerous sequels of cult history. The audience would be indignant if the bright character played by Deforest Kelly was cut from the plot. The best films with his participation are those that belong to the Star Trek epic. The critics are unanimous in this.
Interesting Facts
Few people know that gardening was Kelly's favorite business. The actor got the opportunity to indulge in his hobby when he made a difficult decision to go on a well-deserved rest. The favorite flowers of "Dr. McCoy" were roses, which he enthusiastically grew on his site. But not only gardening Kelly Deforest was fond of. From childhood, he could not imagine life without reading. The actor gave preference to poems that he himself tried to write. Unfortunately, he considered 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 did not have children remained unknown. The actor never agreed to answer this question when asked by journalists.
Death
The actor died in June 1999. His death came after a long illness. Therefore, his loved ones were ready for parting. "Dr. McCoy" lived in the world for 79 years. His body was cremated, as he desired in his will.