Before undertaking any course of treatment please consult with your healthcare provider. Bill Bixby's death was caused by prostate cancer. He was great in a social settings and was considered a good guy, but one-on-one he was more reserved. In 1989 he was making a Hulk TV movie, where he met Laura Michaels, the two of them marrying in Hawaii a year later. Three years later, after that show went off the air, he moved into the role of a wise, stalwart parent in "The Courtship of Eddie's Father." During the same time, Bixby directed several episodes of another short-lived television series, Wizards and Warriors, which aired in 1983. A few months later, the actor, still full of positivity and vibrancy, met an artist, Judith Kliban, whom he married after a year of their relationship. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. Bixby was devastated by all of this, but nonetheless once again embraced work, which at that time was primarily the television series version of Marvel Comics' The Incredible Hulk. His light-hearted style was emphasized by his colleague, Ray Walston, to be the reason why many liked the actor. He did his final interview with Entertainment Tonight shortly before he died, and I think what we see there is a man whos very lonely. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! The actor continues to be remembered for his riveting performance and gregarious nature. As crazy as his private life might have been, publicly and professionally he was pretty much a goodie goodie., In that video interview with Entertainment Tonight mentioned by Grove,Bill himself commented on his own legacy, stating, I would hope that Ive left behind something that would lead to goodwill, and then my life would have been worth something.. During this time she married and divorced actor Paul Petersen. Charles B. Assiff (qv's & corrections by A. Nonymous), Other Works Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! Bixby starred in the role of Dr. David Banner in the pilot movie, The Incredible Hulk, based on the Stan Lee and Jack Kirby Marvel characters. Bill Bixby Wilfred Bailey Everett Bixby III (January 22, 1934 - November 22, 1993) [1] professionally known as Bill Bixby, was an American actor, director, producer, and frequent game-show panellist . ", "My prayer was that I would die in my sleep.". | He was only 59. They were married on July 4, 1971. She then placed a Colt .38-cal. The child was on a weekend trip to Mammoth Lakes, a Sierra ski resort, with his mother. He also directed three episodes of the series. Official Sites. The death of Bixby's only child, in 1981, drew Bixby and Cruz closer still. revolver into her mouth and pulled the trigger. The actor/director was diagnosed with prostate cancer in spring 1991. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Suggests Johnson, His determination to keep working right up through the pain and suffering that he went through with the prostate cancer was a testament to the kind of guy he was, and the kind of spirit Bill always had to do his very best work, and give the very most he could back to the people he was with., I found it troubling that Bill would feel that he wanted to work, Grove says. Advertisement Bixby, who died Nov. 21, 1993 at age 59, lost his only child to a curable throat infection when the boy was only 6. Following a run in NBCs 1973-74 series The Magician, actor starred from 1978-82 in CBS comic-book-based The Incredible Hulk, in which he played mild Dr. David Banner, researcher who through a freak lab accident changed when angry into a huge, green monster, played by weightlifter Lou Ferrigno. Bixby was known for his role alongside Walston in "My Favorite Martian" and in the 1977 "The Incredible Hulk: The Incredible Hulk. Miss Benet, 36 years old, was found Wednesday in the bathroom of her West Los Angeles house, said Officer Winston Jones. It was believed that this and her divorce from Bixby were the events which caused Brenda's life to spin out of control. Bill Bixby was born Wilfred Bailey Bixby on January 22, 1934 in San Francisco, California. In early 1993, after rumors began circulating about his health, Bixby went public with his illness, and made several appearances on shows such as Entertainment Tonight, Today, and Good Morning America, among others. How much is Adam West Worth? Private stuff was for private times., David Grove, who is currently writing the definitive biography of the actor, Bill Bixby: His Career, His Life, His Secrets,describes him as full of energy with an intense need to perform and be in the spotlight, while at the same time being private and secretive in his personal life in terms of sharing his thoughts or emotions. Months before his demise, Bixby started dating Judith Kliban, whom he later wed, following his first wife, Brenda Benet. How did Bill bixbys son die? [24] Benet committed suicide the following year.[25]. Michigan man's memory lapse leads to twin lottery jackpots. ", Bill Bixby as Tony Blake from the television program The Magician in 1973. [2], During the Korean War, Bixby was drafted shortly after his 18th birthday. They divorced in 1980. Immediately after he checked into the facility, surgeons diagnosed him with severe epiglottitis, and a few hours later, he went under the knife. Lana Wood, the Diamonds Are Forever Bond girl. Christopher was born Sept. 25, 1974 and attended school in Los Angeles. Bixby's ex-wife, actress Brenda Benet, killed herself less than a year after their son's death. A year later, Bixby's former wife - the child's mother -. Bixby was devastated by all of this, but nonetheless once again embraced work, which at that time was primarily the television series version of Marvel Comics The Incredible Hulk. I think most of us would hope that we were with family or perhaps traveling. She then placed a Colt .38-cal. It was believed that this and her divorce from Bixby were the events which caused Brenda's life to spin out of control. | Source: Getty Images. Jan. 18 (UPI) -- A teenager in Detroit has won a $613,000 Lucky 7 Fast Money jackpot with a ticket that was gifted to her by a friend. On April 7, 1982, she committed suicide by shooting herself in the head. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. See answer (1) Copy. It reached a point where he had to direct from a sofa. Bixby, who did not accompany his wife and child on the trip, was in Los Angeles at the time of his son's death, Halpern said. "There was one night, I'd been in terrible pain, and really a tremendous amount of pain. In late 1992, friends introduced Bixby to the artist Judith Kliban, widow of the cartoonist B. Kliban. I described him as a mysterious man, so you might think Bill was introverted. After that, he worked steadily in television and occasionally in films, including "Irma La Douce," "The Apple Dumpling Gang" and "Lonely Are the Brave." In the series, inspired by a Marvel comic-book character, Mr. Bixby played David Banner, a research scientist whose body chemistry is altered by a freak laboratory accident. Surgeons diagnosed the boy's ailment as acute epiglotitis and performed a tracheotomy on him Sunday, but the child lapsed into a coma and cardiac arrest after the operation and died about 6 p.m., Halpern added. There are people who have stars that, not to be blunt, but I wouldn't bother spitting on their stars. William Bixby, actor: born San Francisco 22 January 1934; married Brenda Benet(died 1982; one son deceased), 1993 Judith Klivan; died Los Angeles 21 November 1993. His mother, Jane (ne McFarland) Bixby, was a senior manager at I. Magnin & Co. His father, Wilfred Bailey Everett Bixby II, was a store clerk. From 1983 to 1984, he hosted a documentary series for Nickelodeon entitled Against the Odds. Bill treated me as an equal. ", Bill Bixby on "Love and the Legal Agreement. [2][3], An only child, Bixby was born Wilfred Bailey Everett Bixby III, a fourth-generation Californian of English descent, on January 22, 1934, in San Francisco, California. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. Bixby directed two episodes of The Oregon Trail. Before taking up directing duties for the comedy "Blossom," he directed several episodes of the ABC mini-series "Rich Man, Poor Man" in the 1970's. "| Source: Getty Images, Television historian Ed Robertson claimed that the actor knew how to play every role to the letter. Bill Bixby, television actor, director and producer best known for his starring role as Dr. . He would die on November 21, 1993, less than a week after he completed his final episode of Blossom pretty much working despite his impending death. Valerie Perrine and Bill Bixby appearing in the Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images TV movie 'The Couple Takes a Wife'. She was so effusive, such a quick wit. As a television actress with good dramatic scope, she managed to piece together a wide and impressive portfolio of guest shots in a career spanning just over 16 years before taking her life at the age of 36. 1907 His grandfather, Wilfred Everett, was a physician and surgeon, and was a University of California-Davis graduate in 1907. Actor Bill Paxton dead at age 61. [citation needed]. Despite the tragedies in his first marriage, the actor remained optimistic and was open to falling in love a second time. [18] The success of the pilot (coupled with some theatrical releases of the film in Europe) convinced CBS to turn it into a weekly series, which began airing in the spring of 1978. And when it came to the subject of death, it seems that his go-to response was to throw himself into work, whether that be acting or directing. All content, including text, and images contained on. The series was well liked, but lasted for only one season. With the loss of his son, Bixby felt intense anger, much of which he directed at Benet. The two remained in touch until Bixby's death in 1993. No marriage, no kids, and the disease continued to spread throughout his body. He underwent chemotherapy and surgery, which made his cancer remain in remission, up until the middle of 1992. He was working as a lifeguard when a Detroit advertising executive offered him a job. Wilfred Bailey Everett Bixby III (January 22, 1934 November 21, 1993)[1] professionally known as Bill Bixby, was an American actor, director, producer, and frequent game-show panellist. Jan. 17 (UPI) -- An Australian contortionist stood on her hands and used her feet to shoot an arrow 59 feet and 11 inches into a target for a Guinness World Record. | Source: Getty Images. She died instantly. First, he landed a minor role before his big break in the TV series "The Favorite Martian," "The Courtship of Eddie's Father," and "The Incredible Hulk." Kenneth Johnson, the creator, director, and writer, said that Bixby was his only choice to play the part. Kenneth Johnson, the creator and executive producer of the series which featured Bixby as Dr. David Banner and Lou Ferrigno as his alter ego, the Hulk reflects, I was with Bill through most of his most difficult and traumatic experiences, including his very bitter divorce and the sudden, startling death of his son, Christopher. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. He was so wonderful. Benet was devastated by her son's death and sank into a severe depression. Study now. Cruz believed that the actor's legacy would carry on despite Bixby's untimely death. Jan. 15 (UPI) -- The Chester Zoo in Cheshire, England, announced the birth of a critically Western endangered chimpanzee. Various roles, where she usually played the exotic type, followed throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Directing Blossom didnt accomplish anything in terms of his legacy. Mr. Bixby was the show's director. Professional wrestler Jay Briscoe dies in car accident at 38, Ukraine's interior minister, other officials killed in helicopter crash near school, Sister Andre, world's oldest living person, dies at 118, Qantas flight lands safely after engine trouble prompts mayday call, Herschel Walker campaign staffer accuses Matt Schlapp of sexual battery. | Source: Getty Images. The crew and cast members knew what he was going through and we gave him the space that he needed., Offers Grove, I had perceptions about the tragedies in Bills life that when Bill and Brenda got divorced, after their son died, that his anger toward Brenda was a dispositive factor in her committing suicide. The cause was prostate cancer, said Pamela Golum, a spokeswoman for the NBC-TV show "Blossom." In April 1982, after police had to break down the bathroom door in her Los Angeles home, they found Brenda dead on the floor after she shot herself in the head with a .38-caliber revolver, Police Sgt. After its cancellation, Bixby starred in four movies: Ride Beyond Vengeance, Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding!, and two of Elvis Presley's movies, Clambake and Speedway. He appeared on Broadway in "Under the Yum Yum Tree" in 1964 and "The Paisley Convertible" in 1967. The boy had fallen ill unexpectedly over the weekend, and his mother rushed him to Mammoth Hospital that same day. "[14], In a 2011 interview with Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith about how Bill Bixby's fame was supposed to posthumously honor him for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Cruz said, "When I found out they were putting this out, I thought, 'It's about time.' He also worked on some films titled "Lonely Are the Brave" and "Irma La Douche. 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