David Hedison who portrayed Captain Lee Crane of the Seaview on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and the ill-fated scientist, Andre Delambre in The Fly, has left us.
Born Albert David Hedison, Jr. he was born May 20, 1927 in Providence, Rhode Island where his family owned a jewelry business. As a young man, after going to the local movie theatre to see Blood and Sand, he decided acting was to be his profession.
Mr. Hedison focused on his profession by starting out on stage where he received the prestigious World Theatre Award for best newcomer and was picked up by 20th Century Fox as a contract actor back in the late ‘50s.
Mr. Hedison was friends with the late Roger Moore where he was the first actor to portray James Bond’s confidant, C.I.A. agent Felix Leiter in Live and Let Die, as well as with Timothy Dalton’s Bond in License to Kill. On an obscure, pre-destination note, he starred as a veiled Felix Leiter to Roger Moore’s veiled James Bond in The Saint episode, Luella. It’s a must see – especially the ending.
Other notable roles include, Perry Mason, Marines Let’s Go, The Lost World, The Enemy Below, The A-Team, Murder, She Wrote, Superman, and The Secret Planet where he voiced Jor-El, plus many more.
Back in the late ‘80’s there was talk about reviving the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea television series where Mr. Hedison was asked to portray his character again. Mr. Hedison said no as Richard Baseheart who portrayed the inventor of the Seaview, Admiral Nelson, had passed away and said it wouldn’t be the same without him at the helm.
Mr. Hedison was up for the father of The Brady Bunch in the series of the same name but turned it down surmising after four years of subs and monsters, who need kids and dogs?
Mr. Hedison was a true actor who loved his craft and entertained us all.
STARBURST sends out our good thoughts to his family and friends.
