David Janssen

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David Janssen portrayed as Dr. Richard Kimble in the tv-series The Fugitive.

David Janssen (March 27, 1931 – February 13, 1980) was an American film and television actor who is best-known for his starring role as Dr. Richard Kimble in the hit television series The Fugitive (ABC, 1963-1967) with Barry Morse (Lt. Philip Gerard).

He also starred in the TV series Richard Diamond, Private Detective, O'Hara, U.S. Treasury, and Harry O, and in a number of films, including John Wayne's The Green Berets, and the science fiction film Marooned, and had a starring role in Generation, a comedy that also featured Pete Duel, Kim Darby, and Carl Reiner.

Janssen was born David Harold Meyer, but following his parents' divorce (when David was 5), his mother took him to Los Angeles and eventually married Eugene Janssen. David used his stepfather's name after he entered show business as a child. His first film part was at the age of 13, and by his 25 birthday, he had appeared in 20 films and done two years as an enlisted man in the U.S. Army.

A smoker and a heavy drinker, plus a constant worker, Janssen died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 48 in Malibu, California. (See Lifestyle diseases.) He was interred in the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California.

His final role was as Father Damien, the priest who exiled himself to serve the leper colony on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. He died two days into filming, and Ken Howard took his place in the title role when filming resumed.