Rod Taylor

Acting

Rod Taylor

Born January 11, 1930 · Sydney - New South Wales - Australia

Died January 7, 2015 · aged 84

Rodney Sturt "Rod" Taylor (January 11, 1930 – January 7, 2015) was an Australian-born American actor of film and television. He appeared in over 50 films, including leading roles in The Time Machine, Seven Seas to Calais, The Birds, Sunday in New York, Young Cassidy, Dark of the Sun, The Liquidator, and The Train Robbers.

Known For

Inglourious BasterdsInglourious Basterds · 2009
Inglourious Basterds
8.22009
MovieDramaThriller
In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds, lead by Lt. Aldo Raine soon cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl who runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers.
One Hundred and One DalmatiansOne Hundred and One Dalmatians · 1961
One Hundred and One Dalmatians
7.21961
MovieAdventureAnimation
When a litter of dalmatian puppies are abducted by the minions of Cruella De Vil, the parents must find them before she uses them for a diabolical fashion statement.
GiantGiant · 1956
Giant
7.61956
MovieDramaWestern
Wealthy rancher Bick Benedict and dirt-poor cowboy Jett Rink both woo Leslie Lynnton, a beautiful young woman from Maryland who is new to Texas. She marries Benedict, but she is shocked by the racial bigotry of the White Texans against the local people of Mexican descent. Rink discovers oil on a small plot of land, and while he uses his vast, new wealth to buy all the land surrounding the Benedict ranch, the Benedict's disagreement over prejudice fuels conflict that runs across generations.
The Time MachineThe Time Machine · 1960
The Time Machine
7.41960
MovieThrillerAdventure
A Victorian Englishman travels to the far future and finds that humanity has divided into two hostile species.
The BirdsThe Birds · 1963
The Birds
7.51963
MovieHorrorThriller
Thousands of birds flock into a seaside town and terrorize the residents in a series of deadly attacks.
ChukaChuka · 1967
Chuka
6.31967
MovieActionDrama
A group under siege at an Army fort grapple with painful memories.
Rod Taylor: Pulling No PunchesRod Taylor: Pulling No Punches · 2017
Rod Taylor: Pulling No Punches
2017
MovieDocumentary
Documentary about the life and career of Australian actor Rod Taylor.
PowderkegPowderkeg · 1971
Powderkeg
8.51971
MovieActionAdventure
A Mexican bandit is about to be executed in the United States, so his brother takes over a train and holds the passengers as hostages unless his brother is released. Now both the Americans and Mexicans are baffled as to what to do. One of the passengers — who wrote the letter for their captor — has a suggestion: call mercenaries Hank Brackett and Johnny Reech. They do, and as expected they do come up with a plan, but the president of the railroad is not sure if it will work.

Movies

Inglourious BasterdsInglourious Basterds · 2009
Inglourious Basterds
8.22009
MovieDramaThriller
In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds, lead by Lt. Aldo Raine soon cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl who runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers.
One Hundred and One DalmatiansOne Hundred and One Dalmatians · 1961
One Hundred and One Dalmatians
7.21961
MovieAdventureAnimation
When a litter of dalmatian puppies are abducted by the minions of Cruella De Vil, the parents must find them before she uses them for a diabolical fashion statement.
GiantGiant · 1956
Giant
7.61956
MovieDramaWestern
Wealthy rancher Bick Benedict and dirt-poor cowboy Jett Rink both woo Leslie Lynnton, a beautiful young woman from Maryland who is new to Texas. She marries Benedict, but she is shocked by the racial bigotry of the White Texans against the local people of Mexican descent. Rink discovers oil on a small plot of land, and while he uses his vast, new wealth to buy all the land surrounding the Benedict ranch, the Benedict's disagreement over prejudice fuels conflict that runs across generations.
The Time MachineThe Time Machine · 1960
The Time Machine
7.41960
MovieThrillerAdventure
A Victorian Englishman travels to the far future and finds that humanity has divided into two hostile species.
The BirdsThe Birds · 1963
The Birds
7.51963
MovieHorrorThriller
Thousands of birds flock into a seaside town and terrorize the residents in a series of deadly attacks.
ChukaChuka · 1967
Chuka
6.31967
MovieActionDrama
A group under siege at an Army fort grapple with painful memories.
Rod Taylor: Pulling No PunchesRod Taylor: Pulling No Punches · 2017
Rod Taylor: Pulling No Punches
2017
MovieDocumentary
Documentary about the life and career of Australian actor Rod Taylor.
PowderkegPowderkeg · 1971
Powderkeg
8.51971
MovieActionAdventure
A Mexican bandit is about to be executed in the United States, so his brother takes over a train and holds the passengers as hostages unless his brother is released. Now both the Americans and Mexicans are baffled as to what to do. One of the passengers — who wrote the letter for their captor — has a suggestion: call mercenaries Hank Brackett and Johnny Reech. They do, and as expected they do come up with a plan, but the president of the railroad is not sure if it will work.
Jacqueline Bouvier KennedyJacqueline Bouvier Kennedy · 1981
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy
7.61981
MovieDramaTV Movie
Biography of the former first lady, focusing on her years as a photojournalist and leading up to her marriage to John F. Kennedy and their moving into the White House.
Zabriskie PointZabriskie Point · 1970
Zabriskie Point
7.01970
MovieDrama
Anthropology student Daria, who's helping a property developer build a village in the Los Angeles desert, and dropout Mark, who's wanted by the authorities for allegedly killing a policeman during a student riot, accidentally encounter each other in Death Valley and soon begin an unrestrained romance.
Jamaican GoldJamaican Gold · 1979
Jamaican Gold
5.81979
MovieAction
A chance meeting leads two former college friends into a search for sunken treasure, a search which involves them with the double dealing Landers, supporter of their expedition treasures is discovered, but Landers traps them in an underwater cave.
Open SeasonOpen Season · 1995
Open Season
4.81995
MovieComedy
When the television ratings machines suddenly malfunction, public television suddenly, but mistakenly, soars to #1 in this humorous satire.
The HeroesThe Heroes · 1973
The Heroes
5.71973
MovieComedyWar
Four soldiers and a beautiful Greek nurse, thrown together in North Africa during World War II, team up to pull off a heist of two-million pounds in boxes marked "plasma."
Separate TablesSeparate Tables · 1958
Separate Tables
7.11958
MovieDramaRomance
The lives of a disparate group of unfulfilled people converge at a small, seaside English hotel.
Way of Tomorrow: The Evolution of Science Fiction MoviesWay of Tomorrow: The Evolution of Science Fiction Movies · 2022
Way of Tomorrow: The Evolution of Science Fiction Movies
2.02022
MovieDocumentaryScience Fiction
Documentary on the History of Science Fiction Movies from The Day the Earth Stood Still onward.
The Glass Bottom BoatThe Glass Bottom Boat · 1966
The Glass Bottom Boat
6.31966
MovieComedyRomance
Bruce, the owner of an aerospace company, is infatuated with Jennifer and hires her to be his biographer so that he can be near her and win her affections. Is she actually a Russian spy trying to obtain aerospace secrets?
Not Quite HollywoodNot Quite Hollywood · 2008
Not Quite Hollywood
6.82008
MovieComedyDocumentary
As Australian cinema broke through to international audiences in the 1970s through respected art house films like Peter Weir's "Picnic At Hanging Rock," a new underground of low-budget exploitation filmmakers were turning out considerably less highbrow fare. Documentary filmmaker Mark Hartley explores this unbridled era of sex and violence, complete with clips from some of the scene's most outrageous flicks and interviews with the renegade filmmakers themselves.
Do Not DisturbDo Not Disturb · 1965
Do Not Disturb
5.51965
MovieComedyRomance
When American couple Janet and Mike move to England for his business, she soon fears he's having an affair with his attractive secretary and decides to get back at him by pretending she has been unfaithful.
Ask Any GirlAsk Any Girl · 1959
Ask Any Girl
6.51959
MovieComedyRomance
Meg is a young wide-eyed girl who is endures many calamities in her search for a husband in modern-day New York. After losing her suitcase at Penn Station, being kicked out by her roommate, and changing bosses because her boss made a pass at her, she finds herself looking for work at a Manhattan motivational research agency run by punctilious Miles Doughton and his playboy brother, Evan.
The Catered AffairThe Catered Affair · 1956
The Catered Affair
7.21956
MovieDramaComedy
An Irish cabby in the Bronx watches his wife go overboard planning their daughter's wedding.
Trader HornTrader Horn · 1973
Trader Horn
5.01973
MovieAdventure
During the First World War a Hunter and trader in Africa joins forces with a couple looking for a source of platinum try to survive while fleeing British soldiers, dealing with German slavers and troops, natives and cannibals.
Welcome to Woop WoopWelcome to Woop Woop · 1998
Welcome to Woop Woop
5.81998
MovieMusicComedy
A con artist escapes a deal gone wrong in New York and winds up in the Aussie outback in a strange town whose inhabitants are an oddball collection of misfits.
The Train RobbersThe Train Robbers · 1973
The Train Robbers
6.31973
MovieWesternAction
A gunhand named Lane is hired by a widow, Mrs. Lowe, to find gold stolen by her deceased husband so that she may return it and clear the family name.
The Hell with HeroesThe Hell with Heroes · 1968
The Hell with Heroes
6.01968
MovieDramaThriller
In 1946 North Africa, two former US Air Force pilots are forced to work for an international smuggler to get money needed for their return to civilian life after fighting in World War II.

TV Shows

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson · 1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
7.51962
Series
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
Murder, She WroteMurder, She Wrote · 1984
Murder, She Wrote
7.51984
SeriesMysteryCrime
An unassuming mystery writer turned sleuth uses her professional insight to help solve real-life homicide cases.
Golden Globe AwardsGolden Globe Awards · 1944
Golden Globe Awards
7.01944
Series
An annual awards ceremony recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign, bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Falcon CrestFalcon Crest · 1981
Falcon Crest
5.61981
SeriesDrama
Falcon Crest is an American primetime television soap opera which aired on the CBS network for nine seasons, from December 4, 1981 to May 17, 1990. A total of 227 episodes were produced. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Channing family in the Californian wine industry. Jane Wyman starred as Angela Channing, the tyrannical matriarch of the Falcon Crest Winery, alongside Robert Foxworth as Chase Gioberti, Angela's nephew who returns to Falcon Crest following the death of his father. The series was set in the fictitious Tuscany Valley northeast of San Francisco.
The Twilight ZoneThe Twilight Zone · 1959
The Twilight Zone
8.51959
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyMystery
An anthology series containing drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, and/or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist.
CheyenneCheyenne · 1955
Cheyenne
6.11955
SeriesWesternDrama
Cheyenne Bodie was a big man, a former army scout who went west after the American Civil War and drifted from job to job, here a cowboy, there a lawman, and always a larger-than-life hero. CHEYENNE is an American western television series of 108 black-and-white episodes broadcast on ABC from 1955 to 1963. The show was the first hour-long western, and in fact the first hour-long dramatic series of any kind, with continuing characters, to last more than one season. It was also the first series to be made by a major Hollywood film studio which did not derive from its established film properties, and the first of a long chain of Warner Brothers original series produced by William T. Orr.
Walker, Texas RangerWalker, Texas Ranger · 1993
Walker, Texas Ranger
7.01993
SeriesDramaWestern
Modern-day Texas Ranger, Cordell Walker's independent crime-solving methods have their roots in the rugged traditions of the Old West. Walker's closest friend is former Ranger, C.D. Parker, who retired after a knee injury, and now owns "C.D.'s," a Country/Western saloon/restaurant. Rookie Ranger, James "Jimmy" Trivette is an ex-football player who bases his crime-solving methods on reason and uses computers and cellular phones. Alex Cahill is the Assistant DA who shares a mutual attraction with Walker, but often disagrees with his unorthodox approach to law enforcement.
Dick Powell's Zane Grey TheatreDick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre · 1956
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
6.21956
SeriesWesternDrama
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre, sometimes simply called Zane Grey Theatre, is an American Western anthology series which ran on CBS from 1956 to 1961.
Tales of the UnexpectedTales of the Unexpected · 1979
Tales of the Unexpected
6.81979
SeriesDrama
A British television anthology of stories, often with sinister and wryly comedic undertones, and a twist at the end. With early episodes written and presented by Roald Dahl, the series featured a plethora of big name guest stars.
Water RatsWater Rats · 1996
Water Rats
6.21996
SeriesCrimeDrama
Water Rats is an Australian TV police procedural broadcast on the Nine Network from 1996 to 2001.
Studio OneStudio One · 1948
Studio One
5.41948
SeriesDrama
An American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. Studio One, presented by Westinghouse, was one of the first of the anthology TV programs. The episodes were often abridged remakes of movies from years gone by and many future well-known television and movie actors appeared in the productions.
SuspicionSuspicion · 1957
Suspicion
6.21957
SeriesCrimeDrama
Suspicion is the title of an American television mystery drama series which aired on the NBC from 1957 through 1959. The executive producer of Suspicion was film director Alfred Hitchcock.
Studio 57Studio 57 · 1954
Studio 57
7.51954
SeriesDramaFamily
Studio 57 is an American anthology series that was broadcast on the now-defunct DuMont Television Network from September 1954 to September 1955, and in syndication from 1955 to 1956.
LegendsLegends · 2006
Legends
5.02006
SeriesDocumentary
The story of the big names that have shaped the musical genres, plus an occasional stopgap for the new rock 'n' roll - comedy.
Westinghouse Desilu PlayhouseWestinghouse Desilu Playhouse · 1958
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
6.31958
SeriesDrama
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse is an American television anthology series produced by Desilu Productions. The show ran on CBS television between 1958 and 1960. Two of its 48 episodes served as pilots for the 1950s television series The Twilight Zone and The Untouchables.
Bus StopBus Stop · 1961
Bus Stop
10.01961
SeriesDrama
Bus Stop is a 26-episode American drama which aired on ABC from October 1, 1961, until March 25, 1962, starring Marilyn Maxwell as Grace Sherwood, the owner of a bus station and diner in the fictitious town of Sunrise in the Colorado Rockies. The program was adapted from William Inge's play, Bus Stop, and Inge was a script consultant for the series, which followed the lives of travelers passing through the bus station and the diner. Maxwell's co-stars were Richard Anderson as District Attorney Glenn Wagner, Rhodes Reason as Sheriff Will Mayberry, Joan Freeman as waitress Elma Gahrigner, Bernard Kates as Ralph the coroner, and Buddy Ebsen as Virge Blessing.
MasqueradeMasquerade · 1983
Masquerade
7.51983
SeriesDrama
Masquerade is an American espionage television series that aired for a few months on ABC in the spring of 1983.
Hong KongHong Kong · 1960
Hong Kong
1960
SeriesDramaCrime
Hong Kong is a 26-episode adventure/drama series which aired on ABC television during the 1960–1961 season and helped to catapult Australian actor Rod Taylor into a major film star, primarily in the 1960s, beginning with his role in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. The series was a production of 20th Century Fox Television, and the final credit of each episode stated: "Filmed by Twentieth Century Fox Television Inc. at its Hollywood studios and in the Crown Colony of Hong Kong".
The Oregon TrailThe Oregon Trail · 1977
The Oregon Trail
5.71977
SeriesWestern
The Oregon Trail is a 14-episode NBC western television series starring Rod Taylor as the widower Evan Thorpe, who leaves his Illinois farm in 1842 to take the Oregon Trail to the Pacific Northwest. The show also starred Andrew Stevens, Tony Becker, and Gina Marie Smika as Thorpe's children. Darleen Carr starred as Margaret Devlin, one of the passengers on the wagon train, and Charles Napier portrayed Luther Sprague, a frontier scout recruited by Thorpe. The series was filmed in the Flagstaff, Arizona area.
Bearcats!Bearcats! · 1971
Bearcats!
6.81971
SeriesWestern
Bearcats! is an American television series broadcast on the CBS television network during the Fall 1971 television season. It starred Rod Taylor and Dennis Cole as troubleshooters in the period before America entered World War I. Bearcats! was produced by Filmways Inc.. It was co-produced by Rodlor, Rod Taylor's production firm.
Schlitz Playhouse of StarsSchlitz Playhouse of Stars · 1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
7.21951
SeriesDramaComedy
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The title was shortened to Schlitz Playhouse, beginning with the fall 1957 season.
General Electric TheaterGeneral Electric Theater · 1953
General Electric Theater
6.81953
SeriesComedyDrama
General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.
OutlawsOutlaws · 1986
Outlaws
7.11986
SeriesWesternSci-Fi & Fantasy
Outlaws is a short-lived action-adventure American television series which aired Saturday nights on CBS. Five cowboys are sent forward through time from 1886 to 1986, and fight crime. The original series began as a 2-hour pilot movie, and was followed by eleven one-hour episodes.