biography

Denny Miller Born Dennis Linn Miller in Bloomington, Indiana, on April 25, 1934, Denny Miller's family eventually settled in Los Angeles, where his father worked as a physical education instructor at the Unviersity of California. Following a stint in the Army, as a 6'4" college student Miller found success as the star player of UCLA's basketball team and earned a degree in physical education from the university. By chance Miller was discovered by a talent agent in 1958 while working a summer job and signed a multi-year contract with MGM. Miller's first starring film role was Tarzan, the Ape Man, released by MGM in 1959.

Denny MillerDenny MillerDenny MillerDenny Miller

LEFT: 1958 MGM portrait of Denny Miller. CENTER and RIGHT: MGM promotional shots of Denny Miller as Tarzan

Although MGM had Miller under contract for nearly two years, he made only one film for the studio and didn't appear in another film until the Paramount comedy romance Love in a Goldfish Bowl (1961; with Fabian), but he worked in television frequently making guest appearances on such popular series as Have Gun, Will Travel, Riverboat, and The Rifleman. With the lapse of his MGM contract, Miller was free to pursue other acting jobs and in 1961 was cast on the long-running NBC/ABC western series Wagon Train (1957-1965; with Robert Horton), credited as Scott Miller. He stayed with the series for three seasons but had a very restrictive contract that didn't allow for outside acting jobs. Miller worked frequently in television throughout his lengthy career, but his film appearances were sporadic; following the release of Love in a Goldfish Bowl, he didn't act in another theatrically released film until the Blake Edwards comedy The Party (1968; with Peter Sellers and Claudine Longet). He starred in the science fiction effort Doomsday Machine (1972; with Grant Williams), which was shot in 1967 but sat on the shelf for five years until it was completed with new footage and released.

the films of denny miller

Tarzan, the Ape Man (1959)

Denny MillerDenny MillerDenny Miller and Joanna BarnesJoanna Barnes and Denny MillerDenny Miller and Joanna Barnes

From MGM's Tarzan, the Ape Man. LEFT and CENTER A: Miller was a younger, athletic Tarzan than his predecessors. CENTER B and RIGHT: With Joanna Barnes

Wagon Train (1957-1965 NBC/ABC TV Series)

Denny MillerDenny Miller

Miller portrayed Duke Shannon on the series Wagon Train for three seasons, beginning in 1961

Mona McCluskey (1965-1966 NBC TV Series)

Juliet Prowse and Denny MillerJuliet Prowse and Denny Miller

Juliet Prowse and Denny Miller starred as married couple Mona and Mike McCluskey in the short-lived NBC situation comedy Mona McCluskey

The Party (1968)

Claudine Longet, Peter Sellers, and Denny Miller

With Claudine Longet and Peter Sellers in the Blake Edwards comedy The Party

The Mike Douglas Show (1961-1982 syndicated series)

Johnny Weissmuller, Mike Douglas, Gordon Scott, Totie Fields, Buster Crabbe, Denny Miller, and James Pierce

A 1971 photo of most of the surviving Tarzans from The Mike Douglas Show. Pictured from left to right: Johnny Weissmuller, Mike Douglas, Gordon Scott, Totie Fields, Jock Mahoney, Buster Crabbe, Denny Miller, and James Pierce (thanks to Dennis McHaney)

The Norseman (1978)

Denny Miller

Miller in the American International adventure The Norseman

later years

Although Miller's film career was spotty, he acted in hundreds of hours of television, making guest appearances on Gilligan's Island, The Brady Bunch, Wonder Woman, and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, to name a few. Until 2005, Miller was seen on Gorton's commercials as the Gorton's fisherman. His last film was the western Hell to Pay (2005; with Peter Brown). Miller relocated to Las Vegas, which is where he spend his final days. After a battle with ALS, Denny Miller passed away on September 9, 2014, at age 80. He was survived by his wife, Nancy, son, Brad, and daughter, Courtney.

filmography

FILM
Hell To Pay (2005) with Lee Majors, Peter Brown, William Smith, Stella Stevens, and Buck Taylor
More Than Murder (1983) with Stacy Keach, Don Stroud, Lynn-Holly Johnson, and Sam Groom
The Seal (1981) with Richard Dysart, Ron Ely, and Gerald McRaney
Circle of Power (1981) with Yvette Mimieux and Cindy Pickett
Caboblanco (1980) with Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, Fernando Rey, Simon MacCorkindale, and Gilbert Roland
The Norseman (1978) with Lee Majors, Cornel Wilde, Mel Ferrer, Jack Elam, and Susie Coelho
Dr. Scorpion (1978) with Nick Mancuso and Christine Lahti
Danger in Paradise (1977) with Ina Balin and John Dehner
The Gravy Train (1974) with Stacy Keach and Margot Kidder
The Island at the Top of the World (1974) with David Hartman
Buck and the Preacher (1972) with Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Ruby Dee, Cameron Mitchell, and Nita Talbot
Making It (1971) with Bob Balaban, Carol DeLuise, David Doyle, Lawrence Pressman, and Dick Van Patten
Vanished (1971) with Richard Widmark, Tom Bosley, James Farentino, Larry Hagman, Robert Hooks, E.G. Marshall, Eleanor Parker, William Shatner, Robert Young, Stephen McNally, and Sheree North
The Party (1968) with Peter Sellers, Claudine Longet, and Marge Champion; directed by Blake Edwards
The Doomsday Machine (1967) with Grant Williams, Henry Wilcoxon, Mala Powers, James Craig, Mike Farrell, Ruta Lee, and Bobby Van
Love in a Goldfish Bowl (1961) with Fabian, Tommy Sands, and Jan Sterling
Tarzan, the Ape Man (1959) with Cesare Danova and Joanna Barnes

TELEVISION SERIES
Mona McCluskey, 1964-65 NBC TV series. Miller portrayed Mike McCluskey
Wagon Train, 1957-65 NBC/ABC TV series. Miller portrayed Duke Shannon from 1961 to 1964

TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, episode Dead or Alive: Parts 1 and 2, originally aired February 3 and 10, 1996
Lonesome Dove: The Series, episode Blood Money, originally aired March 5, 1995
Lonesome Dove: The Series, episode Snowbound, originally aired January 1, 1995
Lonesome Dove: The Series, episode Law and Order, originally aired January 1, 1994
Bordertown, episode In Cold Blood, originally aired December 2, 1990
Bordertown, episode The Reaper, originally aired March 4, 1989
Werewolf, episode Nightwatch, originally aired July 18, 1987
Outlaws, episode Orleans, originally aired January 17, 1987
Magnum, P.I., episode Photo Play, originally aired April 10, 1986
Hardcastle and McCormick, episode McCormick's Bar and Grill, originally aired February 24, 1986
Blacke's Magic, episode Vanishing Act, originally aired February 12, 1986
Murder, She Wrote, episode Sticks and Stones, originally aired December 15, 1985
Matt Houston, episode Blood Money, originally aired November 30, 1984
The Fall Guy, episode Dead Bounty, originally aired November 14, 1984
Knight Rider, episode The Rotten Apples, originally aired November 11, 1984
Hart to Hart, episode Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch, originally aired May 22, 1984
Dallas, episode Love Stories, originally aired May 4, 1984
Dallas, episode Turning Point, originally aired April 13, 1984
Dallas, episode Blow Up, originally aired April 6, 1984
Dallas, episode Strange Alliance, originally aired March 23, 1984
Magnum, P.I., episode A Sense of Debt, originally aired December 1, 1983
Matt Houston, episode A Novel Way to Die, originally aired April 17, 1983
Simon & Simon, episode Design for Killing, originally aired February 10, 1983
Voyagers!, episode An Arrow Pointing East, originally aired December 12, 1982
The Fall Guy, episode Mighty Myron, originally aired November 17, 1982
Magnum, P.I., episode Three Minus Two, originally aired April 1, 1982
The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo, episode Keep on Buckin', originally aired May 5, 1981
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, episode The Dorian Secret, originally aired April 16, 1981
The Incredible Hulk, episode The Harder They Fall, originally aired March 27, 1981
Vega$, episode Time Bomb, originally aired March 11, 1981
Charlie's Angels, episode Stuntwomen Angels, originally aired February 28, 1981
M*A*S*H, episode Tell It to the Marines, originally aired January 12, 1981
Beyond Westworld, episode Brother's Keeper, My, originally aired March 12, 1980
Tenspeed and Brown Shoe, episode Savage Says: There's No Free Lunch, originally aired February 10, 1980
Fantasy Island, episode PlayGirl/Smith's Valhalla, originally aired January 26, 1980
Stone, episode But Can She Type?, originally aired January 21, 1980
Young Maverick, episode Clancy, originally aired November 28, 1979
Vega$, episode Red Handed, originally aired September 19, 1979
The Runaways, episode Land of Honey, originally aired June 12, 1979
Charlie's Angels, episode Angels on Vacation, originally aired January 10, 1979
The Rockford Files, episode Black Mirror: Parts 1 and 2, originally aired November 24, 1978
The Incredible Hulk, episode Killer Instinct, originally aired November 10, 1978
Battlestar Galactica, episode Gun on Ice Planet Zero: Parts 1 and 2, originally aired October 22 and 29, 1978
Flying High, episode A Hairy Yak Plays Musical Chairs Eagerly, originally aired October 6, 1978
Quark, episode Goodbye, Polumbus, originally aired March 17, 1978
Barnaby Jones, episode The Coronado Triangle, originally aired March 2, 1978
The Rockford Files, episode Forced Retirement, originally aired December 9, 1977
What Really Happened to the Class of '65?, episode Everybody's Girl, originally aired December 8, 1977
The New Adventures of Wonder Woman, episode The Pied Piper, originally aired October 21, 1977
Charlie's Angels, episode Circus of Terror, originally aired October 19, 1977
Quincy M.E., episode Go Fight City Hall... to the Death, originally aired October 3, 1976
Alice, episode Alice Gets a Pass, originally aired September 29, 1976
Bronk, episode Next of Kin, originally aired January 4, 1976
Barnaby Jones, episode Fatal Witness, originally aired November 14, 1975
Cannon, episode Fall Guy, originally aired November 5, 1975
The Six Million Dollar Man, episode Target in the Sky, originally aired October 26, 1975
Mobile One, episode The Reporter, originally aired October 10, 1975
The Wide World of Mystery, episode Nick and Nora, originally aired March 4, 1975
Emergency!, episode Communication Gaffe, originally aired October 12, 1974
The Six Million Dollar Man, episode The Pal-Mir Escort, originally aired October 4, 1974
The Streets of San Francisco, episode Mask of Death, originally aired October 3, 1974
Dusty's Trail, episode John J. Callahan, originally aired February 26, 1974
The Streets of San Francisco, episode Commitment, originally aired January 3, 1974
McCloud, episode The Solid Gold Swingers, originally aired December 2, 1973
The Brady Bunch, episode Quarterback Sneak, originally aired November 9, 1973
Gunsmoke, episode Lijah, originally aired November 8, 1971
Sarge, episode Psst! Wanna Buy a Dirty Picture?, originally aired October 5, 1971
Mission: Impossible, episode The Field, originally aired January 23, 1971
The Virginian, episode The Politician, originally aired January 13, 1971
Ironside, episode The Lonely Way to Go, originally aired October 22, 1970
I Dream of Jeannie, episode Eternally Yours, Jeannie, originally aired March 17, 1970
Love, American Style, episode Love and the Legal Agreement/Love and the Militant/Love and Who?, originally aired October 20, 1969
The Name of the Game, episode Blind Man's Bluff, originally aired October 3, 1969
Hawaii Five-O, episode Pray Love Remember, Pray Love Remember, originally aired January 1, 1969
The High Chaparral, episode A Way of Justice, originally aired December 13, 1968
Death Valley Days, episode The Leprechaun of Last Chance, originally aired September 28, 1968
I Spy, episode Anyplace I Hang Myself Is Home, originally aired January 15, 1968
Gilligan's Island, episode Our Vines Have Tender Apes, originally aired January 30, 1967
The Fugitive, episode Approach with Care, originally aired November 15, 1966
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., episode The Atlantis Affair, originally aired November 15, 1966
Ben Casey, episode A Dipperful of Water from a Poisoned Well, originally aired March 1, 1965
Gilligan's Island, episode Big Man on a Little Stick, originally aired February 20, 1965
The Deputy, episode Brother in Arms, originally aired April 15, 1961
Michael Shayne, episode The Body Beautiful, originally aired March 24, 1961
Stagecoach West, episode Finn McColl, originally aired January 24, 1961
The Rifleman, episode The Promoter, originally aired December 6, 1960
Laramie, episode License to Kill, originally aired November 22, 1960
G.E. True Theater, episode The Playoff, originally aired November 20, 1960
Have Gun - Will Travel, episode Saturday Night, originally aired October 8, 1960
Overland Trail, episode The Reckoning, originally aired May 29, 1960
Laramie, episode Men of Defiance, originally aired April 19, 1960
Northwest Passage, episode Fight at the River, originally aired September 14, 1958

denny miller trailers now showing

Watch the trailer for Denny Miller's 1968 comedy The Party

denny miller television appearances

Watch Denny Miller in a January 24, 1962, episode of Wagon Train titled The Malachi Hobart Story

denny miller film now showing

Watch Denny Miller's 1972 science fiction film Doomsday Machine

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This page premiered May 6, 1999.
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