Famous Like Me > Actor > C > Jackie Coogan
Profile of Jackie Coogan
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| Name: |
Jackie Coogan |
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| Date of Birth: |
26th October 1914 |
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| Place of Birth: |
Los Angeles, California, USA |
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| Profession: |
Actor |
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From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia
Jackie Coogan (October 26, 1914 - March 1, 1984) was a American actor who began his movie career as a child actor in silent films.
Coogan was born in Los Angeles, California and began his acting career as an infant in both vaudeville and film, with an uncredited role in the 1917 film Skinner's Baby. As a child actor, he is best remembered for his role as Charlie Chaplin's irascible sidekick in The Kid (1921) and for the title role in Oliver Twist by Frank Lloyd the following year. As a child star, Coogan earned as much as $4 million, but the money was taken by his mother and step-father. He sued them in 1935, but only received $126,000. The legal battle did, however, bring attention to child actors and resulted in the state of California enacting the California Child Actor's Bill, sometimes known as the Coogan Bill.
As he grew older, Coogan's popularity as an actor waned, though he had several well-publicised love affairs with leading Hollywood starlets, including a three-year marriage to Betty Grable.
Coogan enlisted in the US Army March 1941. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he requested a transfer to US Army Air Corps as a glider pilot because of his civilian flying experience. After graduating from glider school, he was made a Flight Officer and he volunteered for hazardous duty with the 1st Air Commando Group. In December 1943, the unit was sent to India. He flew British troops, the Chindits, under General Orde Wingate on 5 March 1944, landing them at night in a small jungle clearing 100 miles behind Japanese lines in the Burma campaign.
After the war, Coogan returned to acting, taking mostly character roles and appearing on television. His most famous TV role was as Uncle Fester in The Addams Family television series.
He died of heart disease in 1984 at the age of 69.
He was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery.
He is survived by his grandson, actor Keith Coogan.
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