Christopher George

TV hunk Christopher George was best known for his starring role in the war drama "The Rat Patrol" in the late 1960s. He came by the role honestly--George had served an extended hitch in the United States Marine Corps in the late '40s and early '50s. Becoming an actor after his service, George worked in live theater in New York; along with the usual off-Broadway and Broadway roles, George also spent some time in a Greek repertory company, having spoken the language fluently since childhood as the son of Greek immigrants. George toiled in the usual small film and television roles until securing the lead role as Sergeant Sam Troy in "The Rat Patrol" in '66. Set in a commando unit serving in the North African campaign of World War II, the series was a solid success. But when it went off the air in '68, George was unable to capitalize on its success. Aside from a short-lived science-fiction series called "The Immortal," supporting roles in several films starring his boyhood idol John Wayne, and some European-made thrillers co-starring his wife, Lynda Day George, George spent the rest of his career guesting on TV series and playing small character parts on film. He died in '83 of a heart problem thought to be caused by a Jeep accident suffered on the set of "The Rat Patrol" in '67.