Fess Parker

Birth Name: Fess Elisha Parker Jr.
Birth Date: August 16, 1924
Deceased: March 18, 2010

Biography

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Fess Parker was an American film and television actor best known for his portrayals of Davy Crockett in the Walt Disney 1955–1956 TV miniseries and as Daniel Boone in a television series from 1964 to 1970. Disney was impressed by Parker's portrayal of a man who was unswerving in his belief in what he saw despite the forces of authority against him. Parker was asked to drop by the Disney Studio. Parker was informed that he had been selected over James Arness and several others for the role, including Buddy Ebsen, who eventually played Crockett's sidekick, George Russell. Disney's three-episode version of Crockett depicted his exploits as a frontiersman, congressman, and tragic hero of the Alamo. The episodes have been called the first television miniseries, though the term had not yet been coined. Davy Crockett (1954–55) was a tremendous hit and led to a merchandising frenzy for coonskin caps and all things Crockett. He was also known for being a winemaker and resort owner-operator.