Sad news today. Although it seems like these past few weeks, we’ve had way too many of these stories, especially for classic film fans.
Rod Taylor was born in 1930, and he passed away just days shy of his 85th birthday. He was perhaps on my top 5 of favorite classic film stars. I mean, as a classic film fan, you’ll ALWAYS hear me say “OH I LOVED [HIM/HER]!!!” but he is in my top 5. Sure, he was handsome as all get-out, but his attraction goes way beyond his looks. His talent was remarkable, and you ALWAYS felt like he truly was the character he was playing. It didn’t matter if he was an astronaut that may or may not have returned from Mars (Twilight Zone), a Victorian-age man who traveled through time (The Time Machine), a pilot who isn’t really a pilot (Sunday in New York), a guy who saves his nearly-one-night-stand from a pack of murderous crows (see what I did there? And if I have to tell you the name of that, why in God’s name are you reading this?), a not-so-unfaithful husband (Do Not Disturb), a freewheeling private detective who only works when he needs money (Darker than Amber), or Winston Churchill (Inglourious Basterds) or… well…. You get the picture.
He didn’t often get to have a character that required his native Australian accent, which is a shame. But you would never be able to tell if you didn’t know. He brought you into each of his characters with words and gestures that made you feel like every single person his character cared for was safe and sound in his arms.
He leaves to cherish his memory, aside from all of his fans, his daughter Felicia Taylor (CNN Financial Reporter), his wife Carol, and his former wives Mary Hilem and Peggy Williams.
I know that I’ll raise a glass to Rod tonight to toast his memory, ever thankful for his ability to give me so many hours of entertainment. It was pretty obvious to us that he loved what he did, and we’re thankful for it. Thanks, Rod. Good on ya, mate.
