Bruce MacLeish Dern (born June 4, 1936) is an American actor, often
playing supporting villainous characters of unstable nature. He was
nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Coming
Home (1978) and the Academy Award for Best Actor for Nebraska (2013).
His other major film appearances include Silent Running (1972), The
King of Marvin Gardens (1972), The Cowboys (1972), Posse (1975),
Family Plot (1976), Black Sunday (1977), Tattoo (1981), Monster
(2003), The Hateful Eight (2015), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
(2019), and The Artist's Wife (2020).Dern was born in Chicago, the son
of Jean (née MacLeish; 1908â€"1972) and John Dern (1903â€"1958), a
utility chief and attorney. He grew up in Kenilworth, Illinois. His
paternal grandfather, George, was a Utah governor and Secretary of War
(he was serving in the latter position during the time of Bruce's
birth). Dern's maternal grandfather was a Vice President of the
Carson, Pirie and Scott stores, which were established by his own
father, Scottish-born businessman Andrew MacLeish. Dern's maternal
granduncle was poet Archibald MacLeish. His godfather was Illinois
governor and two-time presidential nominee Adlai Stevenson II. His
ancestry includes Dutch, English, German and Scottish. He attended New
Trier High School and the University of Pennsylvania. A lifelong avid
runner, he was a track star in high school and sought to qualify for
the United States Olympic trials in 1956.Dern starred on stage in the
Philadelphia premiere of Waiting for Godot before heading to
Hollywood. He appeared in an uncredited role in 1960 in Wild River as
Jack Roper, who is so upset with his friend for hitting a woman that
he punches himself. He played the sailor in a few flashbacks with
Marnie's mother in Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie. Dern played a murderous
rustler in Clint Eastwood's Hang 'Em High and a gunfighter in the
western spoof Support Your Local Sheriff!. He played cattle thief Asa
Watts, who murders John Wayne's character in The Cowboys (1972). Wayne
warned Dern, "America will hate you for this." Dern replied, "Yeah,
but they'll love me in Berkeley." Having played a series of villains,
that same year he played against type as a sensitive ecologist in the
science-fiction film Silent Running.
playing supporting villainous characters of unstable nature. He was
nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Coming
Home (1978) and the Academy Award for Best Actor for Nebraska (2013).
His other major film appearances include Silent Running (1972), The
King of Marvin Gardens (1972), The Cowboys (1972), Posse (1975),
Family Plot (1976), Black Sunday (1977), Tattoo (1981), Monster
(2003), The Hateful Eight (2015), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
(2019), and The Artist's Wife (2020).Dern was born in Chicago, the son
of Jean (née MacLeish; 1908â€"1972) and John Dern (1903â€"1958), a
utility chief and attorney. He grew up in Kenilworth, Illinois. His
paternal grandfather, George, was a Utah governor and Secretary of War
(he was serving in the latter position during the time of Bruce's
birth). Dern's maternal grandfather was a Vice President of the
Carson, Pirie and Scott stores, which were established by his own
father, Scottish-born businessman Andrew MacLeish. Dern's maternal
granduncle was poet Archibald MacLeish. His godfather was Illinois
governor and two-time presidential nominee Adlai Stevenson II. His
ancestry includes Dutch, English, German and Scottish. He attended New
Trier High School and the University of Pennsylvania. A lifelong avid
runner, he was a track star in high school and sought to qualify for
the United States Olympic trials in 1956.Dern starred on stage in the
Philadelphia premiere of Waiting for Godot before heading to
Hollywood. He appeared in an uncredited role in 1960 in Wild River as
Jack Roper, who is so upset with his friend for hitting a woman that
he punches himself. He played the sailor in a few flashbacks with
Marnie's mother in Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie. Dern played a murderous
rustler in Clint Eastwood's Hang 'Em High and a gunfighter in the
western spoof Support Your Local Sheriff!. He played cattle thief Asa
Watts, who murders John Wayne's character in The Cowboys (1972). Wayne
warned Dern, "America will hate you for this." Dern replied, "Yeah,
but they'll love me in Berkeley." Having played a series of villains,
that same year he played against type as a sensitive ecologist in the
science-fiction film Silent Running.
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