Mickey Simpson (December 3, 1913 â€" September 23, 1985) was an
American supporting actor of burly roles, probably most familiar as
"Sarge," the bigoted diner owner in the 1956 film, Giant. He appeared
in over 175 films and television episodes.Born to Fred and Bertha
Rogers Simpson, his paternal heritage was Irish. He was the eldest of
four sons, one of whom, Richard, died in childhood. When his father, a
contractor, was unable to work following the 1929 stock market crash,
his mother supported the family as a waitress.By his twenties, Simpson
had grown into a hulking figure and considered a boxing career. He has
been referred to in some sources as the 1935 "New York City
Heavyweight Boxing Champion," but the only official records of his
ring work are for two fights in Los Angeles in 1939, both of which he
lost. Simpson, nicknamed "Mickey," arrived in Los Angeles in the late
1930s. Some unconfirmed stories have him working as a chauffeur for
Claudette Colbert. In 1939, he reportedly played a tiny bit part in
his first film, Stagecoach. The director, John Ford, would loom large
in Simpson's career.Simpson found fairly steady movie work as various
guards, cops, bouncers, and thugs until his career was interrupted by
World War II, in which he served in the United States Navy as a Shore
Patrolman, keeping drunken sailors and townies from killing each
other, while patrolling the many L.A. bars and strip clubs. When he
returned to Hollywood, it was Ford who resurrected his career, giving
Simpson a small but notable role as one of Walter Brennan's sons in My
Darling Clementine. Simpson would appear in a total of nine Ford
films. He appeared in 13 episodes of the TV Series The Lone Ranger
between 1950 and 1956, including episode 117 in 1953 and episode 141
in 1954. During the late 1950s he portrayed the role of Boley on the
television series Captain David Grief. In 1957 Simpson appeared as
Johnny Hines on the TV western Cheyenne in the episode titled
"Decision at Gunsight."
American supporting actor of burly roles, probably most familiar as
"Sarge," the bigoted diner owner in the 1956 film, Giant. He appeared
in over 175 films and television episodes.Born to Fred and Bertha
Rogers Simpson, his paternal heritage was Irish. He was the eldest of
four sons, one of whom, Richard, died in childhood. When his father, a
contractor, was unable to work following the 1929 stock market crash,
his mother supported the family as a waitress.By his twenties, Simpson
had grown into a hulking figure and considered a boxing career. He has
been referred to in some sources as the 1935 "New York City
Heavyweight Boxing Champion," but the only official records of his
ring work are for two fights in Los Angeles in 1939, both of which he
lost. Simpson, nicknamed "Mickey," arrived in Los Angeles in the late
1930s. Some unconfirmed stories have him working as a chauffeur for
Claudette Colbert. In 1939, he reportedly played a tiny bit part in
his first film, Stagecoach. The director, John Ford, would loom large
in Simpson's career.Simpson found fairly steady movie work as various
guards, cops, bouncers, and thugs until his career was interrupted by
World War II, in which he served in the United States Navy as a Shore
Patrolman, keeping drunken sailors and townies from killing each
other, while patrolling the many L.A. bars and strip clubs. When he
returned to Hollywood, it was Ford who resurrected his career, giving
Simpson a small but notable role as one of Walter Brennan's sons in My
Darling Clementine. Simpson would appear in a total of nine Ford
films. He appeared in 13 episodes of the TV Series The Lone Ranger
between 1950 and 1956, including episode 117 in 1953 and episode 141
in 1954. During the late 1950s he portrayed the role of Boley on the
television series Captain David Grief. In 1957 Simpson appeared as
Johnny Hines on the TV western Cheyenne in the episode titled
"Decision at Gunsight."
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