Born in 1934, this talented actor and TV director had a career that spanned over three decades. He’s best known for playing a character named David Banner in the late ’70s and early ’80s — and trust us, you definitely wouldn’t like him when he’s angry! Sadly, he passed away too soon in 1993…
For over 30 years, this American television icon benefited from his talent, both on-screen and behind the camera.
His easygoing charm didn’t go unnoticed. Colleague Ray Walston highlighted this as a key reason for his popularity, saying:
”I believe that was the reason people liked him — instantly and completely.”
Who are we talking about? Of course, it’s Bill Bixby!
Big break in 1963
Bill Bixby, born Wilfred Bailey Everett Bixby III on January 22, 1934, in San Francisco, was a beloved actor and TV director whose career spanned over three decades.
Growing up as an only child, he discovered his love for performing early on, joining the speech and debate team at Lowell High School. He later attended City College of San Francisco and UC Berkeley but left school to pursue acting, supporting himself with modeling and commercial work before landing steady TV roles.
Bixby’s big break came in 1963 with My Favorite Martian, where he played reporter Tim O’Hara opposite Ray Walston’s mischievous alien.
The show ran for three seasons and made him a household name. He later starred as widowed dad Tom Corbett in The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, earning three Emmy nominations, and as stage illusionist Anthony Blake in The Magician, which developed a cult following despite lasting only one season.
But for many fans, Bixby is most remembered as Dr. David Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk (1978–1982). He continued to reprise the role in three made-for-TV movies, two of which he directed himself: The Trial of the Incredible Hulk and The Death of the Incredible Hulk.
Bixby also appeared in films like Lonely Are the Brave and guest-starred on popular series such as Fantasy Island and Murder, She Wrote, showcasing his versatility.
His son died at 6 years old
Off-screen, Bixby faced significant tragedies. He divorced his first wife, actress Brenda Benet, in 1980. In 1981, their six-year-old son Christopher died suddenly from a rare throat infection.
Just a year later, Benet died by suicide. Despite these hardships, Bixby continued working, moving into directing in the 1980s on shows like Goodnight, Beantown and Sledge Hammer!, and eventually becoming a regular director on Blossom.
In the 1970s, the star was one of Hollywood’s most eligible bachelors — he loved the ladies, and the ladies loved him. But he never married.
“I’m a very private person. I rarely go to cocktail parties because I can’t stand the idle chatter of drunks. My weekends are spent at Malibu. I take a lady and got ot the beach and enjoy the beauty of the beach and the lady,” he said.
But in the end, he would find the love of his life.
