Tommy Kirk

Born: 1941-12-10, Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Died: 2021-09-28

Biography

Thomas Lee Kirk (December 10, 1941 − September 28, 2021) was an American actor, best known for his performances in films made by Walt Disney Studios such as Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog, Swiss Family Robinson, The Absent-Minded Professor, and The Misadventures of Merlin Jones, as well as the beach party films of the mid-1960s. He frequently appeared as a love interest for Annette Funicello or as part of a family with Kevin Corcoran as his younger brother and Fred MacMurray as his father. Kirk's career with Disney ended when news of his homosexuality threatened to become public. He struggled with drug addiction and depression for several years, appearing in a series of low-budget films before leaving the acting business in the mid-1970s. Kirk opened a carpet cleaning business and lived a mostly ordinary life, occasionally appearing at fan conventions. He died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, in September 2021, aged 79.

Filmography

• Gunsmoke (1955)
• The Streets of San Francisco (1972)
• Old Yeller (1957)
• The Horsemasters (1961)
• Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
• The Absent-Minded Professor (1961)
• Pajama Party (1964)
• Savage Sam (1963)
• Son of Flubber (1963)
• Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfold (1995)
• Bon Voyage! (1962)
• Moon Pilot (1962)
• The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964)
• Village of the Giants (1965)
• Track of Thunder (1968)
• Little Miss Magic (1997)
• Disney's Greatest Dog Stars (1976)
• Mars Needs Women (1968)
• Down Liberty Road (1957)
• Escapade in Florence (1962)
• It's Alive! (1969)
• The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966)
• The Education of a Vampire (2001)
• Streets of Death (1988)
• Ride the Hot Wind (1971)
• Blood of Ghastly Horror (1967)
• The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure (1956)
• The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Ghost Farm (1957)
• The Unkissed Bride (1966)
• It's a Bikini World (1967)