Jeremy Slate Bio
Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 5:30 pm
Jeremy Slate was born Robert Bullard Perham on February 17, 1926 in Atlantic City, NJ.
Jeremy attended a military academy and then joined the navy at the age of sixteen. When Jeremy was barely 18, his destroyer joined the invasion of Normandy on D-Day (June 6, 1944). Aboard that destroyer at Omaha Beach, Jeremy vowed that if he survived the attack, he would make his life a never-ending series of adventures. Jeremy lived up to that promise – he was a lifeguard, a swimming instructor, and the first person to swim across the Long Island Sound after the war. He went to St. Lawrence university where he was president of the student body and editor of the college literary magazine. He played football and was the backfield coach of the only undefeated freshman team in the school’s history. Jeremy was also a campus radio personality, and in his senior year, he married Beverly Van Wert, the queen of his fraternity’s ball. Jeremy graduated with honors in English, and become a prolific writer, songwriter, screenplay writer, radio announcer, actor, and director.
After college, Jeremy also worked as a public relations executive, joining the Grace Steamship Line,
a job that took Jeremy and his family to Lima, Peru.
Here's a photo of Jeremy and four of his five children.
a job that took Jeremy and his family to Lima, Peru.
Here's a photo of Jeremy and four of his five children.
While in South America he joined a professional theater group and became involved with the production of The Rainmaker at the Professional English Language Theatre in Lima. He was awarded the Tiahuanacothe, the Peruvian equivalent of the Tony award, for his portrayal of the character Starbuck.
Jeremy left his position in Peru and took a small, significant role in the Pulitzer Prize winning play, Look Homeward, Angel, on Broadway and did 254 performances.
Jeremy left his position in Peru and took a small, significant role in the Pulitzer Prize winning play, Look Homeward, Angel, on Broadway and did 254 performances.
His career in the U.S. started out with numerous guest-starring roles in popular television programs of the 50's, and from there, he guest-starred in nearly a hundred television shows as well as appearing in twenty feature films.
Known as one of the more talented members of Hollywood's beach boy set of the 1960s, Jeremy Slate sent feminine hearts aflutter as the star of the 1960 TV series The Aquanauts.
Known as one of the more talented members of Hollywood's beach boy set of the 1960s, Jeremy Slate sent feminine hearts aflutter as the star of the 1960 TV series The Aquanauts.
While about half of his portrayals have been “heavies” Jeremy is equally adept at comedy and has worked with some of Hollywood's biggest, as seen below in Girls! Girls! Girls!
In 1962, he made his first of three appearances in Bonanza, playing Gunnar Borgstrom.
Tracycap from Inger, My Love, 1962
Tracycap from Inger, My Love, 1962
He starred with Van Johnson in 1963's Wives and Lovers.
Jeremy in 1965's The Sons of Katie Elder
In 1966, Jeremy and his wife of 18 years divorced. Jeremy married actress Tammy Grimes just a few months later. Jeremy and Tammy never had children - they were only married for 10 months before divorcing.
Jeremy received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Sgt. Major Patrick O'Neill, a soft-spoken Canadian judo expert, in David Wolper’s The Devil’s Brigade, 1968 a WWII saga starring William Holden and Cliff Robertson.
Jeremy received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Sgt. Major Patrick O'Neill, a soft-spoken Canadian judo expert, in David Wolper’s The Devil’s Brigade, 1968 a WWII saga starring William Holden and Cliff Robertson.
He played a sheriff in the John Wayne classic, True Grit.
Jeremy in I’ll Take Sweden - with Bob Hope in 1965.
In one of his nine appearances on Gunsmoke, 1966, with none other than our very own Roy Engel - Doc Martin - playing a sheriff!
During the popularity of “biker films” (which Jeremy defined as “westerns on wheels”), he appeared in The Born Losers in 1967
Here he is in BONANZA in 1967, as Ed Phillips in A Man Without Land.
Tracycap from A Man Without Land, 1967
Tracycap from A Man Without Land, 1967
Jeremy also guest starred in The Passing of A King, a season 10 episode (1968) of Bonanza (no caps available).
As the sadistic leader of a bike gang, Mini-Skirt Mob, Hell’s Belles and wrote the screen story for Hell’s Angels 69. During the filming of Hell’s Angels 69, Jeremy broke his leg, and he never rode a motorcycle again.
Jeremy had an 8-year run as character Chuck Wilson on the ABC day time drama, One Life to Live. Here's a shot with actress Arlene Dahl from 1984.
In July 2004, he appeared as a guest at the Western Film Fair in Charlotte, North Carolina
An accomplished Country and Western songwriter and a BMI member, Jeremy wrote the lyrics to Tex Ritter’s top ten song Just Beyond the Moon and also wrote the lyrics for Every Time I Itch (I Wind Up Scratchin' You), recorded by Glen Campbell on Capitol Records.
Here’s Jeremy singing his song. Blue Skies, Green Grass.
Jeremy spent the last part of his life with partner Joan Benedict (Joan had been married to Rod Steiger).
Jeremy Slate died in Los Angeles on November 19, 2006, from complications following surgery for esophageal cancer.
Jeremy Slate died in Los Angeles on November 19, 2006, from complications following surgery for esophageal cancer.