Born in Nevada in 1917, this American actor of Serbian descent began his journey as a young man, competing in amateur boxing matches and receiving early training in theater at the renowned Pasadena Playhouse.
As World War II approached, he joined the Air Corps and was assigned to the troupe performing the Moss Hart Broadway tribute to the Corps, "Winged Victory," under his first chosen stage name, Barry Mitchell. He appeared in the film adaptation of the show and, after the war, became actively involved in radio drama and theater.
John Huston discovered him in a play and cast him as a bad guy in "The Asphalt Jungle" (1950),adopting the new sobriquet Brad Dexter. Throughout the 1950s, he continued to play tough guys, primarily villainous characters, in crime dramas and Westerns.
His most notable role came as one of the title characters in "The Magnificent Seven" (1960),although his fame was significantly overshadowed by most of the other band members, including Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Horst Buchholz, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, and James Coburn.
He continued acting into the 1970s before shifting his focus to producing.
