George Peppard, a dashing and refined individual, showcased his impressive acting range throughout his career, effortlessly transitioning between action-packed roles and dramatic performances. Prior to his film debut, he gained valuable experience on Broadway and television, laying the groundwork for his future success.
His breakthrough role came in 1957 with the film "The Strange One," followed by a notable performance as Robert Mitchum's illegitimate son in the popular melodrama "Home from the Hill" in 1960. This marked the beginning of his ascension as a leading man, with arguably his most memorable film performance as Audrey Hepburn's love interest in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" in 1961.
As a promising young star, Peppard was subsequently cast in several major blockbusters of the early and mid-1960s, including "How the West Was Won" (1962),"The Victors" (1963),"The Carpetbaggers" (1964),and "Operation Crossbow" (1965). He reached the pinnacle of his popularity with the lavish production "The Blue Max" in 1966, where he effectively portrayed an obsessively competitive German flying officer during World War I.
However, by the late 1960s, Peppard's popularity began to wane, and he found himself cast in more average, often formulaic, adventures, including "House of Cards" (1968),"Cannon for Cordoba" (1970),and "The Groundstar Conspiracy" (1972). His declining popularity was temporarily boosted by the television series "Banacek" in the early 1970s.
In the mid-1970s, Peppard's film roles became increasingly uninteresting, but he attempted to revive his career by acting in, directing, and producing the drama "Five Days from Home" in 1978. Unfortunately, the result was disappointing.
Peppard's fortunes were revitalized in the mid-1980s when he landed the role of Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith, the cigar-chomping leader of the popular television series "The A-Team" in 1983. George Peppard passed away at the age of 65 on May 8, 1994, in Los Angeles, California. He is buried alongside his parents in Northview Cemetery in Dearborn, Michigan.
