Victor "Vic" Morrow (February 14, 1929 – July 23, 1982) was an American actor and director, whose credits include a starring role in the 1960s television series Combat!, prominent roles in a handful of other television and film dramas, and numerous guest roles on television. Morrow and two child actors were killed in 1982 by a stunt helicopter crash during the filming of Twilight Zone: The Movie.

Biography

Morrow was born in the New York City borough of the Bronx, to a middle-class Jewish family, the son of Jean (née Kress) and Harry Morozoff, an electrical engineer. When he was 17, Morrow dropped out of high school and joined the United States Navy.

In 1958, Morrow married actress and screenwriter Barbara Turner, with whom he had two daughters: Carrie Ann Morrow (b. 1958) and actress Jennifer Jason Leigh (b. 1962). Morrow's marriage to Barbara lasted seven years and ended in divorce in 1964 or 1965. Morrow did not remarry until 1975, over a decade later, when he courted Gale Lester (currently Gale Morrow Butler). They were married for five years and were separated just prior to Morrow's death.

Morrow had a falling out with his daughter Jennifer Jason Leigh following his divorce from her mother; Leigh changed her last name as a teenager to avoid being publicly associated with Morrow. They remained estranged at the time of his death.


Rick Jason, co-star of Combat!, wrote in his memoirs,Vic Morrow had an absolute dislike of firearms. He used a Thompson submachine gun in our series, but that was work. In any other respect he'd have nothing to do with them. On one of the few days we got off early while there were still several hours of daylight left, I said to him, "I've got a couple of shotguns in the back of my station wagon. You want to shoot some skeet?" Without so much as a pause he responded, "No, thanks. I can't stand to kill clay." He knew he could always break me up and during our five years together he did it quite a bit. His sense of humor happened to tickle my funny bone and he knew he had my number."