Take a closer look at some of Hollywood's top-tier talent at the beginning of their careers.

Child Stars, Then and Now

Take a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s top-tier talent at the beginning of their careers.

Check out our calendar of everything coming to streaming during the month of August.

August 2025 TV and Streaming Premiere Dates

Check out our favorite premiere and event photos of [link=/name/nm4806449/]Joseph Quinn[/link], [link=/name/nm0050959/]Pedro Pascal[/link], [link=/name/nm3948952/]Vanessa Kirby[/link], and [link=/name/nm0609114/]Ebon Moss-Bachrach[/link] from the whirlwind [i][link=/title/tt10676052/]The Fantastic Four: First Steps[/link][/i] press tour.

On the Blue Carpet: 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps'

Check out our favorite premiere and event photos of <a class="ipc-md-link" href="/name/nm4806449/?ref_=nmmi_eds_right-7_lk">Joseph Quinn</a>, <a class="ipc-md-link" href="/name/nm0050959/?ref_=nmmi_eds_right-7_lk">Pedro Pascal</a>, <a class="ipc-md-link" href="/name/nm3948952/?ref_=nmmi_eds_right-7_lk">Vanessa Kirby</a>, and <a class="ipc-md-link" href="/name/nm0609114/?ref_=nmmi_eds_right-7_lk">Ebon Moss-Bachrach</a> from the whirlwind <em><a class="ipc-md-link" href="/title/tt10676052/?ref_=nmmi_eds_right-7_lk">The Fantastic Four: First Steps</a></em> press tour.

Brian Frishman and Jerry Hardin in The White Shadow (1978)

Jerry Hardin and Ann Wedgeworth in Filthy Rich (1982)

Jerry Hardin and Michael Lombard in Filthy Rich (1982)

Delta Burke, Maryedith Burrell, Dixie Carter, Jerry Hardin, Nedra Volz, and Ann Wedgeworth in Filthy Rich (1982)

Charles Frank and Jerry Hardin in Filthy Rich (1982)

Jerry Hardin and Peter Jason in Filthy Rich (1982)

Jerry Hardin, Michael Lombard, and Ann Wedgeworth in Filthy Rich (1982)

Dixie Carter, Charles Frank, Jerry Hardin, Michael Lombard, and William Utay in Filthy Rich (1982)

Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Charles Frank, Jerry Hardin, Michael Lombard, Nedra Volz, and Ann Wedgeworth in Filthy Rich (1982)

Dixie Carter and Jerry Hardin in Filthy Rich (1982)

Delta Burke, Jerry Hardin, Michael Lombard, and Ann Wedgeworth in Filthy Rich (1982)

Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Charles Frank, Jerry Hardin, Nedra Volz, and Ann Wedgeworth in Filthy Rich (1982)

Dixie Carter, Charles Frank, Jerry Hardin, Michael Lombard, and Ann Wedgeworth in Filthy Rich (1982)

Dixie Carter, Jerry Hardin, Nedra Volz, and Ann Wedgeworth in Filthy Rich (1982)

Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Jerry Hardin, Michael Lombard, Nedra Volz, and Ann Wedgeworth in Filthy Rich (1982)

Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Jerry Hardin, Michael Lombard, and Nedra Volz in Filthy Rich (1982)

Jerry Hardin and Vernon Weddle in Filthy Rich (1982)

Dixie Carter, Charles Frank, Jerry Hardin, Michael Lombard, Nedra Volz, and Vernon Weddle in Filthy Rich (1982)

Dixie Carter, Jerry Hardin, and Vernon Weddle in Filthy Rich (1982)

Delta Burke, Charles Frank, Jerry Hardin, and Ann Wedgeworth in Filthy Rich (1982)

Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Charles Frank, Jerry Hardin, Michael Lombard, and Ann Wedgeworth in Filthy Rich (1982)

Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Charles Frank, and Jerry Hardin in Filthy Rich (1982)

Dixie Carter, Jerry Hardin, and Michael Lombard in Filthy Rich (1982)

Charles Frank, Jerry Hardin, and Ann Wedgeworth in Filthy Rich (1982)

Dixie Carter, Jerry Hardin, David Healy, and Ann Wedgeworth in Filthy Rich (1982)

Dixie Carter, Charles Frank, Jerry Hardin, David Healy, Michael Lombard, and Ann Wedgeworth in Filthy Rich (1982)

Dixie Carter, Jerry Hardin, and Nedra Volz in Filthy Rich (1982)

Helen Hunt, Paul Reiser, and Jerry Hardin in Mad About You (1992)

William B. Davis and Jerry Hardin in The X-Files (1993)

William B. Davis, Peter Donat, Walter Gotell, Jerry Hardin, and John Neville in The X-Files (1993)

David Duchovny and Jerry Hardin in The X-Files (1993)

Frederick Coffin and Jerry Hardin in The X-Files (1993)

A highly engaging, charismatic, and reliable character actor with a long and distinguished career spanning half a century, Jerry Hardin has been gracing both the big and small screen, and stage, with many enjoyable performances, highlighted by a relaxed and pleasing Southern twang. Born November 20, 1929, in Dallas, Texas, where his father was a pharmacist, Hardin was raised outside the city, where he first began acting in school productions. This would lead to a scholarship to Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, and a Fulbright scholarship to the Royal Academy for Dramatic Art in London. He had his first (uncredited) film role in the classic drive-in flick, Thunder Road (1958), starring Robert Mitchum, and, by 1961, had racked up an impressive amount of over 75 theatre credits. He became incredibly prolific in the 1970s, when his film career really took off, and he also started appearing regularly on TV series, including Gunsmoke (1955), Starsky and Hutch (1975), The Streets of San Francisco (1972), Little House on the Prairie (1974), The Rockford Files (1974), Miami Vice (1984), L.A. Law (1986), Melrose Place (1992), Murder, She Wrote (1984) and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993). A particularly memorable performance, by Mr. Hardin in this medium, was that of Mark Twain in episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987). He would also prove to be in high demand for film roles, appearing in the likes of Wolf Lake (1979), Heartland (1979), 1941 (1979), Honky Tonk Freeway (1981), Reds (1981), Missing (1982), Honkytonk Man (1982), Cujo (1983), The Falcon and the Snowman (1985), Warning Sign (1985), Big Trouble in Little China (1986), Wanted: Dead or Alive (1986), The Hot Spot (1990), The Firm (1993), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Hidalgo (2004) and Are We There Yet? (2005). His performance as one of the subtly sinister senior partners in The Firm (1993) impressed The X-Files (1993) creator Chris Carter enough that Carter would create the character of "Deep Throat" with him in mind, and it's this role that is definitely one of Hardin's most famous. A noteworthy stage performance of his was in the play, "The Rainmaker", working alongside Jayne Atkinson, Woody Harrelson and David Aaron Baker.

Hardin's wife is actress and acting teacher Diane Hardin (her students have included Leonardo DiCaprio, Hilary Swank, Stephen Dorff, River Phoenix, Kellie Martin and Christopher Masterson), his daughter is actress Melora Hardin, and his son Shawn Hardin was chief operating officer, in-charge-of product, for NBC-1 in San Francisco.

Photos

Jerry Hardin

More from this person

More to explore

Recently viewed