Trivia

Along with Jeffrey Wright, he is one of only two actors to play Felix Leiter in more than one "James Bond" film: Live and Let Die (1973) and Licence to Kill (1989). Wright played the role in three films: Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008) and No Time to Die (2021).

Children are: Alexandra Hedison and Serena Rose Hedison. Father-in-law of Jodie Foster.

He was the son of Armenian parents, Rose (Boghosian) and Albert David Hedison/Heditisian, from Harpoot (now Elazig). Some publications listed David Hedison's birthname as "Ara Heditsian." His Armenian grandfather, David/Tavit Heditisian, reportedly changed the family name from Heditsian to Hedison because everyone always mispronounced it as Hedison.

First actor to portray 007's CIA friend Felix Leiter twice: Live and Let Die (1973) and Licence to Kill (1989). Still the only actor ever to play the role in two non consecutive Bond films.

His name is one of just five celebrity names actually incorporated into The Statler Brothers' top ten song "The Movies". The lyricist needed a word that rhymed with Thomas Edison.

Not only was he the first actor to portray Felix Leiter twice (as already posted), but he played Felix to two different Bonds (Moore and Dalton) To date he was the only one to do so as the character, pending future Bond films, has not returned since his character was fed to the sharks by the villain in the License to Kill film (originally titled License Revoked).

Until his death on July 18th 2019, David Hedison, known for the classic movies The Enemy Below (1957) and The Fly (1958) and the TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964), was the last surviving star of all three of these classics.

His ashes were sprinkled into the Pacific Ocean.

He studied drama at HB Studio in Greenwich Village in New York City.

Once peddled brushes door to door.

Martin Marootian once worked as an apprentice at the costume jewelry factory owned by Hedison's uncle.

He began acting in rep in New York and was seen by Sir Michael Redgrave who cast him in his play A Month in the Country, Hollywood followed with roles in such as The Enemy Below, The Lost World and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea in which he played Lee Crane.

The movie Blood and Sand was his inspiration to pursue an acting career.