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Andrew Prine

Andrew Prine built the kind of career that rewards a long look: stage beginnings, decades of television work and a filmography that runs from prestigious drama to rugged Westerns and cult horror. Born on February 14, 1936, in Jennings, Florida, he was raised in a farming community before attending the University of Miami on a theater scholarship. He eventually left for New York, enrolled at the Actors Studio and began working professionally on television in 1957. At 22, Prine took the lead in the Broadway production of Look Homeward, Angel, joining a production that ran for 564 performances. Screen work soon became his focus. After a series of small television roles, he appeared as James, Helen Keller’s older brother, in The Miracle Worker in 1962. That same year, he landed a leading role opposite Earl Holliman in the NBC rodeo drama Wide Country. Western television became a major part of Prine’s career. He appeared in Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Virginian and Wagon Train, while also taking roles in series including Dr. Kildare, Combat! and The Fugitive. On film, he worked with director Andrew V. McLaglen on The Devil’s Brigade, Bandolero! and Chisum. Prine later identified Westerns as his personal favorite among the films he made, and the genre suited an actor capable of bringing a sharp, restless edge to frontier stories. His range was broader than the saddle suggested. During the 1970s and 1980s, Prine became a familiar presence in cult horror through films such as Simon, King of the Witches, The Town That Dreaded Sundown, Grizzly, The Evil and Amityville II: The Possession. He also appeared in the science-fiction miniseries V and V: The Final Battle. Prine continued working in film and television through the 1990s and beyond, with appearances in Star Trek: The Next Generation, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Boston Legal, Saving Grace and Six Feet Under. Across genres and formats, his career reflects the durable versatility of a working actor who could move from Broadway drama to network television, Westerns, horror and science fiction without losing his distinct presence.