Austin Willis was a Canadian actor who is best known for his roles in Goldfinger (1964), Firefox (1982), and The Boston Strangler (1968).
Personal and Family Life
Austin Willis was born on September 30, 1917, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He was married twice: first to Kate Reid from 1953 to 1962, with whom he had two children, and later to Gwen Laforty until his passing in 2004. He was also the brother of Canadian newscaster J. Frank Willis.
Career Highlights
In his acting career, Willis initially was set to play the role of CIA agent Felix Leiter in the film Goldfinger, but he was instead given the smaller role of Simmons. He was recognized for his contributions to the performing arts in Canada, receiving the Member of the Order of Canada award on May 1, 2002.
Death and Legacy
Austin Willis passed away on April 4, 2004, in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. He left behind a significant legacy in film and television, remembered for his diverse roles and impact on the Canadian entertainment industry.
Filmography
| Title | Release Date | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Goldfinger | 1964-09-20 | Simmons |
| Dr. Frankenstein on Campus | 1970-04-10 | Cantwell |
| Firefox | 1982-06-18 | Walters |
| The Mouse That Roared | 1959-07-17 | United States Secretary of Defense |
| The Boston Strangler | 1968-10-08 | Dr. Nagy |
| The Last Flight of Noah’s Ark | 1980-06-24 | Slabotsky |
| The Barbarians | 1960-10-04 | Varro |
| The Boy in Blue | 1986-01-17 | Bainbridge |
| Bush Pilot | 1947-06-07 | Red North |
| Face-Off | 1971-11-12 | Graydon Hunter |
| Too Young to Love | 1960-03-08 | Mr. Collins |
| C.H.O.M.P.S. | 1979-12-21 | Head Engineer |
| Death Takes a Holiday | 1971-10-23 | Martin Herndon |
| The Sheriff | 1971-03-30 | Judge |
| Eight on the Lam | 1967-04-26 | Mr. Pomeroy |
| Upstairs and Downstairs | 1959-11-02 | McGuffey |
| Sins of the Fathers | 1948-04-25 | Dr. Ben Edwards |
| Wolf Dog | 1958-07-01 | Clem Krivak |
| Casino | 1980-08-01 | Packard |
| Hour of the Gun | 1967-11-01 | Anson Safford |
| The F.B.I. | 1965-09-19 | Warden James |
| Mannix | 1967-09-16 | |
| Cannon | 1971-09-14 | |
| Vega$ | 1978-09-20 | |
| Run for Your Life | 1965-09-13 | Myles Prentice |
| Seaway | 1965-09-15 | |
| Quincy, M.E. | 1976-10-03 | |
| The Mod Squad | 1968-09-24 | |
| Judd for the Defense | 1967-09-08 | |
| The Rat Patrol | 1966-09-12 | Doctor Anderson |
| Space Command | 1953-03-13 | Dr. Fleming, Space Command |
| The Invaders | 1967-01-10 | William Gehrig |
| The Defenders | 1961-09-16 | District Attorney |
| The F.B.I. | 1965-09-19 | Stuart |
| On Camera | 1954-10-02 |