DON S. DAVIS 1942-2008


Don was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks in Aurora, Missouri, a town located in the southwestern part of the state. It’s a beautiful area with picturesque towns and farms set among rolling hills, which are crisscrossed by many rivers and containing a large number of magnificent lakes. These rivers and lakes offer some of the finest fishing and boating in all of North America. Those areas of the countryside not cleared for farmland are covered with an amazing variety of trees and other vegetation and an abundance of indigenous animals and birds. The towns and farmsteads contain wonderful old homes, barns and other buildings that provide nearly limitless opportunities for artistic inspiration. Don’s drawings, paintings and carvings attempt to reflect his deep love for the environment and view of life that he was so fortunate to have grown up with.



Don received a Bachelor of Science Degree with a double major in theater and art from Southwest Missouri State College in 1965. He then served three years on active duty in the United States Army. Don entered the army as a Second Lieutenant and had achieved the rank of Captain by the time he completed his required tour of active duty. Upon leaving the army, Don began working toward a Masters Degree in theatre at Southern Illinois University, in Carbondale, Illinois. Don received his Masters Degree in 1970. He then taught for a number of years before returning to Southern Illinois University to complete the coursework for a PhD in Theatre. Don received his PhD in 1982.



Don began working in the film industry while teaching at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, B.C. in the early 1980s. He left teaching to pursue acting fulltime in 1987. Don has appeared in numerous feature films including Miracle, Alaska, A League of their Own, Needful Things, Look Who’s Talking, Con Air, and Best in Show. He has had featured roles in several dozen made for television movies including In Cold Blood; The Ranger, The Cook and the Hole in the Sky; Columbo: A Bird in Hand; and the mini-series Atomic Train. Don is best known for his television series roles as General George Hammond in STARGATE SG-1 and his portrayal of Major Garland Briggs in the series, TWIN PEAKS. Don has guest starred in many dozens of television series including The West Wing, NCIS, The Dead Zone, Northern Exposure, The Outer Limits, L.A. Law, Knots Landing, Twenty-One Jump Street, Wiseguy, and Macgyver.



Details.

6 comments:

AparecidaProtectUs said...

OH NO! That's so terribly sad and he's far too young to leave yet. Fine actor. He'll be missed.

mandi moo said...

It's too damn surreal. I had to leave a voice mail for our contact at the Seattle Art Museum about Don's passing and I had to struggle to keep my voice straight. Never had a celebrity's death affect me so much...I think it's because Don is one of the few celebrities I admired whom I actually got a chance to meet and talk to. He was such a fan-person...really loved and appreciated all of us TP (and Stargate!) fans.

Anonymous said...

R.I.P. Don.
One of my all time Twin Peaks heroes. And, from what I've heard about him, a great person too.

Jerry Horne said...

Well, the next morning and it all still feels a bit unreal eh? I'm in the middle of watching the series again (the second time since the Gold Box came out) and I was due to watch episode 8 last night. As some of you may or may not know, it contains possibly the finest Don Davis scene of the series (in the diner with Bobby) Well, I stayed up a bit late last night and basically fell asleep right away, only to wake up right when that scene started. Weird. Then, I'm not sure if this was prior to waking up for the scene or after, I had a dream where a bunch of fans were sitting around a table. Just sitting basically. Not talking. A few years ago I was lucky enough to have a fan (Nefud) take a photo of Don and Charlotte from my collection and have it autographed by both of them at the Fest. So, there it hangs in my room now. We'll miss you.

mandi moo said...

I just watched that scene last night while putting together the pin images for this year's fest souvenirs...we're having pins made with Major Briggs' face on them and we're going to donate all the proceeds from their sale to the American Heart Association. And I thought, best place in the series to get a great Don screen shot...the Bobby diner scene! It was really really hard watching that and not becoming verklempt. Really hard.

Anonymous said...

I'm so sad that he passed. I deeply admire his talent, and though I never had a possibility to meet him, I can see from the screen, that he was a great person, just like his character! I'll miss him!