George Peppard, Jr. (October 1, 1928 - May 8, 1994) was a popular American film and television actor. An alcoholic for most of his adult life, he died of pneumonia as a result of complications of lung cancer.

His most notable role occurred early in his career when he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), although he is probably more familiar among younger viewers for his role as Col. John "Hannibal" Smith in the cult 1980s television show The A-Team, where he is the cigar-smoking leader of a renegade commando squadron.

George Peppard (Jr.) was born in Detroit, Michigan. The son of George Peppard, a building contractor, and opera singer Vernelle Rohrer, he graduated from Dearborn High School in Dearborn, Michigan. He enlisted into the Marine Corps, and rose to the rank of Sergeant in the Artillery, but saw no interest in a military career, and left as soon as his military obligation was up. He studied Civil Engineering at Purdue University where he was a member of Beta Theta Pi. He also attended Carnegie Mellon University.

He made his stage debut in 1949 at the Pittsburgh Playhouse then enrolled in the Actors Studio in New York and worked in summer stock. A start in Broadway lead to his first television appearance, with a young Paul Newman, in an episode of The United States Steel Hour in 1956. A Broadway appearance in "The Pleasure of His Company" in 1958 led to a MGM contract.

Making a strong film debut in The Strange One (1957), he was noticed when he played Robert Mitchum's illegitimate son in the popular melodrama Home from the Hill (1960). His good looks, elegant manner and strong acting helped him receive his most famous film role as Paul Varjak in Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's in 1961 with Audrey Hepburn. This role made him a major film star lasting from the early to late 60's. However, probably partly due to his drinking, Peppard chose tough guy roles in big, ambitious pictures where he was somewhat overshadowed by ensemble casts.

His best military role was as German pilot Bruno Stachel, an obsessively competitive officer pilot from humble beginnings who challenges the Prussian aristocracy in World War I in The Blue Max in 1966.

As his drinking problem affected his reputation, he was reduced to a string of B films by the early 70's. Peppard moved to television with a leading role in the TV series Banacek (1972 - 1974), (part of the NBC Mystery Movie series of the 1970s), and played in Doctors' Hospital, in 1975, and in several other television films, which became in the later part of his career his major dedication. Still interested in film but with the offered film roles becoming increasingly uninteresting, he acted in, directed and produced the drama Five Days from Home (1979).

In the mid-'80s he again obtained success on television for his role as Col. John "Hannibal" Smith in the cult 1980s television show The A-Team, where he is the cigar-smoking leader of a renegade commando squadron.

Personal life

Peppard married five times, and was the father of three children:

• Helen Davies - 1954-1964: two children, Bradford and Julie

• Elizabeth Ashley - 1966-1972: his co-star in The Carpetbaggers. One son Christian

• Sherrry Boucher - 1975-1979

• Alexis Adams - 1984-1986

• Laura Taylor - 1992-1994: was a banker in West Palm Beach, Florida when they met

Peppard finally gave up drinking in 1978 and spent his later years trying to help other alcoholics enter into recovery.

A life long smoker, Peppard was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1992, and resultantly quit. This also forced his retirement from acting, and being passionate about politics as a life long Democrat, he spent his final years championing health care reform.

He died of pneumonia on 8 May, 1994 in Los Angeles, California at the age of 65. He is buried in Northview Cemetery in Dearborn, Michigan.

Trivia

• Studied at The Actors Studio, with acting coach Lee Strasberg. One of his classmates was Rip Torn.

• He knew he had not made the most of his talents or skills. He is quoted as saying: I was my own worst enemy and that Mine isn-t a string of victories. It-s no golden past. I am no George Peppard fan

• He resented the fact that Mr. T became a bigger star on The A-Team and refused to speak to him during their time on the show. He would only communicate with Mr. T by passing messages through Dirk Benedict.

Filmography

• The Tigress (1992)
• Ultra Warrior (1990)
• The A-Team (1983-1987)
• Hit Man (1982)
• Race for the Yankee Zephyr (1981)
• Your Ticket Is No Longer Valid (1981)
• Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)
• From Hell to Victory (1979)
• Five Days from Home (1979)
• Damnation Alley (1977)
• Doctors' Hospital (1975-76)
• Newman's Law (1974)
• The Groundstar Conspiracy (1972)
• One More Train to Rob (1971)
• Cannon for Cordoba (1970)
• The Executioner (1970)
• Pendulum (1969)
• House of Cards (1968)
• What's So Bad About Feeling Good? (1968)
• P.J. (1968)
• Rough Night in Jericho (1967)
• Tobruk (1967)
• The Blue Max (1966)
• The Third Day (1965)
• Operation Crossbow (1965)
• The Carpetbaggers (1964)
• The Victors (1963)
• How the West Was Won (1962)
• Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
• The Subterraneans (1960)
• Home from the Hill (1960)
• Pork Chop Hill (1959)
• The Strange One (1957)