Overview (4)

Mini Bio (1)

Wilford Brimley was born on September 27, 1934 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA as Anthony Wilford Brimley. He was an actor, known for Cocoon (1985), The Thing (1982) and The Natural (1984). He was married to Beverly Berry and Lynne Brimley. He died on August 1, 2020 in St. George, Utah.



Spouse (2)

Trade Mark (2)

Gravely voice and walrus moustache



His Liberty Medical commercials, in which he pronunces diabetes as "diabeetus"



Trivia (18)



Was a bodyguard to Howard Hughes

Had diabetes and served as a spokesperson for the diabetes testing-supplies company Liberty Medical.



Enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean Conflict and spent three years in the Aleutian Islands.





Had four sons with his wife, Lynne Brimley : Jim Brimley, John Brimley , Bill Brimley, and Lawrence Brimley (deceased).



Known to loosen up cast mates, with small practical jokes, between takes. For example, while filming Cocoon: The Return (1988), Courteney Cox was caught off guard by whoopee cushion pranks.

Known for his Quaker Oats commercials.





Had a recurring role on The Waltons (1972). At the prodding of series star Ralph Waite , Brimley became a charter member of Waite's Los Angeles Actors Theater.

A controversial activist, he paid from his own funds for ads to have Utah allow horse-race gambling, and he was actively opposed to the banning of cockfighting. He campaigned in Arizona and New Mexico against laws banning cockfighting.



His first acting roles were in the '60s as a riding extra/stuntman in westerns. At that time he used the name Anthony (Tony) Brimley.



He was the son of Lola Samantha (Nelson) and Wilford Charles Brimley, a real estate broker.



Was often mistaken for the trolley conductor in the 1991 Hardee's (now Carl's Junior) TV commercials for the Frisco Burger.



Wilford's paternal grandfather was an English emigrant, born in Wigan, Lancashire, while Wilford's paternal grandmother's parents were Scottish, from Glasgow. Wilford's mother was of half Danish descent, with her other roots being Welsh, English, German, and Swiss-German.



Was a talented jazz singer who recorded several albums and played successful club engagements.



He was a farmer and rodeo rider who, after gaining weight, became a blacksmith and then a film actor.



He was only 49 when he was cast as a senior citizen for Cocoon (1985), and turned 50 during filming. He was at least 20 years younger than any of the actors playing the other elderly characters.



Upon his death, he was cremated and his ashes returned to his family.



Personal Quotes (6)

Look, I like people very much. I'm not very good with people, but that doesn't mean I don't like them. I do like them. Because we actors are on that great big screen and so many people see us, we become familiar. People speak to us as if they've known us all our lives. That just tickles me to death.



I just try to be myself. (on his acting technique)



I thought The Thing stunk. The instant [John Carpenter] said, 'Action,' I knew I was in deep water.



I'm never the leading man. I never get the girl. And I never get to take my shirt off. I started by playing fathers to guys who were 25 years older than I was.



I can't talk about acting. I don't know anything about it. I was just lucky enough to get hired.

