George Holmes

George Holmes' story is a great example of the various phases that an actor could go whenever they can go into acting. He got further than most but he never quite broke through into stardom. He tried his hand at various occupations including ice skating, wrestling, acting, and stand-in work which helped him shape one of the more unique careers an actor could have. When he started in the 1930s, Holmes was an ice skater and he used this to enter into films through the early Sonja Henie movies. Like many actors, he fell in love with the process and with his good looks he was eventually awarded a contract by the studio. He was put into several films including some leading roles including a Charlie Chan film and one of the Falcon films. The trouble is that Holmes was never too comfortable delivering dialog and he was eventually dropped by the studios. For Holmes, talking roles were very sporadic and didn't pay the bills. The muscular Holmes decided to even appear as a wrestler for local California acting matches to supplement his income. By the 1950s, Holmes career was at a standstill with his last role of consequence being a credited role as one of the rival ranchers in an episode of The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. It was then where Holmes found himself at a crossroads in his career. He eventually decided to start seeking work as an extra and as a stand-in. This turned Holmes career around because it enabled him to work steady because when he wasn't working with an actor as their stand-in, he managed to appear in countless television shows and movies in the 1960s and 1970s. It was the perfect job for Holmes and he would constantly play jokes on his fellow extras including shoving a block of ice on somebody while filming a shower scene. By the start of the 1980s, Holmes really started to slow down and his dramatic change in appearance led to less work. He eventually retired by the 1980s and eventually succumbed to various health issues. George Holmes' life and his career is the very personification of what happens in the various stages of an actor's life but through his perseverance, he was able to leave behind a lasting legacy through his contributions to the film and television industry.