Simon Oakland
Biography
Simon Oakland was an American actor who appeared on stage, in films, and on television. Born in Brooklyn, he started as a violinist and worked as a concert violinist before taking up acting in the late 1940s. He had Broadway hits with Light Up the Sky, The Shrike, and Inherit the Wind. His film debut came in 1955 in The Desperate Hours, and after roles in The Brothers Karamazov and I Want to Live! in 1958, he became known for tough guys, authority figures, and villains. He played the psychiatrist who explains Norman Bates in Psycho (1960) and appeared in West Side Story (1961), The Sand Pebbles (1966), Bullitt (1968), The Hunting Party (1971), and Chato's Land (1972). On television he was in more than 130 series and made-for-television movies, played editor Tony Vincenzo on Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and had a comedic supporting role on Baa Baa Black Sheep. He died in 1983.
68years old at death
- Born Brooklyn
- Died Cathedral City
- Star sign: VirgoThe sign runs August 23 to September 22
Movie Career
- Films
- 19
- Career span
- 15 years1958 to 1973
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A change of course
Before acting, Oakland worked as a concert violinist and kept playing the violin as an avocation throughout his acting career.
First role
Oakland's first film role came in 1955, when he played an Indiana state trooper in The Desperate Hours, though he went uncredited.
Big break
After his notable work in I Want to Live!, Oakland went on to play a long series of tough guys, as authority figures, villains, or a mix of both.
Simon Oakland movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Robert Wise directed three of these films, Gordon Douglas two. Two actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Richard Basehart's page
Frank DeKova's page
James Hong's page
Elisha Cook Jr.'s page
John McIntire's page
Candice Bergen's page
All films by Robert Wise
All films by Gordon Douglas
Also two films together12 more actors
- Janet LeighPsycho (1960) and Who Was That Lady? (1960)
- Steve McQueenBullitt (1968) and The Sand Pebbles (1966)
- James WhitmoreChato's Land (1972) and Who Was That Lady? (1960)
- Darren McGavinThe Night Strangler (1973) and The Night Stalker (1972)
- John AndersonThe Satan Bug (1965) and Psycho (1960)
- Virginia VincentTony Rome (1967) and I Want to Live! (1958)
- Gavin MacLeodThe Sand Pebbles (1966) and I Want to Live! (1958)
- Richard BeymerHemingway's Adventures of a Young Man (1962) and West Side Story (1961)
- Stafford ReppI Want to Live! (1958) and The Brothers Karamazov (1958)
- Gage ClarkeI Want to Live! (1958) and The Brothers Karamazov (1958)
- Joe Di RedaEmperor of the North (1973) and The Sand Pebbles (1966)
- William WatsonChato's Land (1972) and The Hunting Party (1971)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Simon Oakland's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$178 million
7 of the 19 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 19 films: 7 worldwide figure; 1 us gross only; 2 never in cinemas; 9 figure not found.
- 7Worldwide figure
- 1US gross only
- 2Never in cinemas
- 9Figure not found
Top grosser
Highest grossing
The seven biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$50M28.1% of the total
- 2$44M24.5% of the total
- 3$42M23.7% of the total
- 4$20M11.2% of the total
- 5$14M7.9% of the total
- 6$5.4M3.0% of the total
- 7$2.8M1.6% of the total
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.