John Blyth Barrymore
John Blyth Barrymore III (born May 15, 1954) is an American film and television actor.
John Blyth Barrymore | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Blyth Barrymore III May 15, 1954 Beverly Hills, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1967–present |
| Parent(s) | John Drew Barrymore Cara Williams |
| Family | Barrymore |
He is known for his role as Zeke in the 1970s television series Kung Fu, which was his first role on television.
Biography
John Blyth Barrymore III was born to John Drew Barrymore and Cara Williams.[1] As such, he is from the famous Barrymore family: He is the half-brother of American actress Drew Barrymore, as well as the grandnephew of Ethel Barrymore and Lionel Barrymore.[2] He is of partial Irish descent through his great-grandfather, actor Maurice Costello. John has stated that he does not remember if he met his aunt Diana Barrymore, who was also an actress.[3]
Norman Abbott, the director of the television show The Munsters, requested that John play the role of Eddie Munster in the show. John's mother did not allow him to take the role, and in later years John thanked his mother for not allowing him to become a child actor.
Like his father, John has had a sporadic career in film and television, mainly appearing in shlock horror movies and comedies. John found himself homeless in 2012. While on skid row, he took to wearing a shirt printed with "I'm Drew Barrymore's brother".[4][5][6]
After John's sister Jessica Barrymore was found dead in her vehicle in 2014, he publicly criticized half-sister Drew for not being receptive to forming a relationship with either him or Jessica.[7]
In 2017, he appeared in an hour-long episode of Lasagna Cat, a web-series parodying Jim Davis's comic-strip series Garfield, by the production team Fatal Farm. His performance consisted of a tribute and in-depth philosophical analysis of a Garfield comic strip from July 27th, 1978 which features Garfield smoking Jon's pipe to his dismay, as he describes it as a single "perfect" Garfield comic strip.[8]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Me and Benjy | Petie | |
| 1975 | Kung Fu | Zeke | |
| 1976 | Baby Blue Marine | Idiot #2 | |
| 1978 | The One Man Jury | Policeman #1 | |
| 1978 | Feedback | Hoodlum | |
| 1979 | Nocturna | Punk vampire | |
| 1980 | Lou Grant | Harold | Episode: "Cameras" |
| 1981 | Americana | John / Jack | |
| 1981 | Smokey Bites the Dust | Harold | |
| 1981 | Full Moon High | Student | |
| 1982 | Lou Grant | Marc Pauley | Episode: "Dogs" |
| 1982 | Trick or Treats | Mad Doctor | |
| 1984 | Hard to Hold | Recording Engineer | |
| 1990 | Cry-Baby | N/A | Uncredited additional voice |
| 1990 | Crazy People | Additional voices | |
| 2017 | Lasagna Cat | Himself (fictionalized) | Episode: "07/27/1978" |
Further reading
- Pilato, Herbie J., The Kung Fu Book of Caine: The Complete Guide to TV's First Mystical Eastern Western. Boston: Charles A. Tuttle (1993); ISBN 0-8048-1826-6
References
- Mank, Gregory William (2014). The Very Witching Time of Night: Dark Alleys of Classic Horror Cinema. McFarland. pp. 63–64. ISBN 978-0-7864-4955-2.
- Vare, Ethlie Ann (2011). Love Addict: Sex, Romance, and Other Dangerous Drugs. Health Communications, Inc. p. 136. ISBN 978-0-7573-1595-4.
- "Interview with Actor John Blyth Barrymore". Eerie Digest. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- "Drew Barrymore's Brother on Welfare". Inside Edition. Feb 1, 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- "DREW BARRYMORE HAS A HALF BROTHER ON SKID ROW". Janet Charlton's Hollywood. Dec 7, 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- "Drew Barrymore Bans Family From Wedding". The Gossip Jacker. Jun 8, 2012. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- "Abandoned And Alone: Drew Barrymore Had Been 'Avoiding' Sister Jessica Before Her Tragic Death, Says Brother John". Radar Online. Aug 6, 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- "07/27/1978". YouTube. 2017-02-23. Retrieved 2017-02-23.