Christopher Dean
The dependable, square-jawed actor who brought grounded integrity to the role of Detective Ed Brown on the landmark TV series Ironside.
Born 1958 (age 68)·English ice dancer·Birthday: July 27·Baby Boomers
Biography
Don Galloway's career was a study in steady, reliable presence. With a strong jaw and an earnest demeanor, he often played the trustworthy ally or competent authority figure. His breakthrough came as Detective Sergeant Ed Brown, the young, by-the-book partner to Raymond Burr's wheelchair-bound Chief Ironside. For eight seasons, Galloway provided the procedural backbone and physical action to the innovative crime drama, his character evolving from a green recruit to a seasoned detective. While the role defined his public image, he maintained a vibrant career in theater and guest television spots, and later, a surprising second act as a political columnist. A committed libertarian, he wrote fiercely opinionated pieces that contrasted sharply with his clean-cut TV persona, revealing a man of strong convictions who valued intellectual engagement as much as artistic performance.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Christopher was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Christopher Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Christopher's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- He played a central role as Detective Sergeant Ed Brown across all eight seasons of the hit NBC series 'Ironside.'
- He maintained a consistent career in television for over three decades, appearing in series like 'The Virginian' and 'The Andromeda Strain.'
- He authored a political opinion column for the Nevada-based 'Reno Gazette-Journal,' advocating for libertarian principles.
Did You Know?
He was a founding member of the Libertarian Party of Nevada.
He served in the United States Army as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division.
He reprised his role as Ed Brown in the 1993 television movie 'The Return of Ironside.'
“The music tells you what to do; you just have to listen.”
