Darryl Hickman
A child star of Hollywood's golden age who later reinvented himself as a respected acting coach and television executive, navigating a seven-decade career in entertainment.
1931–2024 (age 93)·American actor·Birthday: July 28·The Silent Generation
Biography
Darryl Hickman entered the Hollywood machine as a freckle-faced kid in the 1930s, his youthful earnestness landing him roles in classics like John Ford's 'The Grapes of Wrath' and the Technicolor noir 'Leave Her to Heaven.' Unlike many who faded after adolescence, Hickman refused to be defined by his early fame. He stepped away from acting in his twenties, studying philosophy and even spending time in a monastery, searching for a purpose beyond the studio lot. He returned not just as a character actor on countless TV shows, but as a creative force behind the scenes. As a vice president at CBS, he helped develop daytime programming, and later, he channeled his deep understanding of performance into a successful career as an acting coach. His life traced the arc of 20th-century show business itself, from the backlots of classic cinema to the television age, always with a thoughtful perspective on the craft he loved.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Darryl was born in 1931, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Darryl Was Born
The biggest hits of 1931
#1 Movie
Frankenstein
Best Picture
Cimarron
Darryl's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1931Born
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1936Started school
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1944Became a teenager
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Could drive
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1949Could vote
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Turned 21
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1961Turned 30
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 40
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
1981Turned 50
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 60
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 70
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 80
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2024Died at 93
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
Key Achievements
- Appeared as Winfield in the landmark film 'The Grapes of Wrath' (1940) at the age of eight.
- Played a key supporting role in the classic film noir 'Leave Her to Heaven' (1945) opposite Gene Tierney.
- Served as a vice president for daytime programming at CBS in the 1970s.
- Authored the book 'The Unconscious Actor: Out of Control, In Full Command,' detailing his acting technique.
- Maintained a decades-long career as a respected private acting coach in Los Angeles.
Did You Know?
His younger brother, Dwayne Hickman, starred in the television series 'The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.'
He was a contestant on the game show 'The $64,000 Question' and won $16,000 in the philosophy category.
He briefly left acting to become a Trappist monk in the 1950s.
He provided the voice for the character of Eugene in the animated film 'The Fox and the Hound' (1981).
“The actor's job is to make the audience feel, not to feel himself.”
