Greg Evigan
A charming American actor who became a familiar face of 1980s television, piloting trucks, helicopters, and sci-fi adventures.
Born 1953 (age 73)·American actor·Birthday: October 14·Baby Boomers
Biography
Greg Evigan's career is a map of a certain era of American TV. He broke through with a smile and a sense of easygoing charm, first as a singing, truck-driving hero in the lighthearted 'B.J. and the Bear'. That role cemented his status as a leading man for adventure series, a persona he later updated for the aeronautical action of 'My Two Dads'. Evigan never quite left his theatrical roots behind—he started on Broadway in 'Jesus Christ Superstar' and stepped into John Travolta's shoes as Danny Zuko in a national tour of 'Grease'. While he never became a major film star, his steady presence on television, including a stint on the sci-fi cult favorite 'TekWar', made him a reliable and recognizable figure for a generation of viewers who found him in their living rooms after school or during prime time.
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.
Greg was born in 1953, 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 Greg Was Born
The biggest hits of 1953
#1 Movie
Peter Pan
Best Picture
From Here to Eternity
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Greg's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1953Born
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1958Started school
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1966Became a teenager
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Could drive
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1971Could vote
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
1974Turned 21
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
1983Turned 30
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 40
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 50
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 60
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 70
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 73 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Starred as the lead in the NBC comedy-drama series 'B.J. and the Bear', which ran for three seasons.
- Played one of the titular fathers in the NBC sitcom 'My Two Dads' alongside Paul Reiser.
- Originated the role of Joey in the Broadway production of 'Jesus Christ Superstar' in 1971.
- Portrayed Jake Cardigan in the television adaptation of the sci-fi series 'TekWar'.
Did You Know?
He is also a musician and wrote and performed the theme song for 'B.J. and the Bear'.
He played Danny Zuko in a national touring company production of the musical 'Grease'.
His daughter, Vanessa Evigan, is also an actress.
He voiced the character of Bonner in the popular video game 'Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger'.
“I just want to work, to be a working actor and support my family.”
