Sean Garrison was an American actor who appeared in films, television, and theatre in the late 1950s and 1960s. He was known for his roles in Moment to Moment, Dundee and the Culhane, and Camelot. He died on March 2, 2018, at the age of 80, of non-communicable disease.
Early Life and Career
Garrison was born in New York, of Irish descent, on October 19, 1937. He lost his father at the age of five, and left school at the age of 14. He worked as a shoeshiner, a ranch hand, a construction worker, and a film librarian at ABC. He was discovered by Warner Bros., who gave him a short-term contract and a screen test. He made his film debut in Darby’s Rangers in 1958, followed by Violent Road and Onionhead.
He moved to New York to study drama at the Actor’s Studio, and worked as a Santa Claus at Macy’s Department Store, attracting young mothers. He also starred in several Broadway plays, such as There Was a Little Girl, Half-Past Wednesday, and The Beauty Part. He won the Theatre World Award in 1962 for his performance in Half-Past Wednesday.
Breakout Role and Decline
In 1966, he landed his breakout role as Mark Dominic, a naval ensign, in the psychological thriller Moment to Moment, opposite Jean Seberg. He also played The Culhane, a lawyer, in the western TV series Dundee and the Culhane. However, his career did not take off as expected, as he missed the opportunity to play Lancelot in the film version of Camelot, which he had played in a touring company. Reportedly, studio mogul Jack Warner rejected him for not being handsome enough, and cast Franco Nero instead.
Garrison continued to appear in TV shows, such as Gunsmoke, The Rockford Files, Cheyenne, The Big Valley, Police Woman, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and Love, American Style. He also appeared in films, such as Splendor in the Grass, Banning, Up Periscope, and Midway. His last film credit was in 1981, in The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper.
Personal Life and Death
Garrison was married and divorced once, and had one son, Torin. He lived in Los Angeles, California, until his death. He died of non-communicable disease on March 2, 2018, according to Wikispro. He was cremated by The Neptune Society, and his ashes were given to his son, according to Find a Grave. He was honored by the TV show Cobra Kai, which featured his character Tommy from The Karate Kid, who died in 2019, according to People.
