- Born
- Died
- Birth nameJohn Grinham Kerr
- Height6′ 1″ (1.85 m)
- His father Geoffrey Kerr (b. 25 Jan 1895, London; d. 1971) and mother June Walker (b. 14 June 1904, New York City; d. 1966) were successful Broadway and, occasionally, film actors. He went into theatre as soon as he graduated from Harvard. He had an important role in the stage play "Bernadine" in 1952, and achieved real recognition for the sensitive lead part of Tom Robinson Lee in the 1953 stage production of "Tea and Sympathy", a role he recreated in the 1956 film version. Audiences found him touching in the tragic-hero role of Lieutenant Joe Cable in the 1958 musical South Pacific (1958). He became a practicing attorney but also made rare film/TV appearances.
- IMDb mini biography by: Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu> - The son of Broadway actors Geoffrey Kerr and June Walker, John Kerr began his stage career after graduating from Harvard University. In 1951 he met Priscilla Smith while taking a class in Serbo-Croatian language and literature at Harvard. They were married on December 28, 1952, and divorced in 1972. He married Barbara Chu in 1979. Kerr has three children (a son and two daughters) by his first marriage, and two stepchildren by his second. His first important part was in the play "Bernardine" in 1952 and the next year he achieved stardom as the shy, sensitive lead in "Tea and Sympathy", a role he repeated in the film version; Tea and Sympathy (1956). Although he appeared in several films, he wasn't able to build a major career out of his auspicious debut. He did, however, keep busy as a guest star in innumerable TV series.
- IMDb mini biography by: frankfob2@yahoo.com
- SpousesBarbara Ann Wong Chu(September 22, 1979 - February 2, 2013) (his death)Priscilla Smith(December 28, 1952 - February 1972) (divorced, 3 children)
- ChildrenRebecca KerrJocelyn KerrMichael Kerr
- Parents
- Returned to law school in the 1960s and received his J.D. from UCLA in 1970. He practiced law in Encino, California from 1970 until his retirement in 2000.
- In a widely publicized decision, he turned down the offer to play the role of the legendary Charles A. Lindbergh in the 1956 film ' The Spirit of St. Louis (1957) because he did not respect Lindbergh's sympathetic support of the Nazi regime in Germany prior to America's entry into World War II.
- Won Broadway's 1954 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic) for "Tea and Sympathy," a part that he recreated in the film version of the same name, Tea and Sympathy (1956).
- Has five children, including twin daughters (born May 29th, 1954), Rebecca Kerr and Jocelyn Kerr-Thantrakul, and son Michael from his first marriage, and two stepchildren from his second, Sharon and Chris Chu.
- His singing in South Pacific was dubbed by Bill Lee of the Mellomen group.
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