Tom Nardini

Tom Nardini
Nardini in 1967 from Cowboy in Africa
Born
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materEl Camino Junior College
OccupationActor
Years active1964–2013
Spouses
Judy K. Cooper
​
​
(m. 1966; div. 1966)​
Melody Gay Barsocchini
​
​
(m. 1970; div. 1981)​
Ruth Helen Belding
​
(m. 1985)​

Tom Nardini is an American film actor who had a lengthy career in television. His best-known roles were in Cowboy in Africa (1967), and in Cat Ballou (1965), for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe award.

Early life

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Born in Los Angeles, California,[1] he was the son of Joseph and Chechi Nardini. Nardini's father worked as an aircraft worker[citation needed] after having a career as a trumpeter and his mother worked in vaudeville[1] as a comedian, dancer, and singer. He attended Morningside High School in Inglewood, graduating in 1963. Nardini went on to El Camino Junior College in Torrance, where he studied theater and joined a Shakespearean group.[citation needed]

Career

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Nardini met an agent named Lester Miller, who was able to get him an interview to audition for Mr. Novak. This led to one of Nardini's first roles,[citation needed] appearing in three episodes of Novak as Abel King from 1964 to 1965. This allowed Nardini to land other roles as guest leads[citation needed] on other television shows such as The Lieutenant, My Three Sons and Bewitched. Nardini was then cast in the television series Cowboy in Africa, where he played the character John Henry.

Nardini signed a seven-year contract with Columbia Studios,[citation needed] which produced his film debut Cat Ballou in 1965. Nardini was cast as Jackson Two Bears, a Native American ranch hand for Cat Ballou's father. Nardini was nominated for Most Promising Newcomer - Male at the 23rd Golden Globe Awards for his performance.[citation needed]

In the films Cat Ballou and Africa: Texas Style, Nardini played a Native American character.

In 1966, Nardini co-starred in a pilot about a World War II-era historical novel written by James Jones called From Here to Eternity.

Personal life

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Nardini has been married three times, first to Judy K. Cooper during 1966, then Melody Gay Barsocchini from 1970 to 1981 with whom he had one son, and has been married to Ruth Helen Belding, with whom he has two sons, since 1985.[citation needed]

Nardini was in the Air Force reserve in 1966, based in Riverside, California.[citation needed]

Filmography

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References

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  1. ^ a b Kleiner, Dick (June 28, 1965). "Tammy Grimes Wants New Role". The Daily Advertiser. Louisiana, Lafayette. Newspaper Enterprise Association. p. 15. Retrieved September 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Marill, A.H. (2011). Television Westerns: Six Decades of Sagebrush Sheriffs, Scalawags, and Sidewinders. Scarecrow Press. p. 138. ISBN 978-0-8108-8133-4. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  3. ^ "With his wife ..." Ebony. Johnson Publishing Company. 1971. p. 124. ISSN 0012-9011. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  4. ^ Craig, R. (2019). American International Pictures: A Comprehensive Filmography. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-4766-6631-0. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  5. ^ Gilbert, M.; Rockwell, R. (2014). Me and My Saddle-Pal: My Life as a Hollywood Stuntman. Outskirts Press. p. 52. ISBN 978-1-4787-4033-9. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  6. ^ Hyatt, W. (2003). Short-Lived Television Series, 1948-1978: Thirty Years of More Than 1,000 Flops. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. p. 179. ISBN 978-0-7864-1420-8. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Africa: Texas Style". Boys' Life. Boy Scouts of America, Inc. 1967. p. 4. ISSN 0006-8608. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  8. ^ Deane, B. (2015). Following The Fugitive: An Episode Guide and Handbook to the 1960s Television Series. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. p. 195. ISBN 978-1-4766-0756-6. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  9. ^ "Drunkest Gun in the West". LIFE. Time Inc. 11 June 1965. p. 121. ISSN 0024-3019. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  10. ^ Friedwald, W. (2020). Straighten Up and Fly Right: The Life and Music of Nat King Cole. Cultural Biographies Series. Oxford University Press. p. 507. ISBN 978-0-19-088204-4. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  11. ^ Epstein, D. (2013). Lee Marvin: Point Blank. Schaffner Press. p. 151. ISBN 978-1-936182-41-1. Retrieved 9 September 2024.

Further reading

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  • "Tom Nardini To Co-Star With Connors." Pittsburgh Post Gazette. 16 Aug. 1967 : 24.
  • Ocala Star-Banner. 3 Sept. 1967.
  • The Evening News. 25 Nov. 1967.
  • Toledo Blade. 21 Feb. 1968.
  • TV Scout. The Times-News. 22 May 1971.


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