Brian Keith Biography

Brian Keith

After appearing in silent films as a child actor and trying his hand at a stage career, Brian Keith made his film debut in Arrowhead (1953) and throughout the 1950s played secondary roles, typically cast as the dependable friend of the male lead. His television career began that same decade, reached its peak from 1966 to 1971 when he played Bill Davis on Family Affair, and continued into the 1990s. In his later years, Keith was typecast as the cantankerous older man. He did, however, gain attention as a serious actor for his portrayal of Teddy Roosevelt in the 1975 miniseries The Wind and the Lion.