Joseph Cotten

American actor

Also known as: Joseph Cheshire Cotten

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Dec 4, 2024 • Article History

Quick Facts

In full:: Joseph Cheshire Cotten

Born:: May 15, 1905, Petersburg, Virginia, U.S.

Died:: February 6, 1994, Westwood, California (aged 88)

Married To:: Patricia Medina (married 1960); Lenore Kipp (1931–1960)

Movies/Tv Shows (Acted In):: "The Survivor" (1981); "The Love Boat" (1981); "Delusion" (1981); "Heaven's Gate" (1980); "Tales of the Unexpected" (1979–1980); "The Hearse" (1980); "Fantasy Island" (1978–1979); "Guyana: Crime of the Century" (1979); "Concorde Affaire '79" (1979); "L'isola degli uomini pesce" (1979); "Indagine su un delitto perfetto" (1978); "Caravans" (1978); "L'ordre et la sécurité du monde" (1978); "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries" (1978); "Aspen" (1977); "Airport '77" (1977); "Twilight's Last Gleaming" (1977); "Alle origini della mafia" (1976); "Un sussurro nel buio" (1976); "The Timber Tramps" (1975); "Il giustiziere sfida la città" (1975); "The Rockford Files" (1974); "A Delicate Balance" (1973); "Soylent Green" (1973); "The Streets of San Francisco" (1973); "Lo scopone scientifico" (1972); "Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga" (1972); "Doomsday Voyage" (1972); "La figlia di Frankenstein" (1971); "The Abominable Dr. Phibes" (1971); "Journey to Murder" (1971); "The Virginian" (1970); "Tora! Tora! Tora!" (1970); "The Grasshopper" (1970); "NET Playhouse" (1970); "It Takes a Thief" (1968–1970); "The Name of the Game" (1970); "Keene" (1969); "Ido zero daisakusen" (1969); "Comanche blanco" (1968); "Journey to the Unknown" (1968); "Ironside" (1968); "Petulia" (1968); "Gangsters '70" (1968); "Off to See the Wizard" (1968); "Jack of Diamonds" (1967); "Cimarron Strip" (1967); "Some May Live" (1967); "I crudeli" (1967); "Brighty of the Grand Canyon" (1966); "The Oscar" (1966); "Gli uomini dal passo pesante" (1965); "The Money Trap" (1965); "The Great Sioux Massacre" (1965); "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte" (1964); "77 Sunset Strip" (1963); "The Great Adventure" (1963); "Wagon Train" (1961–1962); "Saints and Sinners" (1962); "Dr. Kildare" (1962); "Theatre '62" (1961); "Bus Stop" (1961); "The Last Sunset" (1961); "The Barbara Stanwyck Show" (1961); "Checkmate" (1960); "The DuPont Show with June Allyson" (1960); "The Angel Wore Red" (1960); "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1955–1959); "Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse" (1959); "From the Earth to the Moon" (1958); "Suspicion" (1958); "Zane Grey Theater" (1958); "Schlitz Playhouse of Stars" (1957); "Playhouse 90" (1957); "Telephone Time" (1957); "Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre" (1957); "On Trial" (1955–1957); "The Halliday Brand" (1957); "General Electric Theater" (1954–1956); "Star Stage" (1955–1956); "The Ford Television Theatre" (1956); "The Killer Is Loose" (1956); "The Bottom of the Bottle" (1956); "Celebrity Playhouse" (1955); "The Best of Broadway" (1955); "Vom Himmel gefallen" (1955); "Producers' Showcase" (1954); "A Blueprint for Murder" (1953); "Egypt by Three" (1953); "Niagara" (1953); "The Steel Trap" (1952); "Untamed Frontier" (1952); "The Wild Heart" (1952); "The Man with a Cloak" (1951); "Peking Express" (1951); "Half Angel" (1951); "Walk Softly, Stranger" (1950); "Two Flags West" (1950); "September Affair" (1950); "Beyond the Forest" (1949); "Under Capricorn" (1949); "The Third Man" (1949); "Portrait of Jennie" (1948); "The Farmer's Daughter" (1947); "Duel in the Sun" (1946); "Love Letters" (1945); "I'll Be Seeing You" (1944); "Since You Went Away" (1944); "Gaslight" (1944); "Hers to Hold" (1943); "Shadow of a Doubt" (1943); "Journey Into Fear" (1943); "The Magnificent Ambersons" (1942); "Lydia" (1941); "Citizen Kane" (1941); "Too Much Johnson" (1938)

Joseph Cotten (born May 15, 1905, Petersburg, Virginia, U.S.—died February 6, 1994, Westwood, California) was an American actor whose elegant mannerisms, handsome looks, and low-key yet compelling dramatic performances earned him both popular and critical acclaim. He was best known for his roles in several film classics of the 1940s, particularly those directed by Orson Welles. After a brief stint as a part-time drama critic for the Miami Herald, Cotten embarked on an acting career in 1930. He found some success on Broadway, including a leading role opposite Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story (1939). In 1937 he began his ...(100 of 484 words)

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