Edd Byrnes

He married his long-time girlfriend, Asa Maynor, in 1962. However, the marriage ended in divorce in 1971 due to his drinking and drug abuse issues. He never got married again. Eventually, he gave up drugs by 1982, with the help of his old friend Troy Donahue. Edd and Asa had a son, Logan Byrnes, who later became a newsreader on ‘Fox 11 News.’

Edd Byrnes was born on July 30, 1933, in New York City, US. Initially, he was named Edward Byrne Breitenberger. His father died due to excessive consumption of alcohol when he was 13 years old. Edward dropped his last name after his father’s death and added ‘Byrnes’ to his name, following his maternal grandfather, Edward Byrne, who was a fireman.

He was raised with his two siblings, Vincent and Jo-Ann. His mother had to toil to make ends meet. He always wanted to become an actor but did not get the opportunity to enter the entertainment industry till he was in his twenties. During his early years, he worked as an ambulance driver and took up jobs like roofing and selling flowers to help sustain his family. He was also regular at the gym and concentrated on building a good physique. It is said that he lost his job as a taxi driver because he was caught doing push-ups during a break.

He started his acting career with a non-paying job at a theater company in Connecticut, known as the ‘Litchfield Community Playhouse,’ in 1956. He also tried his luck with ‘Broadway,’ but did not make any headway in the beginning. This did not deter him from auditioning for TV, and as a result, he managed to get minor roles in the TV drama serials ‘Crossroads,’ ‘Wire Service,’ and ‘Navy Log.’

In 1957, he decided to move to Hollywood. Soon, he was offered a role in the stage production of the Robert Anderson play ‘Tea and Sympathy.’ His acting skills were being recognized, and he was soon offered the support role of ‘Elliott’ in the ‘Warner Brothers’ film ‘Johnny Trouble.’

This was followed by his guest appearance in the ‘Warner Brothers’ western TV serial ‘Cheyenne.’ His brilliant performance earned him a long-term contract with ‘Warner Brothers.’

He began his contract with ‘Warner Brothers,’ doing a comic role in the World War II drama ‘The Deep Six,’ directed by Rudolph Mate in 1958. He went on to appear in several of their TV serials, such as ‘The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna’ and ‘Colt .45.’

He got a golden opportunity when actor Tab Hunter refused a role in the movie ‘Darby’s Rangers.’ The role was offered to him in 1958. The exposure gave him a chance to act alongside seasoned actors such as James Garner, Jack Warden, and Stuart Whitman. His performance was rated to as good, if not better than that of the star he replaced.

Edd Byrnes has appeared in a number of noteworthy films, such as ‘Johnny Trouble’ (1957), ‘Darby’s Rangers’ (1958), ‘Girl on the Run’ (1958), ‘The Secret Invasion’ (1964), ‘Red Blood, Yellow Gold’ (1967), ‘Wicked Wicked’ (1973), ‘Mankillers’ (1987), and ‘Troop Beverly Hills’ (1989).

He acquired immense fame as ‘Kookie’ in the serial ‘77 Sunset Strip’ and has made several guest appearances in various TV shows.

He has written an autobiography, titled ‘Kookie No More,’ which released in 1996.