Bruce Davison is an American actor and director. Davison was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Marian E. , a secretary, and Clair W. Davison, a musician, architect, and draftsman for the Army Engineers. His parents divorced when he was three years old. He was raised by his mother, and also spent weekends with his father. He graduated in 1964 at Marple Newtown Senior High School, and entered Penn State as an art major but stumbled into acting when he accompanied a friend to an audition. He attended NYU's Graduate Acting Program, graduating in 1969. Davison made his Broadway debut... in Tiger at the Gates in 1968. He also appeared as John Merrick in The Elephant Man and in The Glass Menagerie opposite Jessica Tandy. Davison was one of a quartet of newcomers including Barbara Hershey, Richard Thomas, and Catherine Burns when he made his film debut in Last Summer in 1969. In 1970 he played opposite Kim Darby in the film about peaceful student protest and its violent outcome The Strawberry Statement. Two years later he portrayed the title role in Willard.
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