Emmett Evan "Van" Heflin, Jr. was an American film and theater actor. He played mostly character parts over the course of his film career, but during the 1940s had a string of roles as a leading man. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Johnny Eager . Heflin was born in Walters, Oklahoma, the son of Fanny Bleecker and Dr. Emmett Evan Heflin, a dentist. He was of Irish and French ancestry. Heflin's sister was Daytime Emmy-nominated actress Frances Heflin. Heflin attended Classen High School in Oklahoma City and the University of Oklahoma, where he was a... member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Heflin began his acting career on Broadway in the early 1930s before being signed to a contract by RKO Radio Pictures. He made his film debut in A Woman Rebels , opposite Katharine Hepburn. He was signed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and was initially cast in supporting roles in films such as Santa Fe Trail , and Johnny Eager , winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the latter performance.
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| Birthdate: | December 13, 1910 |
| Birthplace: | Walters, Oklahoma |
| Date of death: | July 23, 1971 |
| Height: | 6' 0" |
| Education: | University of Oklahoma |
| Also known as: | Emmett Evan Heflin Jr., United States Army Air Force Reserve Lt. Van Heflin, Lt. Van Heflin A.A.F. Ret. |