Earl Holliman’s road to Hollywood is a tale of ambition and tenacity. At the age of 14, Holliman was determined to become a movie star in 1943.
Born and raised in Oil City and Mooringsport, not Shreveport as is often said, he passed through several places before reaching Hollywood.
He bused himself to Texarkana after initially seeing family in Camden, Arkansas. From there, he caught a rideshare to Hollywood.
Holliman had saved some cash from his night shift work as a theater usher and at a diner near Barksdale Air Force Base. He even got a tip about a location to stay from a serviceman he met at the cafe; it turned out to be in El Monte, California, which is quite a ways from Hollywood. When he reflects on his journey, Holliman admits that it was a risky choice that wouldn’t be wise in the present.
Following his abortive attempt in Hollywood, Holliman returned home briefly before opting to enlist in the Navy. However, his ambition to become a movie star never faded. Afterwards, he returned to Los Angeles to study at the Pasadena Playhouse and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Holliman was rewarded for his tenacity. His impressive reel of film accolades included roles in “Giant” (1956), “Forbidden Planet,” “The Rainmaker,” and “The Sons of Katie Elder.” He also became well-known for his television roles, most notably in the series “Police Woman” starring Angie Dickinson and the series “The Thorn Birds” with Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward.
Holliman has pleasant memories of his time spent in Hollywood, particularly his first morning there. He strolled in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre wearing short-sleeved silk shirt and heavy glasses, wondering if anyone thought he was a celebrity. That moment contained the innocent hopes of youth.
View Earl Holliman’s 95-year-old age in the image below: