The Tragic Story of Bill Bixby from ‘My Favorite Martian’
What To Know
- Bill Bixby was known for starring roles in ’60s, ’70s and ’80s TV shows, inclduing My Favorite Martian, The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, and The Incredible Hulk.
- Despite his professional success, Bixby endured personal tragedies, including the deaths of his young son and ex-wife within two years of each other.
- Bixby continued acting and directing through a battle with prostate cancer, passing away in 1993 at the age of 59.
Bill Bixby was beloved by ’60s, ’70s and ’80s TV fans, for his turn as a down-to-earth reporter who makes an extraterrestrial pal on My Favorite Martian, a loving dad on The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, and Dr. David Banner, the human alter ego of The Incredible Hulk. But despite decades of success, Bixby tragedy, including the shocking death of both his wife and son, and his own death before the age of 60.
Who was Bill Bixby?
Everett Collection
Born Wilfred Bailey Everett Bixby III on January 22, 1934, in San Francisco, the star grew up as an only child and discovered early on that he loved performing. At Lowell High School, he joined the speech and debate team and developed a knack for entertaining audiences. After high school, he attended City College of San Francisco and later spent time at UC Berkeley, though he left before completing a degree. Instead, he set out to pursue acting, supporting himself with modeling and commercial work before finding steady roles on television.
His big break came in 1963 with My Favorite Martian, where he played reporter Tim O’Hara opposite Ray Walston‘s mischievous alien. The show ran for three seasons and made Bixby a household name. And just a few years later, he returned to the small screen, playing Tom Corbett, a widowed dad raising his son, in The Courtship of Eddie’s Father. The series, which ran from 1969 to 1972, earned him three Emmy nominations and cemented his success. In 1973, he starred in The Magician, playing Anthony Blake, a stage illusionist who solved crimes. Though it lasted only one season, the series developed a cult following.
Universal Television/Everett Collection
But for many fans, Bixby will always be remembered as Dr. David Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk, a show that ran for five seasons from 1978 to 1982. He continued to play the role of an elite scientist transformed by gamma radiation into Incredible Hulk for almost a decade after the series wrapped, in three made-for-TV movies: The Incredible Hulk Returns, The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, and The Death of the Incredible Hulk — the last two of which Bixby directed himself.
He also appeared in guest roles on popular shows like Fantasy Island and Murder, She Wrote, demonstrating his ability to step into different genres.
What happened to Bill Bixby?
Everett Collection
Off-screen, Bixby faced some awful tragedies. In 1980, he and his first wife, actress Brenda Benet, divorced. In 1981, his six-year-old son Christopher, from his marriage to Benet, died suddenly from a rare throat infection. Just a year later, Benet died by suicide. Despite his personal pain and struggles, Bixby never stopped working. By the 1980s, he was building a strong career behind the camera, directing episodes of shows like Goodnight, Beantown and Sledge Hammer!. By the early 1990s, he had become a steady director on the sitcom Blossom.
He married again, to Laura Michaels, who had worked on set on a Hulk film, in 1990. But in 1991, he suffered two setbacks: a diagnosis of prostate cancer, and divorce from Michaels.
He chose to keep working and even spoke publicly about his illness, hoping to raise awareness and encourage others to seek treatment. His final appearance was in 1993, when he directed and guest-starred on Blossom. He married his third wife, Judith Kliban, on October 3, 1993, just a few weeks before his health declined sharply. On November 21, 1993, at just 59 years old, he died at his home in Los Angeles.
Where can I watch Bill Bixby’s shows?
My Favorite Martian is streaming for free on Xumo, Pluto TV, Tubi, the Roku Channel, and more. The Courtship of Eddie’s Father can be purchased on Amazon Prime. The Incredible Hulk TV series is available for purchase on Apple, Amazon, and other sites.
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