Portrait of Darren McGavin

Acting

Darren McGavin

Career

Active from 1945 to 1996, busiest in 1972 with 6 main titles.

Leading roles
53
top three billing
Average score
GoodWatch score58/100
Highest rated
Poster for Kolchak: The Night Stalker
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
GoodWatch score90/100

What stands out

Compared with the average well-known movie, over 90 of their titles. Select a trait to filter titles.

Energy: 4.4 versus catalog average 4.6EnergyHeart: 4.1 versus catalog average 4.2HeartHumor: 2.4 versus catalog average 2.6HumorWorld: 5.2 versus catalog average 5.6WorldCraft: 5.0 versus catalog average 5.3CraftStyle: 5.5 versus catalog average 5.9Style
Darren McGavin Catalog average

Rarely in their work

  • Contemporary Realism
    3.6, average 5.4
  • Coming of Age
    2.2, average 3.0
  • Psychological
    4.8, average 5.5
  • Family Dynamics
    4.1, average 4.8

Main genres

Select a genre to see those titles.

Recurring tags

  • Fast-Paced 5
  • Character-Driven 5
  • Political Intrigue 4
  • Moral Ambiguity 4
  • Social Commentary 4
  • Tension 3
  • Supernatural Crime 3
  • Historical Drama 3
  • Private Investigator 3
  • Sentimental 3
  • Intrigue 2
  • 1970s Horror 2

Works often with

People in at least two of their main titles.

Movies and TV shows

151
Type
Role
Score
Decade
Genre
Group by

2000s

1 title ยท average score 43
Night Stalker
Night Stalker (2005)
GoodWatch score 43

TV show

1990s

29 titles ยท average score 58
Billy Madison
Billy Madison (1995)
GoodWatch score 47

as Brian Madison

A Perfect Stranger
A Perfect Stranger (1994)
GoodWatch score 55

as John Henry Phillips

Mysteries of the Ancient World
Mysteries of the Ancient World (1994)

as Narrator

Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel (1994)
GoodWatch score 44

TV show ยท as George Zarko

The X-Files
The X-Files (1993)
GoodWatch score 76

TV show ยท as Agent Arthur Dales

Blood and Concrete
Blood and Concrete (1991)
GoodWatch score 55

as Hank Dick

Perfect Harmony
Perfect Harmony (1991)
GoodWatch score 75

as Mr. Hobbs

Happy Hell Night
Happy Hell Night (1991)
GoodWatch score 44

as Henry Collins

Clara
Clara (1991)

as Albert Kroll

Captain America
Captain America (1990)
GoodWatch score 25

as General Fleming

By Dawn's Early Light
By Dawn's Early Light (1990)
GoodWatch score 69

as Condor

Kojak: It's Always Something
Kojak: It's Always Something (1990)
GoodWatch score 67

as Wainwright

1980s

26 titles ยท average score 60
Inherit the Wind
Inherit the Wind (1988)
GoodWatch score 69

as E.K. Hornbeck

Dead Heat
Dead Heat (1988)
GoodWatch score 34

as Dr. Ernest McNab

The Diamond Trap
The Diamond Trap (1988)
GoodWatch score 56

as Chief Walter Vadney

Raw Deal
Raw Deal (1986)
GoodWatch score 45

as Harry Shannon

The Return of Marcus Welby, M.D.
The Return of Marcus Welby, M.D. (1984)

as Dr. David Jennings

The Baron and the Kid
The Baron and the Kid (1984)
GoodWatch score 68

as Jack Beamer

A Christmas Story
A Christmas Story (1983)
GoodWatch score 79

as The Old Man

Small & Frye
Small & Frye (1983)

TV show

Firebird 2015 A.D.
Firebird 2015 A.D. (1981)
GoodWatch score 39

as Red

The Martian Chronicles
The Martian Chronicles (1980)
GoodWatch score 68

TV show ยท as Sam Parkhill

Hangar 18
Hangar 18 (1980)
GoodWatch score 42

as Harry Forbes

Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I. (1980)
GoodWatch score 82

TV show ยท as Buck Gibson

1970s

38 titles ยท average score 64
Airport '77
Airport '77 (1977)
GoodWatch score 48

as Stan Buchek

The Love Boat
The Love Boat (1977)
GoodWatch score 53

TV show ยท as Lawrence Evans

Brinks: The Great Robbery
Brinks: The Great Robbery (1976)

as James McNally

Kolchak: The Night Stalker
Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974)
GoodWatch score 90

TV show ยท as Carl Kolchak

The Night Strangler
The Night Strangler (1973)
GoodWatch score 87

as Carl Kolchak

The Evil Touch
The Evil Touch (1973)

TV show ยท as Alvin Hazeltine

Happy Mother's Day, Love George
Happy Mother's Day, Love George (1973)
GoodWatch score 59

Director

The Night Stalker
The Night Stalker (1972)
GoodWatch score 80

as Carl Kolchak

Something Evil
Something Evil (1972)
GoodWatch score 43

as Paul Worden

Banyon
Banyon (1971)

as Lieutenant Pete Cordova

Mrs. Pollifax โ€” Spy
Mrs. Pollifax โ€” Spy (1971)
GoodWatch score 52

as Farrell

Tribes
Tribes (1970)
GoodWatch score 68

as Drake

1960s

30 titles ยท average score 64
Anatomy of a Crime
Anatomy of a Crime (1969)

as David Ross

Love, American Style
Love, American Style (1969)
GoodWatch score 43

TV show ยท as Corbett

The Outsider
The Outsider (1968)

TV show ยท as David Ross

Mission Mars
Mission Mars (1968)
GoodWatch score 44

as Col. Mike Blaiswick

The Outsider
The Outsider (1967)

as David Ross

Mannix
Mannix (1967)
GoodWatch score 71

TV show ยท as Mark

Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible (1966)
GoodWatch score 79

TV show ยท as J. Richard Taggart

The Great Sioux Massacre
The Great Sioux Massacre (1965)
GoodWatch score 43

as Captain Frederick William Benton

Bullet for a Badman
Bullet for a Badman (1964)
GoodWatch score 62

as Sam Ward

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962)
GoodWatch score 54

TV show ยท as Sheridan Westcott

The Virginian
The Virginian (1962)
GoodWatch score 70

TV show ยท as Sam Evans / Mark Troxel

Witchcraft: The Doll in Brambles
Witchcraft: The Doll in Brambles (1961)

as Fred

1950s

21 titles ยท average score 66
Riverboat
Riverboat (1959)
GoodWatch score 46

TV show ยท as Captain Grey Holden

Rawhide
Rawhide (1959)
GoodWatch score 50

TV show ยท as Jed Hadley

Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer
Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (1958)
GoodWatch score 74

TV show ยท as Mike Hammer

The Case Against Brooklyn
The Case Against Brooklyn (1958)
GoodWatch score 51

as Pete Harris

The Delicate Delinquent
The Delicate Delinquent (1957)
GoodWatch score 60

as Mike Damon

Beau James
Beau James (1957)
GoodWatch score 60

as Charley Hand

The Man with the Golden Arm
The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)
GoodWatch score 73

as Louie

Summertime
Summertime (1955)
GoodWatch score 82

as Eddie Yaeger

A Word to the Wives...
A Word to the Wives... (1955)

as George Peters

Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955)
GoodWatch score 86

TV show ยท as Lyle Endicott / Red Hillman

Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke (1955)
GoodWatch score 76

TV show ยท as Joe Bascome / Lon Gorman

Casey, Crime Photographer
Casey, Crime Photographer (1951)

TV show ยท as Jack Casey

1940s

6 titles ยท average score 61
Suspense
Suspense (1949)
GoodWatch score 62

TV show ยท as Ted Larson

Studio One
Studio One (1948)
GoodWatch score 65

TV show ยท as Will Sorrell / Johnny Quigg

The Philco Television Playhouse
The Philco Television Playhouse (1948)

TV show ยท as Bill Starbuck

A Song to Remember
A Song to Remember (1945)
GoodWatch score 61

as Student (uncredited)

She Wouldn't Say Yes
She Wouldn't Say Yes (1945)
GoodWatch score 58

as The Kid - Soldier in Hospital (uncredited)

Your Next Job
Your Next Job (1945)

as Balancing hobbyist