Personal Life and Career
Born in Los Angeles, California, Hickman is the younger brother of child actor Darryl Hickman. One of his earliest screen appearances was in the 1942 Our Gang comedy Melodies Old and New. He and Darryl co-starred in an early episode of the syndicated military drama Men of Annapolis, filmed at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. As a teenager, he and Darryl also guest-starred in the same episode of The Lone Ranger.
Hickman gained wide notice when he played a regular role as Bob Cummings's character's nephew, Chuck, on the NBC situation comedy The Bob Cummings Show in 1955. At the time, Hickman was a student at Loyola University (now known as Loyola Marymount University) in Los Angeles. Hickman became one of the first stars ever to have a breakout character in the series.
Hickman considered Cummings a childhood television hero, and Hickman claimed to have no talent and to have learned everything from Cummings. He worked with and was friends with Cummings throughout the show's five seasons. This role probably led to his casting in the lead role in the CBS sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. Frank Faylen and Florida Friebus played his opposite-minded parents. Although at the show's debut the Dobie character was still a teenager in high school, Hickman was already 25 years old.
After playing Dobie for four years (with fellow former Loyola student Bob Denver as his sidekick, Maynard), Hickman found himself stereotyped as a "youngster" just at the time of his life when he was really too old for such roles. He appeared in some minor beach films and made an unsuccessful TV pilot for a program in which he was to play a young schoolteacher.
On June 23, 1960, Hickman appeared on NBC's The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford. He and Annette Funicello appeared thereafter together in an episode of ABC's circus drama The Greatest Show on Earth, starring Jack Palance. In 1965, Hickman appeared in the comedy film Cat Ballou along with Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin. During the 1965-66 television season he appeared as a guest star on "Combat" playing the part of a soldier who froze during an attack by a German machine gun nest which resulted in the death of a fellow GI in the episode "Run Sheep, Run".
Hickman found his future in entertainment to be behind the scenes, becoming involved in production roles. Later he became a programming executive at CBS, a role which he has since spoofed in several on-camera roles. He also worked as a director on various television series, including Designing Women and Head of the Class.
He reprised his signature role of Dobie in two TV reunions, Whatever Happened to Dobie Gillis and Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis. His autobiography is entitled Forever Dobie.
Read more about this topic: Dwayne Hickman
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