Actor
David Janssen
39 credited titles on WatchWise
David Janssen (born David Harold Meyer; March 27, 1931 – February 13, 1980) was an American actor. He was born in Naponee, Nebraska, to Berniece Mae (Graf) and Harold Edward Meyer, a banker. He was of German, and some Swiss-German and Ulster-Scots, descent. David took the surname of his stepfather, Eugene Janssen. The Janssen family settled in Hollywood when he was a teenager and he attended Fairfax High School, where he developed an interest in acting. His film debut was a bit part in It's a Pleasure (1945), and at the age of 18 signed a contract with 20th Century-Fox. However, the studio dropped him after allegedly becoming disenchanted with his odd hairline and big prominent ears. Janssen had better luck at Universal, where he signed on in the early 1950s and became a supporting player in 32 films before appearing on TV as the star of Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1956). He resumed his movie career in 1961, a year after the series ended. His biggest success came from his lead in the series The Fugitive (1963), playing the haunted, hunted Dr. Richard Kimble, on the run for a murder he didn't commit. After the series ended, Janssen launched himself into a grueling schedule b
Associated performance by genre
Worldwide gross by tagged contribution — US$.
Bankability assessment
Films measured × gross-vs-budget efficiency, weighted by billing prominence — lead roles and directing count fully, minor roles fractionally. Association, not attribution — not a claim that this individual caused the revenue.
Filmography cards
Each title carries role, budget, worldwide gross and commercial verdict.
Based on 5 of 39 catalogued titles with reported budget and worldwide gross — figures from TMDB and Wikipedia (reused under CC BY-SA), shown in US$. Coverage varies by title; figures are estimates, not audited trade data.
Acted in (39)
Titles are ones WatchWise has catalogued so far — not necessarily a complete filmography.
