David Nelson (actor)

Nelson was born October 24, 1936, in New York City, the elder son of entertainment couple Harriet Hilliard Nelson and Ozzie Nelson. His younger brother was singer Ricky Nelson. In late 1941, Nelson moved with his parents from Tenafly, New Jersey, to Los Angeles, California.[1]

He attended Hollywood High School, balancing his studies, playing on the football team and his TV work. He later attended the University of Southern California and was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity.[2]

The Nelson family, c. 1952

Along with his brother and their parents, Nelson appeared on the long-running sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet in the 1950s and 1960s. Late in the run of the series, David directed several episodes. After the series' end, he continued acting, directing and producing. His most memorable break-out role was in the 1959 thriller The Big Circus, wherein he played a troubled youth. Nelson's last film appearance was in the 1990 film Cry-Baby. For his contributions to the motion picture industry, Nelson was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1501 Vine Street on May 9, 1996.[3]

Nelson had two sons—Daniel Blair and James Eric from his first marriage with June Blair, which ended in divorce. He later adopted two sons and a daughter—John, Eric, and Teri—during his second marriage to Yvonne Huston.[1]

Nelson died on January 11, 2011, in Century City, California, of complications of colon cancer.[4]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to David Nelson.

• David Nelson at IMDb
• Ozzie and Harriet Nelson Papers (includes papers related to David and Ricky) at the University of Wyoming - American Heritage Center