Charles Briles

Charles Briles
Briles (right) with The Big Valley cast, 1965
Born(1945-12-17)December 17, 1945
Gardena, California, U.S.
DiedJune 12, 2016(2016-06-12) (aged 70)
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Occupation(s)Film and television actor
SpouseKathy Briles[1]
Children2[1]

Charles Briles (December 17, 1945 – June 12, 2016) was an American film and television actor. He played Eugene Barkley in the first season of the American western television series The Big Valley.[2][3]

Life and career

Briles was born in Gardena, California.[3] When he was a teenager, he performed at the Westchester Playhouse with the Kentwood Players.[3] Briles originally worked behind the scenes, but wanted to become an actor.[3] He eventually got the role of Eugene Barkley in the new ABC western television series The Big Valley.[3]

While appearing in The Big Valley, Briles received a draft notice in 1965[2] and had to leave the show. He served in the California Army National Guard until 1972.[2][3] His character on The Big Valley was written out of the show, as Eugene Barkley went to study medicine in Berkeley.[2]

After he stopped acting, Briles worked as a TV screenwriter.[4] Briles also worked as a stage director on productions in Southern California,[2] and he produced and wrote at the Northrop Corporation of California.[2] He resided in Orcutt, California.[2][3]

Death

Briles died in June 2016 of congestive heart failure in Portland, Oregon, at the age of 70.[1][2][3]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Charles Briles Obituary (1945-2016)". The Tribune. June 30, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Barnes, Mike (June 30, 2016). "Charles Briles, Rarely Seen Son on 'The Big Valley,' Dies at 70". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Aaker, Everett (May 25, 2017). Television Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. p. 61. ISBN 9781476662503 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ "TV Actor Charles Briles Keeps Busy Doing Many Outside Jobs". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. August 11, 1971. p. 66. Retrieved November 23, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Closed access icon