He appeared in several hit films: The Green Berets (1968), The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968), Marooned (1969), Macho Callahan (1970) and Once Is Not Enough (1975).
While Janssen appeared in many TV series, Made-For-TV films and big screen motion pictures, he will always be remembered as Dr. Richard Kimble, the man wrongly accused of killing his wife. The story of Dr. Kimble and his pursuit of the one-armed man he saw running away from the crime scene, captured the imagination and interest of millions of viewers in the 1960s.
The final two-part episode, held the record for the highest number of viewers in August 1967, at 75%, who tuned in to watch Kimble catch the real killer and thus, prove his innocence.
Janssen was one of my favorite TV stars and I was deeply saddened when he died at the very early age of 48, from a massive heart attack on February 13, 1980.
The Fugitive is still available on DVD and Janssen continues to thrill viewers with his desperate quest of clearing his name, running all over the United States and trying to escape the relentless pursuit of Lt. Gerard (Barry Morse).
