Don S. Davis

Semantic Stargate Wiki — The semantic reference regarding the Stargate universe.
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Don S. Davis
Don S. Davis.jpg
Biographical information
Birth date (1942-08-04)August 4, 1942
Aurora, Missouri, USA
Death date June 29, 2008(2008-06-29) (aged 65)
Gibson, British Columbia, Canada
Gender
Nationality American
Professional information
Years active 1982—2008
Stargate-related information
Related series Stargate SG-1,
Stargate Atlantis,
Stargate: Continuum
Character George Hammond

Don Sinclair Davis, PhD (August 4, 1942 – June 29, 2008)[1][2] was an American character actor[3][4] best known for playing General George Hammond in the television series Stargate SG-1 (1997–2007),[1] and earlier for playing Major Garland Briggs on the television series Twin Peaks (1990–1991). He was also a theater professor,[1] painter[1][4] and United States Army captain.[2]

Early life[edit | edit source]

Davis was born and raised in Aurora, Missouri.[5] He earned a B.Sc. degree in theater and art from Southwest Missouri State College.[5] He said that "during the Viet Nam era" he "was with the 7th Infantry in Korea" and at another point was "a personnel and administration officer; I ran records branches."[6] He was a captain at Fort Leonard Wood by the time he left the U.S. Army, "and worked with General Officers, so I've been able to use that in Hammond and other characters."[6]

In 1970 he received a Master's Degree in Theatre from the Southern Illinois University Carbondale with a thesis entitled Design and Construction of Stage Settings for Black Comedy and The Two Executioners. He taught for several years before returning to SIU to complete a Ph.D. in Theatre, with a dissertation entitled The Evolution of Scenography in the Western Theater. He began working in the film industry in the 1980s, while teaching at the University of British Columbia.[1] In 1987 he stopped teaching in order to pursue acting full-time.[1]

Career[edit | edit source]

He got the role of Major Briggs, he said, when "I was living in Vancouver and doing local work. But because of my accent in the '80s I couldn't play a Canadian in commercials. So someone suggested that I get an agent in Seattle. I did and was able to get commercial work and acting jobs there. I had a good resume. So when they were casting the Twin Peaks pilot my agent sent me out of the audition. I met [series creator] David [Lynch] and didn't actually read for him — we just visited. ... David liked me and started writing for me. He liked the chemistry I had with other players. I did three days on the pilot and then went on to the series. That was the luckiest break I could have had. There are at least a dozen people from that show who are lifelong friends because of that show. It was a life-changing experience."[6]

In the TV show MacGyver, Davis was the stunt/photography double for Dana Elcar. He was often mistaken for Elcar, and vice-versa. Davis did appear in two episodes of MacGyver, as a different character each time. His first appearance was as a cement truck driver in the episode "Blow Out", and his second appearance was as the poacher Wyatt Porter in "The Endangered". He also played Dana Scully's father in the series The X-Files. Canadian audiences may also be familiar with Davis thanks to his appearance in one of the famous Heritage Minutes, in which he played an arrogant American gold prospector who pulls a gun on Mountie Sam Steele.[7] He also played the role of the Racine Belles' manager in the movie A League of Their Own. He also had a guest-starring role in the pilot episode of the comedy-drama television series Psych, playing the character of Mr. McCallum.

Later life and death[edit | edit source]

Davis, who was living in Gibsons, Canada, died on June 29, 2008, of a heart attack.[1][2] The writers of Stargate Atlantis paid him homage by mentioning the death of his character in the same manner, and naming a starship after him, in the final episode of Stargate: Atlantis, which aired on January 9, 2009. He was again honored in October 2009, with the appearance of the starship Hammond in the pilot episode of Stargate Universe. Coincidentally, in episode 16 of season 4 of SG-1, "2010" (an episode set in the future which originally aired in January 2001), it is stated that Gen. Hammond had died of a heart attack. His ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean.

Personal life[edit | edit source]

Davis married Ruby Fleming in 2003, by which time he had a son from a previous marriage.[1] He was also a visual artist, spending most of his free time painting or carving. Davis grew up painting, sculpting and drawing. He continued to pursue these crafts his entire life, supplementing his income with design commissions and art sales. On the DVD commentary track for Stargate SG-1 season 6 episode 17 ("Disclosure"), Davis said he once worked carving wooden cigar store Indians that were sold at Silver Dollar City. He also said his PhD is in "dramatic theory and criticism."

Involvement in the Stargate universe[edit | edit source]

Actor[edit | edit source]

Filmography[edit | edit source]

Film, Television and Video Games
Year Title Role Notes
2010 Woodshop Principal Jamison Film
2009 Stargate SG-1: Children of the Gods - Final Cut Major General George Hammond Video
2009 Wyvern Colonel Travis Sherman TV movie
2009 The Uninvited Mr. Henson Film
2008 To Love and Die Hal TV movie
2008 Far Cry General Roderick Film
2008 Vipers Dr. Silverton TV movie
2008 Stargate: Continuum Major General George Hammond Video
2008 Burn Up The Man TV mini-series, 1 episode
2008 The Guard Chuck TV series, 1 episode
2007-2008 Flash Gordon Mr. Mitchell TV series, 2 episodes
2008 The Unquiet Bud Rollins TV movie
2008 Beyond Loch Ness Neil Chapman TV movie
2007 Supernatural Trotter TV series, 1 episode
2007 Beneath Joseph Film
2007 Seed Davis Film
1997-2007 Stargate SG-1 Major General/Lieutenant General George Hammond TV series, 160 episodes
2006 Psych Mr. McCallum TV series, 1 episode
2005-2006 The Dead Zone Senator Harlan Ellis TV series, 3 episodes
2006 The Still Life Mr. Fernot Film
2005 Child of Mine Police Chief TV movie
2005 Passing Darkness Will Short
2005 The West Wing Reverend Don Butler TV series, 1 episode
2004 NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service MTAC Control Officer TV series, 1 episode
2004 Andromeda Avineri TV series, 1 episode
2004 G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom Wild Bill (voice, as Don Davis) Video
2004 Stargate: Atlantis Major General George Hammond TV Series, 1 episode
2004 Meltdown NRC Carl Mansfield TV movie
2004 Savage Island Keith Young (as Don Davis) Film
2004 Stargate SG-3000 Computer Representation of George Hammond (voice) Pinball game
2004 Miracle Bob Fleming Film
2003 G.I.Joe: Spy Troops the Movie Wild Bill (voice, as Don Davis) TV movie
2003 The Twilight Zone Dr. Tate TV series, 1 episode
2002 Deadly Little Secrets The Chief Film
2002 Just Cause Thorton TV series, 2 episodes
2002 The Chris Isaak Show Del TV series, 1 episode
2001 Hostage Negotiator Alexander Daniels TV movie
2000 The Artist's Circle Short
2000 The 6th Day Cardinal de la Jolla Film
2000 Best in Show Mayflower Best in Show Judge Film
2000 Suspicious River Golf Shirt Man Film
1999 Atomic Train General Harlan Ford TV movie
1998 Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show Mr. Washington TV series, 1 episode
1998 The Escape Warden (as Don Davis) TV movie
1998 The Sentinel Wilton Fisker TV series, 1 episode
1997 Tricks Man TV movie
1997 The Diary of Evelyn Lau Man at Book Launch TV movie
1997 Con Air Man in Car (as Don Davis) Film
1997 The Stepsister Detective Church TV movie
1997 Dad's Week Off Hank TV movie
1997 Volcano: Fire on the Mountain Mayor Bob Hart (as Don Davis) TV movie
1996 The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue Dewey Film
1996 Viper Lloyd TV series, 1 episode
1996 In Cold Blood Roy Church (as Don Davis) TV movie
1996 The Prisoner of Zenda, Inc. Colonel Zapf TV movie
1996 Poltergeist: The Legacy Harold Taggart TV series, 1 episode
1996 The Fan Stook Film
1996 Alaska Sergeant Grazer Film
1996 The Limbic Region Chief Payne TV movie
1996 Kidz in the Wood Principal TV movie
1996 Profit Former Sheriff Crew TV series, 2 episodes
1996 Brothers of the Frontier Byron Holcomb TV movie
1994-1996 Madison Mr. Winslow TV series, 7 episodes
1995 Shadow of a Doubt Kevin Carroll Sr. TV movie
1995 A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story Glen Holt TV movie
1995 Beauty's Revenge Sheriff TV movie
1995 The Outer Limits General Callahan / Detective Wilson TV series, 2 episodes
1995 Black Fox: The Price of Peace TV movie
1995 Black Fox TV movie
1995 The Ranger, the Cook and a Hole in the Sky Mr. Smith TV movie
1995 She Stood Alone: The Tailhook Scandal TV movie
1995 Hideaway Dr. Martin Film
1995 The Marshal Tiger Larkin TV series, 1 episode
1995 A Family Divided Det. Larson TV movie
1994 Max Earl Pomerance Film
1994 Someone Else's Child Sherwin Francis TV movie
1994 The X Files Captain William Scully TV series, 2 episodes
1994 Avalanche Whitney TV movie
1994 M.A.N.T.I.S. Admiral Farallon TV series, 1 episode
1994 Northern Exposure Lloyd Hillegas TV series, 1 episode
1994 One More Mountain Franklin Graves TV movie
1994 Cobra Sgt. Brock Thorne TV series, 1 episode
1994 Birdland Birdwell TV series, 1 episode
1993 Highlander Palance TV series, 1 episode
1993 Final Appeal Judge Gray TV movie
1993 Needful Things Reverend Rose Film
1993 Cliffhanger Stuart (as Don Davis) Film
1993 Without a Kiss Goodbye Mr. Harper TV movie
1993 Miracle on Interstate 880 Dave TV movie
1993 Street Justice Sargeant Pritchard TV series, 1 episode
1992 Dead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez Disaster Bill Stevens - Exxon TV movie
1992 Columbo Bertie TV series, 1 episode
1992 Hero Probation Officer Film
1992 A League of Their Own Charlie Collins, Racine Coach (as Don Davis) Film
1992 Calendar Girl, Cop, Killer? The Bambi Bembenek Story McCann TV movie
1992 Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me Maj. Garland Briggs (scenes deleted) Film
1992 Knots Landing Warden Vernon Howard TV series, 1 episode
1992 Nightmare Cafe Sheriff Dan Filcher TV series, 1 episode
1992 Kuffs Police Gun Instructor Film
1991 Hook Dr. Fields Film
1991 Posing: Inspired by Three Real Stories Philip Baywood TV movie
1991 The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw Rodeo announcer TV movie
1991 Captive Deputy Mack TV movie
1991 Mystery Date Doheny Film
1991 Chaindance Sergeant Film
1990-1991 Broken Badges Chief Sterling TV series, 4 episodes
1990-1991 Twin Peaks Maj. Garland Briggs TV series, 16 episodes
1991 Omen IV: The Awakening Jake Madison TV movie
1991 Monkey House Major Sutherland TV series, 1 episode
1991 Blood River Congressman Howard K. Apples TV movie
1987-1991 21 Jump Street Lt. Donnelly / Chapman / Warden / ... TV series, 6 episodes
1990 Look Who's Talking Too Dr. Fleischer Film
1990 Cadence Haig (uncredited) Film
1990 Memories of Murder TV movie
1989-1990 Booker Judge / Sheriff TV series, 2 episodes
1990 L.A. Law Judge Richard Bartke TV series, 1 episode
1990 Waiting for the Light Dr. Norman (as Don Sinclair Davis) Film
1990 Rescue Force Commando (as Don Davis) Video
1989 Top of the Hill TV movie
1989 The Lady Forgets Dr. Bennett TV movie
1989 Look Who's Talking Dr. Fleisher Film
1989 Matinee Earle Gardner TV movie
1989 Unsub Congressman Rodolski TV series, 1 episode
1989 Beyond the Stars Phil Clawson (as Don Davis) Film
1989 Bordertown Josiah Richmond TV series, 1 episode
1989 Wiseguy Dr. Morris TV series, 1 episode
1989 The Beachcombers Howard Usher TV series, 1 episode
1988 Watchers Veterinarian Film
1987-1988 MacGyver Wyatt Porter / Cement Truck Driver TV series, 2 episodes
1988 Body of Evidence Gun Salesman TV movie
1987 The New Adventures of Beans Baxter Agent Ruck TV series, 1 episode
1987 Stakeout Prison Gate Guard Film
1987 Malone Buddy (as Don Davis) Film
1987 Sworn to Silence Jury Foreman TV movie
1987 Deadly Deception Coroner's assistant TV movie
1986 That Secret Sunday Customer TV movie
1986 Spot Marks the X Mr. Haskell (as Don Davis) TV movie
1986 Disneyland Capcom / Surgeon TV series, 2 episodes
1985 Danger Bay Richard TV series, 1 episode
1985 The Journey of Natty Gann Railroad Brakeman (as Don Davis) Film
1982 Joanie Loves Chachi Benny TV series, 1 episode

Award and nomination[edit | edit source]

Year Award Category Work Result
2003 Fright-Fest Director's Award Best Supporting Actor Savage Island Won
2004 Leo Award Dramatic Series: Best Supporting Performance by a Male Stargate SG-1: "Heroes", Part 2 Nominated

Notes[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

Wikipedia-logo-v2.svg This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Don S. Davis . The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Semantic Stargate Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0).