Speaking of Bruce Dern

Adam Peters, the new Washington GM, does look a bit like Bruce Dern. If he is as good a GM as Dern is an actor, Washington will be in the Super Bowl one day. 

Dern would probably not appreciate a reference to him shooting John Wayne in the back. That role in The Cowboys probably epitomized his typecasting as the pucker faced psychopath. And he has a point. He had incredible range certainly more than Hollywood gave him credit for.

Here he is covering some of that ground:

Interview with Dick Cavett

Bruce Dern was a recurring presence on one of my favorite shows, The Big Valley. Even then you could see the depth he had. He had a chance to play some gray area guys on Big Valley. Bad but not entirely bad types. 

The Big Valley often featured good actors including Richard Dreyfuss and Diane Ladd who played Son and Mother in the 48th Episode "Boy Into Man". If you get a chance to catch that episode, you might mistake Ladd for Laura Dern, daughter of Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern. 

Bruce Dern can claim the distinction of having been punched in the face by the two biggest Stars of the Hollywood Western: John Wayne and Barbara Stanwyck.