- From Simon & Simon to Major Dad, the Collins-native rose to fame in the 1980s to become a household name.
Whether you travel east or west, north or south, around the city of Collins, Mississippi, invariably, you will see signs stating this is the birthplace of film and television star Gerald McRaney.
There is even a street named after him. Next to his homeplace is the following landmark:
“Birthplace of Gerald McRaney, Born August 19, 1947. This native son, through his celebrity status as a television and motion picture actor, has brought recognition to this community. Because his life was shaped by his heritage, he returns to his grassroots each year to visit family and friends. This street is named in his honor in order that he may be remembered by all who pass here.”
Life Before Television and Film
Gerald McRaney is the son of Clyde and Edna McRaney, and he has two siblings: a sister, Anne, and a brother, Buddy. His early years were spent in Collins before the family moved to the Gulf Coast, where Gerald graduated from Long Beach High School. Growing up, he enjoyed playing football until he sustained a knee injury; around fourteen, he turned his attention to drama and acting in school plays. Looking back, we would say he found his niche.
He attended the University of Mississippi and majored in drama. However, he did not finish. Instead, he went to work in the Louisiana Oil Fields. In an interview on the Rich Eisen Show, McRaney said his first job was with the survey crew. He also worked as a mud logger for half of the year, and for the other six months, he worked with a repertory company in New Orleans. He did this for four years before making the move to Hollywood.
Career in Television and Filmography
After he arrived in Hollywood, he enrolled in acting lessons and auditioned for television programs and films. However, to earn a living, he drove a cab.
Gerald McRaney’s acting career began in 1969 with a role in the film Night of Bloody Horror. In 1970, his character role was Terrance Bradford in Women and Bloody Terror (1970). He acted in the television show Night Gallery and Alias Smith and Jones (1972).
In the interview with Rich Eisen, McRaney shared that he had roles in three episodes of Gunsmoke (1973-1975). He was the final actor to meet Matt Dillon, US Marshall, in a gunfight. He said that the crew and cast of Gunsmoke were very nice, leaving him with many memorable experiences.
McRaney’s first major acting opportunity came with casting on the CBS television series Simon & Simon, where he played the role of a private investigator named “Rick Simon.” His co-star was Jamison Parker. They worked together for eight years (1981-1985), a total of 156 episodes.
Accolades and Additional Well-known Programs
- He appeared in sixteen episodes of House of Cards (2013-2017). The role of Raymond Tusk brought him a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2014).
- McRaney appeared as a guest star in NCIS Los Angeles, starting with season six. Then, in season ten, he became a recurring character.
- In 2016 through 2022, McRaney was in the television program This is Us, where he played the role of Dr. Nathan Katowski in ten episodes. He received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (2017) and was nominated for the same award the following year.
Gerald McRaney’s career spans over fifty years. He has been an actor in over 150 films and television shows. The following list is only a sample:
The Waltons (1974)
Hawaii Five-O (1976)
The Six Million Dollar Man (1977)
The Dukes of Hazzard (1979)
The Incredible Hulk (1977-1980)
Magnum, P.I. (1982)
Designing Women (1987-1988)
Take Me Home: The John Denver Story (2000)
Ike: Countdown to D-Day (2004)
Filthy Rich (2020)
Support of the Military
In the television series Major Dad (1989-1993), McRaney played the role of Major John D. “Mac” MacGillis. He also served as the executive producer for the series. There were 96 episodes of this television program. Even though he never served in the military, he had family members who did.
McRaney spent time with the Marines at Camp Pendleton to perfect his military officer portrayal.
Marisa Ryan, who played his daughter in the program, said, “Yeah, he’s a fascinating guy! The set was very laid back. He’s brilliant, humorous, a lengthy and inventive storyteller – he’d be telling stories whether or not anyone was listening! He’s very comfortable in TV and likes to participate in it; it is his career. He had a lot of similar ideals to his character’s and almost became that character during the show.’”
In 1993, he went to Toulon, France, and spent Thanksgiving with the Marines and sailors. In a write-up about the trip, the Navy Public Affairs Library quotes him as saying: “The reason I’m here is to represent the millions of people back home that would have given their eye teeth to make the trip with me, especially on Thanksgiving, to thank you for what you do for the whole country…Everyday, it seems like you are being asked to do more and more with less and less. It’s a neat trick if you can do it, and you guys do it better than anyone else does.”
Gerald McRaney is an official celebrity spokesperson for the Wounded Warrior Project. He is the recipient of the first Bob Hope Entertainer of the Year Award for service to the USO. Also, at the Spirit of American Festival, he received The Audie Murphy Award for Patriotism.
McRaney is also known for his work with the Department of Veterans Affairs to honor hospitalized veterans. He was instrumental in promoting the need for volunteers at VA medical centers. His support and work through charitable endeavors for the military is important to him.
Back Home – Life on the Farm
McRaney met Delta Burke on the set of the television series Designing Women. His character was Dash Goff, Suzanne Sugarbaker’s ex-husband. He appeared twice, in 1987 and 1988.McRaney and Burke married on May 28, 1989. People Magazine had them on the cover of their June 12, 1989 edition. In bold lettering, the front cover headlines were: “A True Hollywood Romance – Designing Woman Got Her Man – With trumpets blaring and a bagpiper piping, Designing Women’s Delta Burke and Simon & Simon’s Gerald McRaney set their old-fashioned Southern courtship with a beautiful, lavish wedding.”
In 1991, McRaney co-starred with Burke in the television film Love and Curses. He was also the executive producer.
As much as possible, Burke and McRaney enjoy spending time at their 500-acre farm near Collins. It is located on the Pearl River, where McRaney enjoys hunting and fishing. The couple lives full time in the Vieux Carre in New Orleans.
On May 12, 1999, in an ABC Good Morning America interview with Charles Gibson, Gerald McRaney commented about his life in Mississippi: “I was wondering once what it is about this place that has produced so many good, creative people? Leontyne Price is from over here in Laurel. William Faulkner, John Grisham, Beth Henley, Tennessee Williams—that list just goes on and on. You’re surrounded by life. You’re constantly surrounded by creation. So, some of that just has to rub off on you. And I think that’s what makes great writers and actors and musicians and everything else is that reflection of nature. It gives new birth to me.”
Throughout the years, McRaney has remained involved with the state. In 2001, the National Geographic Traveler Magazine published an article McRaney wrote about Natchez. He participated in the telethon Mississippi Rising (2005), which benefitted hurricane recovery efforts in Mississippi and Louisiana. According to the Mississippi Encyclopedia, he narrated an educational video, The Singing River: Rhythms of Nature. The video was about the Pascagoula River Basin, a Mississippi Public Broadcasting production.
If you would like to watch McRaney share a fun and unforgettable story about his parents visit to Hollywood, watch here.
Oh, and one more thing: Happy 77th Birthday, Mr. McRaney, a few days early.
Laura Lee Leathers
