George Johnson

Johnson in 1968

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**George Johnson** (born **Georgy Thomas Anderson**; June 28, 1938 - died November 14, 1997) was an American actor and filmmaker. Best known for playing Francis in Left 4 Dead (1987), and One of the scientists from Half-Life (1998). He was also the creator of the Left 4 Dead film series.

Born in Wildwood and later moved to Brooklyn, Johnson started acting when he was 14 in 1952. He appeared in many TV appearances in the 1950s. In the 1960s, Johnson met and married Emily Matthews, an English actress who started acting earlier than him. In the early 1970s, he decided to start his own production company, so he started making movies, he named his own company, Johnson Studios.

Johnson created the adult comic book series named "Balloon Man" (1974-1988). From the 1980s to the mid-1990s, he appeared in more movies than in TV appearances.

At the end of the mid-'90s, Johnson was diagnosed with lung cancer, because he had been smoking for many years; he decided to stop smoking after that. He had a lung tumor removed and stayed in the hospital for 7 days. Johnson decided to continue working and appeared in more television and films, until his untimely death on November 14, 1997, at age 59.

## Early life

Georgy was born on June 28, 1938, in Wildwood, New Jersey. He was the second youngest of 3 children. The oldest one was Richard Anderson, and the youngest one was Betty Anderson.

At 6 years old, Georgy loves to go to amusement parks and piers. He also loves Mutoscope machines for some reason.

In 1950 at age 12, He and his family decided to move to Brooklyn, New York.

## Career

### 1950's

In 1952, two years after he moved to New York with his parents. He had to choose either to start his amusement park career or start his movie career. He chose to be an actor. After that, he decided to change his name from Georgy Thomas Anderson to George Johnson.

His first movie role was Unnamed teenage dancer with the woman in Club in the 1953 film Vicki. In 1958 Johnson was chosen for the role of a fake movie actor in the 1958 film The Blob. and then in the following year, He played Messala in the film Ben-Hur.

### 1960's

Johnson played George Stickle in the 1964 film, The Incredible Mr. Limpet. He became the new face of Hollywood. In 1966, Johnson started becoming a filmmaker after watching "The Thrill Killer" (1964), which was Ray Dennis Stecker's directed film. from late 1968 to early 1969, he was a cast member of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. In early 1969, Johnson starred in an American sketch comedy titled "Turn-On" which was canceled after the first episode aired.

### 1970's

In 1973, he started his own production company Johnson Studios. His first feature-length film was titled Fando's Fantasies.

In 1974 he starred in The Groove Tube as the man at the bar in the Butz Beer commercial. In the same year, he played as Jody Joad in, Earthquake. Also the same year he made Balloon Man, which was adult comic series based on Superman. And then the same year he appeared in Death Race 2000.

In 1977, He played Jimmy Doyle in the film, New York, New York.

Johnson was considered for the role of Jack Torrance in the horror film, The Shining. But his wife refused to allow him to cast the role because she worried that the movie would ruin his career and the film would be flopped.

He was also considered for the role of Sam Jackson in the made-for-TV film, The Death of Ocean View Park. But his wife refused him to star in the shocking made-for-TV movie, simply because she didn't like blowing up the roller coaster.

In 1979, Johnson played Andy Mast in the film, Hardcore.

### 1980's

In 1981, he appeared in the crime horror film, Wolfien.

In 1982, Johnson was cast as Vince Rogers, Coby’s abused stepfather, in the 1983 film The Abused Dad. He filmed most of his scenes, but his wife found out that he was working, and his wife forced him to be rejected from the part. She suggested that he play Bad Guy from Minky Momo instead.

In 1983, Johnson played The bad guy who destroys Minky Momo's magical pendant, which can transform into an adult form, by one pistol bullet from episode 45 of Minky Momo. He told his wife Emily Matthews, to will never play any more Bad Guy roles like that ever again after filming was wrapped. He was only 44 years old when this episode was filmed in mid-September 1982.

In the same year, He played Reggie in The Wild House Party, which was his first written film. That movie was Minky's movie idea.

In 1986, he played Billy's dad named, Tony in the father-and-son film, Like Daddy, Like Son, opposite Mark Chavez.

In the same year, he begin to have plans to make a sequel to The Wild House Party, Because this movie was popular in both theaters and home media. the sequel was titled, The Wild House Party 2: The Party's Back.

During the production of The Wild House Party 2: The Party's Back, his wife told him to watch Dawn of the Dead. After watching this movie, Johnson became obsessed with this movie and he decided to put The Wild House Party 2 on hold and make a new movie, The movie was titled, Left 4 Dead. He plays Francis, a middle-aged dirty biker. And this movie became popular in theaters, home media, and drive-in theaters.

After the Left 4 Dead movie, Johnson went back to The Wild House Party sequel production. After two years of production, The Wild House Party 2: The Party's Back was released in 1988. in the same year, Johnson announced that Balloon Man comics were no more.

In the summer of 1989, He and his wife moved to Los Angeles along with his daughter and two sons where she started his own film company that brought rights called George Johnson Entertainment.

He was offered the role of Paul Sheldon in Misery, but he turned down the role.

### 1990's

In 1990, Johnson reprised the role of Francis, along with his daughter played the role of Rochelle in Left 4 Dead 2. In 1993, He played Sam the Bartender in the drama film, Beyond: Two Souls which was directed and written by him.

Johnson was offered the role of Zordon in Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, but he declined the offer.

In 1995, Johnson directed and produced his action film, The Red Team Chronicles. In late 1996, He started working on his third Left 4 Dead film, But he did not reprise the role of Francis. In 1997, Johnson appeared as Francis in a commercial for Starbucks Coffee.

In the same year, he voiced Crinkleroot in the TV series, Backyard Safari. In 1998, He played one of the scientists in his final project film, Half-Life.

## Personal life

Johnson met Emily Matthews at the airport in late 1964. And the couple was later married on March 26, 1965.

His favorite adult cartoons when he's at the local movie theater like Fritz the Cat (1972), Coonskin (1975), Heavy Traffic (1973), Once Upon a Girl (1976), and Down and Dirty Duck (1974).

When he lived in Brooklyn, his favorite roller coaster was the Cyclone at Coney Island. He rode it every summer from 1954 until his family moved to Los Angeles in 1989.

On September 19, 1994, Johnson, who thought his wife would come home early from her England vacation, was attacked by a deranged fan named Todd Tumbler with his father's gun. He missed the entire gunshot. He quickly ran to his bedroom, locked the door, and called 911 to arrest his deranged fan, who tried to kill him. Tumbler was later arrested and charged with attempted murder. Johnson survived the shooting.

In late 1995, Johnson was diagnosed with lung cancer, Emily and her daughter were devastated when that happened. in 1996, He was recovered from lung cancer and will continue working on TV and Films.

## Death

On the morning of November 14, 1997, Johnson finished the production of Half-Life; to celebrate that, he and his wife went to the movie theater in the afternoon, and then he went to a bar with his friends in the evening. At night, he and his wife Emily invited their kids Hailey, Daniel, and Derby to a family dinner. After finishing dinner, George went to the bathroom nearby, and before he passed out in the bathroom, his family realized what was wrong with him. They quickly moved him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he died of heart failure a few hours later at age 59, the same hospital where he recovered from lung cancer after surgery. Matthews and her daughter attended his memorial service. She was heartbroken over her husband's death.

After the funeral on November 17, his body was cremated at the Chapel of the Pines Crematory in Los Angeles, and an urn necklace (worn by his widow and later his daughter after her mother died) was filled with some of his ashes, while most of them were scattered over the Pacific Ocean.

After his death, Emily Matthews decided to finish his unfinished film Half-Life which was later released on November 19, 1998, a year after Johnson's death.

## Legacy

Alan Matthews (Emily Matthews' second husband) made the 2002 documentary George Johnson: The Sweetest Man in Hollywood, which was released on VHS and later on DVD. In the Rebecca Butler (who played Zoey in Left 4 Dead) interview of said documentary, where she said that Johnson was just a loveable and funny guy. She wishes that he will marry her but she realized that he is already married.

In 2004, Johnson was posthumously inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a motion pictures star.

Many years after Johnson's death, His youngest son, Derby Matthews decided to change his name professionally to Derby Georgy Johnson in honor of his father. He also decided to follow in his father's footsteps by becoming a filmmaker and his own production company. In 2022, He brought back his father's company. Like his father, he appeared in many films that he directed or produced.

## Filmography

Main article: List of George Johnson filmographies

## Trivia

* His favorite food was cheese and pepperoni pizza whenever he was hungry.
* In the mid-1990s, he started losing his hair at his mid-50s, is because of his stress.

## Gallery

His obituaryJohnson in late 1950s/early 1960sGeorge Johnson on Beyond Two Souls (1993) play as Sam the Bartender
## See also

* George Johnson's late 1983 interview transcript