1. Early Life and Career Beginnings
Jeremy Slate's early life was marked by significant academic and military achievements, followed by a successful corporate career that he eventually left to pursue his passion for acting.
1.1. Education and Military Service
Born Robert Bullard Perham on February 17, 1926, in Atlantic City, he attended a military academy before joining the United States Navy at the age of sixteen. He was just eighteen years old when his destroyer actively participated in the Normandy landings on D-Day (June 6, 1944), a pivotal event of World War II. After the war, Slate attended St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, where he graduated with honors in English. During his time there, he demonstrated remarkable leadership and intellectual prowess, serving as the president of the student body, a member of the honor society, and editor of the college literary magazine. An accomplished athlete, he was also a football player and notably served as the backfield coach for the university's only undefeated team in its history. Furthermore, he was a prominent campus radio personality and married the queen of his fraternity's ball during his senior year. This marriage, which produced three sons and one daughter, later ended in divorce, and he subsequently had a second daughter.
1.2. Transition to Professional Acting
Following his graduation, Slate began his professional life as a radio sportscaster and DJ for several CBS and ABC affiliates. For six years, he had a promising career with W. R. Grace and Co. as a public relations executive and travel manager for the company's president, J. Peter Grace. His career then led him to join Grace Steamship Lines, where he moved with his family to Lima, Peru. It was in Peru that he became involved with a professional theatre group. His participation in a production of "The Rainmaker" proved to be a pivotal moment; his portrayal of the character Starbuck earned him the Tiahuanacothe, the Peruvian equivalent of the Tony Award. This significant recognition, coupled with a year of dedicated training, prompted him to leave W. R. Grace and Co. to fully pursue a theatrical career.
2. Acting Career
Jeremy Slate's acting career was extensive, encompassing nearly 100 television appearances and roles in twenty feature films, showcasing his versatility across various genres.
2.1. Television Roles
Slate co-starred with Ron Ely in the 1960-1961 Ivan Tors television series The Aquanauts, which was later renamed Malibu Run during its run on CBS. The series faced stiff competition in its time slot from NBC's popular Western Wagon Train. He made numerous guest appearances throughout his career, including two roles as Perry Mason's client in the courtroom drama series Perry Mason: in 1960 as Bob Lansing in "The Case of the Ominous Outcast", and in 1962 as Philip Andrews in "The Case of the Captain's Coins."
In 1959-1960, he guest-starred in the syndicated Western series, Pony Express, which starred Grant Sullivan. In 1963, Slate was cast as Mark Novak in "The Loner," an episode of the NBC modern Western series Empire, set on a ranch in New Mexico. In the storyline he became involved in a deadly boxing match with series character Tal Garrett (Ryan O'Neal). The same year, he co-starred in "Off Limits," an episode of the second season of Combat!, produced and directed by Robert Altman. Also in 1963, he played Elroy Daldran, a hired assassin targeting Eliot Ness, in "A Taste for Pineapple," the final episode of The Untouchables starring Robert Stack. In 1963, he appeared in James Arness's TV Western series Gunsmoke as gunslinger Billy Hargis in the episode "Carter Caper" (season 9, episode 8).
He played a troubled surfer in a 1962, season 3 episode of Route 66 titled "Ever Ride the Waves in Oklahoma?" In 1965, he starred as Wally in "Ling Ling," season 1, episode 21 of Bewitched. He later guest-starred as a German infiltrator in "The Mockingbird," a fourth-season episode of Combat! (aired 1966). Slate played Hank in the NBC comedy Accidental Family in 1967-1968.
From 1979 to 1987, Slate prominently portrayed Chuck Wilson on the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live. For a brief period from April to October 1985, while not appearing on One Life to Live, he played the character of Locke Walls on the CBS daytime drama Guiding Light. Slate performed in nine episodes of CBS's long-running Western series Gunsmoke, including the role of a likable but doomed cowboy in the 1962 episode "The Gallows," written by John Meston. He also guest-starred three times on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour on CBS and NBC, on CBS's Mission: Impossible and The New Adventures of Wonder Woman, ABC's Bewitched, and NBC's My Name Is Earl.
2.2. Film Roles
Slate's acting career included significant roles in feature films. He played a notable role as a Deputy Sheriff in the 1965 Western The Sons of Katie Elder, starring John Wayne. He also had a prominent role in the 1969 Western True Grit, where he co-starred with Glen Campbell.
Beyond Westerns, Slate became known for his major roles in four outlaw biker films during the late 1960s: The Born Losers (1967), The Mini-Skirt Mob (1968), Hell's Belles (1969), and Hell's Angels '69. In The Born Losers, Slate played Daniel 'Danny' Carmody, the leader of the Born Losers Motorcycle Club, a ruthless yet likable character who confronts Billy Jack. For Hell's Angels '69, Slate wrote the screen story and played Wes, a man who manipulates members of the Hells Angels into unwittingly assisting him in a plan to rob a Las Vegas casino. Several real-life members of the Hells Angels, including Angels president Ralph "Sonny" Barger, Terry the Tramp, and Magoo, had significant speaking roles in the film. During the filming of Hell's Angels '69, Slate broke his leg and reportedly never rode a motorcycle again.
3. Songwriting Career
In addition to his acting career, Jeremy Slate was an accomplished country-and-western songwriter and a member of BMI. He wrote the lyrics for "Just Beyond the Moon," a top ten song recorded by Tex Ritter. He also co-wrote the lyrics for "Every Time I Itch (I Wind Up Scratchin' You)" with Greg R. Connor, which was recorded by country music icon Glen Campbell on Capitol Records. Slate and Campbell had previously starred together in the 1969 film True Grit.
4. Personal Life
Jeremy Slate was married three times. He was briefly married to actress Tammy Grimes and during this time, he was stepfather to actress Amanda Plummer. In 2000, he married Denise Mellinger Slate, a writer and film producer, and became stepfather to Joseph Tolen and Erin Tolen. In the 1970s, Slate was involved with feminist archaeologist Sally Binford. Their experiences within the sexual freedom movement were chronicled in Gay Talese's acclaimed 1980 non-fiction book Thy Neighbor's Wife, providing a glimpse into his broader engagement with societal trends. At the time of his death, his partner was Joan Benedict-Steiger. He was survived by two sons and two daughters; one son had preceded him in death. In 2004, Slate attended the Western Film Fair in Charlotte, North Carolina, as a guest alongside notable actors such as Stella Stevens, Andrew Prine, and Sonny Shroyer.
5. Death
Jeremy Slate died on November 19, 2006, in Los Angeles, California. His death followed surgery for esophageal cancer.
6. Filmography
- That Kind of Woman (1959) as Sailor (uncredited)
- North by Northwest (1959) as Policeman at Grand Central Station #2 (uncredited)
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1960) (Season 5 Episode 32: "One Grave Too Many") as Joe Helmer
- G.I. Blues (1960) as Turk
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1962) (Season 7 Episode 36: "First Class Honeymoon") as Carl Seabrook
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) (Season 1 Episode 10: "Day of Reckoning") as Trent Parker, the Golf Professional
- Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962) as Wesley Johnson
- Wives and Lovers (1963) as Gar Aldrich
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1964) (Season 2 Episode 14: "Beyond the Sea of Death") as Keith Holloway
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1965) (Season 3 Episode 16: "One of the Family") as Dexter Dailey
- I'll Take Sweden (1965) as Erik Carlson
- The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) as Ben Latta
- The Born Losers (1967) as Daniel 'Danny' Carmody
- The Devil's Brigade (1968) as Sergeant Patrick O'Neill
- The Mini-Skirt Mob (1968) as Lon
- The Hooked Generation (1968) as Daisey
- Hell's Belles (1969) as Dan
- True Grit (1969) as Emmett Quincy
- Hell's Angels '69 (1969) as Wes
- Drag Racer (1971) as Ron
- Mission Impossible (1971) as Frederick Hoffman
- The Curse of the Moon Child (1972)
- Centerfold Girls (1974) as Sergeant Garrett
- Stranger in Our House (1978) as Tom Bryant
- Mr. Horn (1979) as Captain Emmet Crawford
- The Dead Pit (1989) as Dr. Gerald Swan
- Voyage of the Heart (1989) as Chairman
- Goodnight, Sweet Marilyn (1989) as 'Mesquite'
- Dream Machine (1991) as Jack Chamberlain
- The Lawnmower Man (1992) as Father Francis McKeen
7. Legacy and Assessment
Jeremy Slate left a notable legacy in the American entertainment industry through his diverse contributions to film, television, and even music. His career demonstrated significant versatility, allowing him to transition from corporate life to a celebrated actor and songwriter. He is particularly remembered for his strong presence in Westerns, where his roles in films like The Sons of Katie Elder and True Grit cemented his image as a rugged and authentic figure in the genre. Beyond traditional Westerns, Slate also became a distinctive presence in the burgeoning "outlaw biker" film genre of the late 1960s, starring in several key movies and even contributing to the screen story of Hell's Angels '69. These roles, often portraying complex characters, highlighted his ability to embody both heroic and morally ambiguous figures.
On television, his long-running roles in popular soap operas such as One Life to Live and Guiding Light allowed him to reach a broad audience, showcasing his enduring appeal. His guest appearances in nearly a hundred television shows, spanning from classic dramas like Perry Mason and Gunsmoke to more intense series like Combat! and The Untouchables, further illustrate his consistent work and adaptability as a character actor. His songwriting contributions, including a top ten hit for Tex Ritter, also underscore a creative talent that extended beyond acting. Overall, Jeremy Slate's career is assessed as that of a prolific and dedicated professional who made significant, albeit often supporting, contributions to the cultural landscape of American film and television during the mid to late 20th century. His personal life, particularly his relationship with Sally Binford and its documentation in Gay Talese's Thy Neighbor's Wife, also reflected a broader engagement with the social and cultural shifts of his time.