History of Dwayne Hickman in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: July 21, 2024

Dwayne Hickman was a multi-talented American actor and television executive, known for his roles as Chuck MacDonald in "The Bob Cummings Show" and Dobie Gillis in "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis." He was a vocalist, producer, director, and CBS executive. Hickman, younger brother of actor Darryl Hickman, later dedicated his life to painting after retiring from show business.

May 18, 1934: Dwayne Hickman's Birth

Dwayne Bernard Hickman was born on May 18, 1934.

1940: Early Screen Appearances as an Extra

Dwayne Hickman began his film career in 1940 as an extra in "The Grapes of Wrath."

1941: Early Roles in Films Alongside His Brother

Dwayne Hickman appeared in "Men of Boys Town" in 1941, marking one of his early screen appearances alongside his brother Darryl.

1942: Appearance in "Our Gang" Comedy

Dwayne Hickman appeared in the "Our Gang" comedy "Melodies Old and New" in 1942.

1945: Role in "Captain Eddie"

Dwayne Hickman had a role in the film "Captain Eddie" in 1945.

1946: Appearances in "The Hoodlum Saint" and "Faithful in My Fashion"

Dwayne Hickman made appearances in the films "The Hoodlum Saint" and "Faithful in My Fashion" in 1946.

1946: Role in "The Secret Heart"

In 1946, Dwayne Hickman took on the role of young Chase in the film "The Secret Heart," which featured a star-studded cast including Claudette Colbert, Walter Pidgeon, Lionel Barrymore, and June Allyson.

1947: Appearance in "Heaven Only Knows"

Dwayne Hickman appeared in the film "Heaven Only Knows" in 1947, which starred Bob Cummings, who would later play a significant role in Hickman's career.

1947: Roles in the "Rusty" Film Series

Dwayne Hickman appeared in two films of Columbia Pictures' "Rusty" series in 1947: "The Return of Rusty" and "For the Love of Rusty."

1948: Roles in "Her Husband's Affairs" and "The Boy with Green Hair"

Dwayne Hickman acted in the films "Her Husband's Affairs" and "The Boy with Green Hair" in 1948.

1948: Continued Roles in the "Rusty" Film Series

Dwayne Hickman continued his involvement in the "Rusty" film series in 1948, appearing in "My Dog Rusty" and "Rusty Leads the Way."

1949: Final Roles in the "Rusty" Film Series

Dwayne Hickman appeared in the final two films of the "Rusty" series in 1949: "Rusty's Birthday" and "Rusty Saves a Life."

1949: Appearances in "The Sun Comes Up" and "Mighty Joe Young"

Dwayne Hickman made appearances in the films "The Sun Comes Up" and "Mighty Joe Young" in 1949.

1950: Guest Appearance on "The Lone Ranger" and Role in "The Happy Years"

In 1950, Dwayne and Darryl Hickman guest-starred in an episode of "The Lone Ranger" titled "Two Gold Lockets." Dwayne also appeared in the film "The Happy Years" that same year, which featured his brother Darryl in a starring role.

1952: Dwayne Hickman's Graduation and Educational Journey

In 1952, Dwayne Hickman graduated from Cathedral High School. While he initially considered becoming a priest, he ultimately decided to pursue a different path and enrolled at Loyola Marymount University.

1955: Breakthrough Role as Chuck in "The Bob Cummings Show"

Dwayne Hickman rose to prominence in 1955 for his portrayal of Chuck in "The Bob Cummings Show." His performance as the breakout character garnered significant recognition while he was studying at Loyola Marymount.

1955: Return to Acting and Guest Appearance on "The Lone Ranger"

Following a period of focusing on his studies, Dwayne Hickman returned to acting in 1955, making appearances in productions like "Public Defender," "The Loretta Young Show," "Lux Video Theatre," and "Waterfront." Additionally, he made another guest appearance on "The Lone Ranger" in an episode titled "Sunstroke Mesa."

1958: Casting as Dobie Gillis

Dwayne Hickman was cast in the lead role of "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" in 1958.

1958: Guest Appearances and Film Role

While still appearing in "The Bob Cummings Show," Dwayne Hickman made guest appearances on other television shows such as "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" and "Men of Annapolis" alongside his brother. He also secured a significant film role in "Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!"

1959: Premiere of "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis"

"The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis," starring Dwayne Hickman, premiered in 1959.

1959: Voice Role in "1001 Arabian Nights"

During his time on "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis," Dwayne Hickman lent his voice to the character of Aladdin in the animated film "1001 Arabian Nights" in 1959.

1959: Conclusion of "The Bob Cummings Show"

Dwayne Hickman's run on "The Bob Cummings Show" concluded in 1959.

June 23, 1960: Appearance on "The Ford Show"

Dwayne Hickman made an appearance on "The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford" on June 23, 1960.

1963: Conclusion of "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis"

"The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" concluded its run in 1963.

1965: Multi-Picture Deal with American International Pictures and Film Appearances

Dwayne Hickman signed a multi-picture deal with American International Pictures in 1965, starring in several films for the studio, including "Ski Party" with Frankie Avalon, "How to Stuff a Wild Bikini" with Annette Funicello, and "Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine" with Avalon and Vincent Price. He also made a cameo appearance in "Sergeant Deadhead."

1965: Role in "Cat Ballou"

Dwayne Hickman starred in the comedy film "Cat Ballou" alongside Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin in 1965.

1967: Supporting Role in "Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding!" and Pilot for "We'll Take Manhattan"

Dwayne Hickman had a supporting role in the comedy film "Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding!" in 1967. He also starred in the pilot episode for the television series "We'll Take Manhattan."

1968: Pilot for "Missy's Men"

Dwayne Hickman starred in the pilot episode for the television series "Missy's Men" in 1968.

1975: Guest Appearance on "Match Game"

Dwayne Hickman appeared as a guest panelist on the game show "Match Game" in 1975.

1977: Transition to Production Roles at CBS

Dwayne Hickman embarked on a new phase of his entertainment career in 1977, transitioning to behind-the-scenes production roles. He began working as a programming executive at CBS.

1977: Guest Roles and Reprising Dobie Gillis

Dwayne Hickman guest-starred on various television shows, including "Vacation Playhouse," "Ironside," "Insight," "The Flying Nun," "My Friend Tony," "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color," "Mod Squad," "Love, American Style," "Karen," "Kolchak: The Night Stalker," "Perry Mason," and "Ellery Queen." He reprised his famous role as Dobie Gillis in a pilot titled "Whatever Happened to Dobie Gillis?" and appeared in the TV movie "Don't Push, I'll Charge When I'm Ready."

1983: Cameo Appearance in "High School U.S.A."

While working as a programming executive at CBS, Dwayne Hickman made a cameo appearance in the TV movie "High School U.S.A." in 1983.

1988: Reprising Dobie Gillis, Autobiography Release, and Guest Appearance

Dwayne Hickman reprised his role as Dobie Gillis in the TV movie "Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis" in 1988. That same year, he released his autobiography titled "Forever Dobie" and made a guest appearance on the television series "Win, Lose or Draw."

1988: Conclusion of Role at CBS

Dwayne Hickman's time as a programming executive at CBS came to an end in 1988.

1998: Appearances in "Murder, She Wrote," "A Night at the Roxbury," and "Clueless"

Dwayne Hickman continued to act occasionally, making appearances in the television series "Murder, She Wrote" and the film "A Night at the Roxbury" in 1998. He also had a recurring role in the TV series "Clueless."

2005: Appearances in "Surviving Gilligan's Island" and "Angels with Angles"

Dwayne Hickman made appearances in the television film "Surviving Gilligan's Island: The Incredibly True Story of the Longest Three Hour Tour in History" and the film "Angels with Angles" in 2005.