- Jon Provost
Infobox actor
name = Jon Provost
imagesize =
birthdate = birth date and age |1950|3|12
location = Los Angeles,California , USA
deathdate =
deathplace =
birthname = Jonathan Provost
occupation =Actor ;Educator ;Businessman
spouse =Jon Provost (born Jonathan Provost on
March 12 ,1950 , inLos Angeles ,California ) is a formerchild actor offilm andtelevision . He is best known for his role as young Timmy Martin in theCBS series, "Lassie".At the age of three, Provost was cast as the son of
Jane Wyman andSterling Hayden in thefilm "So Big " based on anEdna Ferber novel . He then appeared in "The Country Girl", co-starring withBing Crosby andGrace Kelly , "Back from Eternity ", withAnita Ekberg , and "Escapade in Japan ", again with Ekberg and an unknown (and unbilled)Clint Eastwood . He then procured his most famous role in "Lassie".Provost's television parents were played by
Hugh Reilly andJune Lockhart . For seven seasons, 1957-1964, audiences grew to love Timmy and his perilous adventures with the invinciblecanine . By 1964, Provost decided [Timmy's in the Well: The Jon Provost Story by Laurie Jacobson and Jon Provost (2007)] to end his participation at the end of his contract [thoughCampbell's Soup Company , the sponsor, wanted three more years] . The format of the series was revamped, andRobert Bray joined the series asforest ranger Corey Stuart, Lassie's new owner from 1964-1968. The story line was that the Martins moved toAustralia and were unable to take Lassie because ofgovernment travel regulations. Provost's career as a television child star hence ended, and he left show business when he was eighteen. He received abachelor of arts degree inpsychology and worked for a time in the field ofspecial education .Later, he sold
real estate in Sonoma County north of San Francisco and donated his time to various causes. In 1991, Provost returned to television with a recurring role in "The New Lassie " series -- as a real estate agent. In one nostalgic episode, he appeared together with Lassie's original master, Jeff Miller, played byTommy Rettig in four seasons of the series. In another episode, June Lockhart reprised her role as Timmy's mother and revealed that Provost's character was actually an adult Timmy Martin after having been taken in by new adoptive parents.Provost continues to attend celebrity conventions and autograph parties. He sometimes appears on network
news programs to speak about classical television and American culture. In 1994, Provost received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame at 7080 Hollywood Blvd.His
memoirs , "Timmy's in the Well: The Jon Provost Story", were released in November 2007 (Cumberland House Publishing - ISBN 1-58182-619-2).Complete filmography
* 1970: The Secret of the Sacred Forest
* 1969: "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes ", starringKurt Russell
* 1966: "This Property Is Condemned "
* 1963: The Wayfarers [TV]
* 1962: Lassie's Great Adventure [TV]
* 1960: The Disappearance [TV]
* 1957: Escapade in Japan
* 1956: "Toward the Unknown "
* 1956: All Mine to Give
* 1956: Back from Eternity
* 1954: "The Country Girl"
* 1953: "So Big "References
External links
* [http://www.jonprovost.com Jon Provost's official website]
*imdb name|id=0699092
* [http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/268703.html Jon Provost opposes AB 1634]
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