George Plimpton
George Ames Plimpton (March 18, 1927 - September 25, 2003) was an American journalist, writer and actor.He attended Phillips Exeter Academy and Harvard University, where he was an editor of the Harvard Lampoon.
From 1945 to 1948, he served as a tank driver in Italy for the U.S. Army. Later, he attended King's College at Cambridge University in England.
In 1953, Plimpton founded the literary journal Paris Review and became its first editor-in-chief.
Plimpton was a classmate of Robert Kennedy at Harvard, and helped wrestle Sirhan Sirhan to the ground when Kennedy was assassinated.
He was famous for competing in real sporting events, and then recording the experience from the point of view of an amateur. In 1960, prior to the second of baseball's two All-Star games, Plimpton pitched against the National League, which became the book "Out Of My League". (He intended to face both line-ups, but tired badly and was relieved by Ralph Houk.) He sparred for three rounds with boxing greats Archie Moore and Sugar Ray Robinson, while on assignment for Sports Illustrated. In 1963 he attended pre-season training with the Detroit Lions as a backup quarterback, and ran a few plays from scrimmage in an exhibition game. These events were recalled in his best known book "Paper Lion". A further book, "Open Net", saw him train as an ice hockey goalie with the Boston Bruins. Among other challenges for Sports Illustrated, he attempted to play top-level bridge, and spent some time as a high-wire circus performer.
Plimpton also appeared in a number of feature films, as an extra and in cameo appearances. He was also notable for his appearance in television commercials during the early 1980s advertising Intellivision sports video games for Mattel.
Plimpton died at his apartment in New York City at the age of 76.
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Books
Film appearances
External links