# James Broderick
**James Broderick** (James Joseph Broderick III; March 7, 1927 – November 1, 1982) was an American actor of English and Irish descent, best known for playing the father, Doug Lawrence, on the ABC television drama *[Family](https://www.edgepedia.org/family-1976-tv-series)* (1976–1980) and for film roles in *Alice's Restaurant* (1969), *[The Taking of Pelham One Two Three](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-taking-of-pelham-one-two-three-1974-film)* (1974), and *Dog Day Afternoon* (1975).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/bio/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | March 7, 1927, Charlestown, New Hampshire; November 1, 1982, New Haven, Connecticut, of cancer, at age 55[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/bio/) • [2](https://www.upi.com/amp/Archives/1982/11/02/Actor-James-Broderick-known-in-recent-years-as-the/4522405061200/) |
| Signature television role | Doug Lawrence, the lawyer father on *Family* (1976–1980, 86 episodes); 1978 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/) • [4](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/james-broderick) |
| Early series lead | Officer Ernie Brenner on the crime drama *Brenner* (1959–1964, 24 episodes)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/) |
| Notable films | Ray Brock in *Alice's Restaurant* (1969); motorman Denny Doyle in *The Taking of Pelham One Two Three* (1974); FBI agent Sheldon in *Dog Day Afternoon* (1975)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/bio/) |
| Training | University of New Hampshire pre-med student turned actor; graduated from the Neighborhood Playhouse in 1949[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/bio/) • [5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/james-broderick/bio/3030364581/) |
| Family | Married painter Patricia Biow Broderick in May 1949; three children, including actor Matthew Broderick[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/) |
| Final role | Joe, a dying man, in the television film *The Shadow Box* (1980)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/) |
## Early life and turn to acting
Broderick was born in Charlestown, New Hampshire, to James Joseph Broderick II (1895–1959), a highly decorated World War I veteran of Irish descent, and Mary Elizabeth Martindale, who had both English and Irish ancestry. He attended Manchester Central High School and enrolled at the [University of New Hampshire](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-new-hampshire) in pre-medical courses.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/bio/)
In 1945, at 18, he interrupted his studies to join the [United States Navy](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-navy) in the closing months of World War II, enlisting as a pharmacist; he was discharged in 1947 during postwar demobilization. Back at the university as a junior pre-med student, he auditioned for a campus theatrical production and won the lead role of Captain Bluntschli, the cynical mercenary officer in [George Bernard Shaw](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-bernard-shaw)'s *Arms and the Man* (1894).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/bio/)
The faculty advisor to the drama club, J. "Joe" Donald Batcheller, arranged a meeting with the stage actor [Arthur Kennedy](https://www.edgepedia.org/arthur-kennedy) (1914–1990), who gave Broderick acting tips and advised him to attend the [Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre](https://www.edgepedia.org/neighborhood-playhouse-school-of-the-theatre) in New York City, whose faculty included [Sanford Meisner](https://www.edgepedia.org/sanford-meisner) (1905–1997), developer of the Meisner technique. Broderick graduated from the Playhouse in 1949.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/bio/) • [5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/james-broderick/bio/3030364581/)
## Stage career
Broderick remained primarily a theatrical actor throughout his career. His Broadway credits, recorded by the Internet Broadway Database, include the musical *Maggie* (1953, as James Wylie), *Johnny No-Trump* (1967, as Alexander Edwards), the revival of *The Time of Your Life* (1969, as Joe), and *Let Me Hear You Smile* (1973, as Neil Heywood).[6](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/james-broderick-33097) In 1961 he toured 15 countries with [Helen Hayes](https://www.edgepedia.org/helen-hayes) in a production of [Tennessee Williams](https://www.edgepedia.org/tennessee-williams)' *The Glass Menagerie*.[2](https://www.upi.com/amp/Archives/1982/11/02/Actor-James-Broderick-known-in-recent-years-as-the/4522405061200/) He also won a Roger Award for best performance in a Chicago production of [Edward Albee](https://www.edgepedia.org/edward-albee)'s *Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf*.[7](https://archives.nd.edu/observer/1982-11-03_v17_046.pdf)
## Television
Broderick's television career began in 1950 with appearances in variety programs through the decade.[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_broderick) His first series lead came as Officer Ernie Brenner in the CBS crime drama *Brenner* (1959–1964), about a father-son pair of New York City police officers; Roy Brenner, the hardened veteran father, was played by Edward Binns, and Broderick's Ernie was the optimistic son starting his career.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/bio/)
A noted early appearance was the 1963 *Twilight Zone* episode "On Thursday We Leave for Home," in which residents of a failed space colony request return to Earth while their leader tries to keep them there; Broderick played Al Baines, the engineering officer who unsuccessfully tries to rescue the former leader after everyone else abandons him.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/bio/)
**Family.** In the late 1970s Broderick gained his most prominent television role as Doug Lawrence, the lawyer and patriarch of the Lawrence family on the ABC drama *Family* (1976–1980, 86 episodes). The series centered on the family's problems: wife Kate had given up an academic career for homemaking; elder daughter Nancy was a divorced single mother; younger daughter Letitia ("Buddy") struggled with body-image issues; and son Willie was a high-school dropout, while the family still mourned another son, Timothy, who had died years earlier.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/bio/) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/) In 1978 Broderick was nominated for the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the role.[4](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/james-broderick) [TV Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-guide) later ranked Doug Lawrence number 26 on its 2004 list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time."[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/bio/)
## Films
Broderick began appearing in theatrical films in the 1960s. His best-remembered roles are the bohemian-commune leader Ray Brock in *Alice's Restaurant* (1969), the motorman Denny Doyle in the subway-hijacking film *The Taking of Pelham One Two Three* (1974), and FBI agent Sheldon in the bank-robbery drama *Dog Day Afternoon* (1975), opposite [Al Pacino](https://www.edgepedia.org/al-pacino).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/bio/) • [2](https://www.upi.com/amp/Archives/1982/11/02/Actor-James-Broderick-known-in-recent-years-as-the/4522405061200/) On Rotten Tomatoes' aggregation, *The Taking of Pelham One Two Three* is his highest-rated film at 98 percent and *Alice's Restaurant* his lowest at 63 percent.[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_broderick)
His last acting role was the 1980 television film *The Shadow Box*, an adaptation of [Michael Cristofer](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-cristofer)'s play, in which he played Joe, a man dying from an incurable disease who tries to understand why his wife and son refuse to keep him company.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/)
## Family and death
Broderick married Patricia Biow Broderick (1925–2003), a painter and playwright, in May 1949; they had three children: Martha, Janet, and Matthew.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/) • [9](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000111/bio) Their son [Matthew Broderick](https://www.edgepedia.org/matthew-broderick) (born 1962) became an actor and made his professional stage debut opposite his father at age 17 in the production of *On Valentine's Day*.[10](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/matthew-broderick)
In the early 1980s Broderick developed cancer, which prevented him from accepting further roles. He died at 7 a.m. on November 1, 1982, at Yale-New Haven Hospital, where he had been a patient since October 12, after a long bout with thyroid cancer.[2](https://www.upi.com/amp/Archives/1982/11/02/Actor-James-Broderick-known-in-recent-years-as-the/4522405061200/) • [7](https://archives.nd.edu/observer/1982-11-03_v17_046.pdf)
## References
1. [James Broderick – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/bio/)
2. [Actor James Broderick, known in recent years as the father on 'Family' – UPI Archives, November 2, 1982](https://www.upi.com/amp/Archives/1982/11/02/Actor-James-Broderick-known-in-recent-years-as-the/4522405061200/)
3. [James Broderick – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0110814/)
4. [James Broderick – Emmy Awards and Nominations, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/james-broderick)
5. [James Broderick Biography – TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/james-broderick/bio/3030364581/)
6. [James Broderick – Broadway Cast & Staff, IBDB](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/james-broderick-33097)
7. [The Observer (Notre Dame), November 3, 1982, AP obituary](https://archives.nd.edu/observer/1982-11-03_v17_046.pdf)
8. [James Broderick – Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_broderick)
9. [Matthew Broderick – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000111/bio)
10. [Matthew Broderick – Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/matthew-broderick)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1940s to 1960s › Surnames Br to C*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license