Biography
Date of Birth: November 29, 1952
Place of Birth: Olean, New York
Jeff Fahey was the 6th child of a family of thirteen children (eight boys and five girls).
When Jeff was seventeen years old, after graduating from high school, he began traveling extensively. The places he traveled to include Alaska, Europe, Israel, India, the Himalayas and Afghanistan.
When Jeff was seventeen years old, after graduating from high school, he began traveling extensively. The places he traveled to include Alaska, Europe, Israel, India, the Himalayas and Afghanistan.
His great range and diversity as an actor are a direct result of his traveling days, as he lived and learned of the life and cultures of the people he met wherever he traveled, while working his way around by taking odd jobs at different locations.
Jeff returned to the States in his early twenties and experimented with a wide variety of employment opportunities which included working as a vacuum cleaner salesman, an encyclopedia salesman, a trainer in a health club, and teaching ballroom dancing.
Jeff returned to the States in his early twenties and experimented with a wide variety of employment opportunities which included working as a vacuum cleaner salesman, an encyclopedia salesman, a trainer in a health club, and teaching ballroom dancing.
When Jeff was twenty five years old, while he worked as a ballroom dancing teacher he was invited to attend the ballet. He applied and won a full scholarship to dance with the Joffrey Ballet in New York City. The Joffrey Ballet led to stage roles, first in the chorus, then in more and increasingly longer speaking roles.
In 1982, Jeff landed his first major television role, as Gary Corelli in the popular daytime soap opera One Life To Live. From 1982 to 1985, Jeff lived and enjoyed the life of a daytime soap idol.
In 1984, Jeff was offered his first major big-screen role, as Deputy Tyree in Silverado. From 1984 and continuing to the present day, he has never experienced a lull in his acting career. Calling himself a "jobber actor". He makes around four or five films per year, selecting his parts based on what he's interested in at the time. For example, being in a location he's never been to (Dazzle), working with an actor he wanted to work with such as Robert Mitchum and working with a female director to understand a role from a different point of view (Sandra Locke).
In 1994, Jeff appeared in a weekly television series, The Marshal, which was produced by his close friend, and acting colleague, Don Johnson. Jeff has said that more than any other vehicle he had acted in to date, his own personality, values, and feelings become encompassed in the character that was to evolve, and emerge, as Winston MacBride. Unique in its concept, the show starred only Jeff, as he liked to say in interviews at the time, one man, one hour. Once the series ended (after two seasons) Jeff continued to make his usual four or five films per year, and became a big celebrity in the European market.