David Keith Biography
Born: May 08, 1954
Date of Birth: May 8, 1954
Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Keith graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Theatre.
After performing onstage in Chicago, Keith received the chance to star in a television series called Co-ed Fever in 1979, but the show was cancelled after the first episode.
For the next few years Keith floated from film to film in largely forgettable roles.
It wasn't until 1982 with the release of An Officer and A Gentleman, in which Keith played Sid Worley, Richard Gere's suicidal boot-camp buddy, that he received recognition.
His performance led to two Golden Globe nominations and the ShoWest Award for Male Star of Tomorrow.
Although Keith had exposure and critical praise behind him, he faded into the spotlight instead of hitting the big time.
After starring in the film The Lords of Discipline in 1983, he spent the rest of the '80s in a string of unknown films.
By the late '80s, Keith decided to give his directing legs a try and took charge of the films, The Curse (1987) and The Further Adventures of Tennessee Buck (1988). (The latter of which he starred as Buck Malone.)
In the '90s he once again kept to the shadows of major film productions, briefly stepping out to remind the public he was still around in films like The Two Jakes (1990), Major League II (1994), and The Indian in the Cupboard (1995). Although his career never really slowed down, Keith received wider exposure at the start of the 21st century in films like U-571 (2000), Men of Honor (2000), and Behind Enemy Lines (2002).
Open to both large and small screen, Keith's impressive television work includes the telefilms Guts And Glory: The Oliver North Story, and Gulag, as well as the miniseries Texas, and If Tomorrow Comes, as well as the two television series Flesh 'N Blood and Local Heroes, for which he also co-wrote and performed the theme songs.
Keith is still living in his native Tennessee, where he owns a cattle ranch.