George Hickman

Like many actors of his day, George Hickman made a long career out of being seen but hardly ever heard. The rough looking Hickman started in making films in the mid 1920s when he was just 18 years old. He continued to make them until military service interrupted his career. Once his enlistment was up, he came back to Hollywood to resume his acting career were he had a few credited roles in the 1940s but he found steadier work as a stand-in and as an extra. By the 1960s, Hickman got his big break when he became the stand-in for Paul Brinegar on the television show Rawhide. This lead to steady work through the entire duration of the series. His work on Rawhide even lead to a handful of credited appearances. After the series ended, Hickman started appearing in several different television westerns and dramas where the scenes required rough looking extras. With the downfall of television westerns, Hickman's work began to drop off but he continue to find work as bums and barflies. Like a lot of extras, Hickman continued working until the end devoting his entire adult life using his unique appearance to add a little touch of authenticity to whatever scenes he appeared in.