“I've never been strong enough to stand out on my own. I've had to develop versatility to make up for my lack of an impressive stage and screen personality.”

American theatre, radio, and film actor

Van Heflin was an American theatre, radio, and film actor. Born in 1908 and active mainly in the mid-20th century, he is best known for character roles and for a run of leading parts in the 1940s. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Johnny Eager (1942). Heflin later had starring roles in westerns such as Shane (1953), 3:10 to Yuma (1957), and Gunman's Walk (1958). He also appeared in Airport (1970) as a mentally disturbed airline passenger, a part that added to his reputation for playing uneasy, complex characters.