Early Year
1931: Born November 15 in New York City; son of Geoffrey Kerr and June Walker. His father Geoffrey Kerr was successful English writer, director and performer and his mother June Walker was successful Broadway performer. His grandfather Frederick Kerr was actor-manager.
1938: His father and mother were separated by the start of the World War II.
1940: Appeared at the age of eight by walking on stage for three lines as son of Ruth Chatterton in Tomorrow and Tomorrow at Cape Playhouse in Dennis, Ma.
1941-42: Went to military school, near Los Angeles.
1942-45: Went to Harvey School in Katonah, NY.
1945: His father and mother were divorced.
1945-48: Studied at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter. Played hockey there.
1947: Appeared in summer stock Joan of Lorraine as Jo Cordwell ( Jean D'Are) with Luise Rainer at Cape Playhouse in Dennis Ma. And spent summer with his mother at there.
1947: Appeared in summer stock (21 season) Dream Girl with Jean Parker at Cape Playhouse. And spent summer with his mother at there.
6/19/'48~6/24/'48: Appeared in summer stock (22 season) O Mistress Mine as Michael Brown with Gertrude Lawrence at Cape Playhouse.
1948: Entered Harvard College. Played lacrosse and belonged the drama club there.
1949: Appeared in summer stock in support of Gertrude Lawrence September Tide at Cape Playhouse.
1951: Met Pricilla Smith in the class of Serbo-Croatian language and literature.
1951: Played in Brattle Theatre acting group ; A Midsummer Night's Dream,Twelfth Night and Billy Budd at Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, Ma.
1952: Appeared in A Sleep of Prisoners at Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, Ma.
6/1952: Graduated Harvard. Auditioned for Bernardine with director Guthrine McClintic.
10/16/'52~ 2/28/'53: His first Broadway appearance Bernardine as Arthur Beaumont (Beau) by Mary Chase at Playhouse Theatre in NY.
12/28/'52: Married to Pricilla Smith in the church of Milton in Ma. Lived in Greenwich Village apartment in NY.
2/2/'53: Appeared TV Show as Tony in The White Gown with Margaret O'Brien (NY).
7/13/'53: Appeared TV Show Studio One : in episode; End of the Honeymoon with Eva Marie Saint. (NY)
8/2/'53: Appeared TV Show Your Are There(CBS): as Jesse James in episode The Jesse James Story with James Dean (NY). This show aired one year after Dean's death and featured a new TV show.(Jan. 4, '57 )
1953: Entered Russian institute at Columbia University in NY.
1953: Received in 1952-53 Daniel Blum /Promising Personalities Theatre World Award (Bernardine).
1953: Appeared TV Show Danger and The Web (NY).
9/11/'53: Appeared TV Show The Big Story (Robert Montgemery Presents)(NBC):in episode Rex Newman with James Dean (NY)
9/30/'53~5/29/'54: Appeared on Broadway Tea and Sympathy as Tom Robinson Lee by Robert Anderson and directed by Elia Kazan at Ethel Barrymore Theatre in NY.
5/29/'54: Twin daughters were born, named Jocelyn, Rebecca.
1954: Received in 1953 The Donaldson Award=Billboard’s Donaldson/ as Best Supporting Actor of the season (Tea and Sympathy).
1954: Received in 1953 New York Drama Critic's Award as Best Supporting Actor by Variety (Tea and Sympathy).
3/14/'54: Received in 1954 Antoinette Perry Award (Tony Award) /as Outstanding Supporting Actor (Tea and Sympathy) or Featured Dramatic Actor. The American Theatre Wing (Tea and Sympathy) at the Plaza Hotel.
1954: Appeared in Ring 'Round the Moon, as twin roles; Frederic & his twin brother at the Hyde Park Theatre in New York.
6/29/'54: Appeared TV Show Suspense : in episode; The Hunted (NY).
9/5/'54: Appeared Radio Guest Star :as son of Henry Fonda : in episode; Blood Is Thicker Than Water.
9/23/'54~11/15/'54: Appeared on Broadway All Summer Long as Don from the novel Donald Wetzel A wreath and a Curse, by Robert Anderson at Coronet Theatre in NY. Casting of John Kerr and June Walker were mother and son in real life, this was the first time duplicated in the casting of a play.
1954: Originally the lead role of Lindbergh The Spirit of St. Louis(1957) (James Stewart) was offered to John Kerr, who had earned acclaim for his performance in the Broadway production of Tea and Sympathy but he turned it down because of Lindbergh's alleged pro-Nazi political views.
1954: Offered movie Friendly Persuation (1956) ,but did not accept the role.
1954: Appeared Movie (MGM) The Cobweb (1955) as Steven W. Holte.
12/'54~'55: Appeared Movie (MGM) Gaby (1955) as Gregory Y. Wendell.
1955: Appeared TV Maurice Evans Presents in episode; The Corn Is Green replacing the late James Dean.
1955: Appeared TV Motion Picture Theatre Celebration.
4/17/'55: Appeared TV The Philco Television Playhouse in episode The Bold And The Brave.
6/14/'55: Appeared Elgin TV Hour: as Pol. Fouler in episode Combat Medics.(ABC)
12/11/'55: Appeared TV The Alco Hour in episode Undertow with Robert Preston, Teresa Wright .(NY)
1955: Lived Westwood in LA
2/1/'56: Appeared TV The United States Steel Hour in episode; A Fair Shake.
1956: Appeared movie (MGM) Tea and Sympathy as Tom Robinson Lee.
1956: Won Photo Play Award as the most popular actor of this year.
1956: Appeared TV Playhouse 90's as Capt. Neil Dameron in episode; Rumors of Evening and in episode The Ninth Day.
1957: Appeared movie (MGM) The Vintage as Ernesto Barandero.
9/19 /'57: Son was born, named Michael.
1957: Received in 1957 The Golden Globes Award / as Most Promising Newcomer-male.
1957: Appeared Movie (20th Fox) The South Pacific as Lieutenant Joseph Cable.
2/3/'58~3/9/'58: Appeared off Broadway The Infernal Machine as Oedipus at Phoenix Theatre in NY.
11/5/'58~11/8/'58: Appeared on first tryout opening Cue For Passion as Tony Burgess at Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Conn.
11/25/'58~12/27/'58: Appeared on Broadway Cue For Passion as Tony Burgess at Henry Miller Theatre in NY.
1958:Appeared TV:Walt Disney presents: The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca as Marter Didler.
1958: Appeared movie (WB) Girl of Night as Larry.
7/23/'59~7/27/'59: Appeared in The Glass Menagerie. Kerr played Tom and his mother, June Walker played Amanda at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara Summer Theatre, California. Santa Barbara.
1959 : Appeared in The Hasty Heart as Lachie at the Fred Miller Theatre in Milwaukee,Wisconsin.
1959 : Won The Fiddie Award at the Fred Miller Theatre for Best Actor of the season.(The Hasty Heart)
1960: Directed and Appeared in Bus Stop as Bo at the Fred Miller Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1960: Appeared in The Rainmaker as Starbuck at the Wharf Theatre in Monterey, Califorinia.
1960: Appeared movie (20th Fox) 7 Women From Hell as Bill Jackson.
1960: Appeared movie (WB) The Crowded Sky as Mike Rule.
1961: Appeared movie (AIP) Pit and The Pendulum as Francis Barnard.
1961:Appeared on Five Finger Exercise at the La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, California.
1961: Directed Sound of Murder at the La Jolla Playhouse, while acting in Five Finger Excercise.
1961~62: Appeared on Bus Stop at the Fred Miller Theater (Milwaukee WI).
1962: Appeared in Antigone as Haemon at the UCLA Theatre Group in Los Angeles,
California.
1962 Directed a staged reading of Love and Like, a play by Herbert Gold based on his story of the same name, at the UCLA Theatre Group in Los Angeles.
1963: Appeared TV Arrest And Trial as Asst. Deputy D.A. Barry Pine.
1963: Hamlet; as an artist in residence at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California
12/25/'64: Appeared TV 12 O'Clock High: as Major Herrick in episode; An Act of War.
3/25/'64: Appeared TV 12 O'Clock High: as Lieutenant Thacker in episode; Mutiny at 10,000 Feet.
1964:Liliom; As a lecturer and artist in residence at the University of Oregon Summer Conference.
1964: Directed Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, at theatre in West Hollywood,California.
1964: Produced six plays; Androcles and the Lion, Oedipus, J.B., Waiting for Godot , Spoon River Anthology and Desire under the Elms for ANTA at Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California.
1965: Appeared in Mister Robertsas Ensign Pulver at the Melodyland Theatre in Anaheim, California and the Circle Star Theatre in San Bruno, California.
1966: His mother passed away in LA.
1966:Entered the Law School of UCLA.
1966-'67: Appeared TV Peyton Place as John Fowler.
11/5/'67: Appeared TV The High Chaparral: as Creed Hallock in episode; Sudden Country.
11/8/'67~11/31/'67: Appeared on The Tenth Manas Arthur Landau at New York City Center.
1969: Received J.D.(Juris Doctor) from UCLA.
Middle Year
1970: His father passed away in England.
1970: Appeared TV Yuma as Captain White.
1971: Appeared TV Columbo: as Colonel Roger Dutton ; episode in; Dead Weight.
1/4/'71: Appeared TV The Young Lawyers; episode in; False Witness.
1972: Divorced.
1972: Appeared TV Incident On A Dark Street as Gallagher, Trainers’ Attorney.
1972: Appeared TV The Longest Night as Agent Jones.
1973: Appeared TV The Streets of San Francisco as Jerry O'Brien in episode ;The Set-Up.
1973: Appeared TV The Streets of San Francisco as Jerry O'Brien in episode; The House on Hyde Streets.
1/27/'74: Appeared TV The Barnaby Jones : as Dr. Lincoln in episode;Programmed for Killing.
9/29/'75: Appeared TV The Invisible Man: as Kirk in episode; Eyes Only.
1975: Appeared TV The Streets of San Francisco as Jerry O'Brien in episode Mister Nobody.
1975: Appeared TV The Streets of San Francisco as Jerry O'Brien in episode; False Witness.
1977: Appeared TV The Streets of San Francisco as Jerry O'Brien in episode; Who Killed Helen French?
1977: Appeared TV Washington: Behind Closed Doors as Ashton.
1979: Remarried to Barbara Chu and has two stepchildren, named Chris and Sharon.
19/87: Appeared TV Bay Coven as Ferry Captain.
1969~2000: Practiced attorney of trial work in medical malpractice and personal injury.
June '06: Wrote the reminiscence of his life.
Nov. '06: Went to West Sussex in England to visited his cousin.
Apr. '07: Went on a trip to China and Japan.
June '08: Went to cruise to Stockholm, Copenhagen, Helsinki and St. Petersburg.
Dec.'09: Went on two weeks trip to Eastern Europe.
May. '09 :Went to South Bay area.
Nov.'09 :Went on a short trip to Northern California.
2/6/'10: Attended with co-star off The South Pacific old year's winners Tony Awards at The Lincoln Center Theater Production
Nov.~Dec.'10:Went on a cruise of the eastern seaboard of the U.S. for eleven days. It started out from
Montreal, Canada, and end up in New York City.
1952~2013: Belong to AFTRA(American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), EQUITY(Action's Equity
Association) and SAG(Screen Actors Guide).
Feb.2, '13: Passed away at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena. It was sudden and he had no pain. His ashes will be scattered at the Ocean later.