Biography
Barry Coe was an American actor who appeared in film and on television between 1955 and 1978. Born Barry Clark Heacock on 26 November 1934 in Santa Monica, California, he later used the name Joseph Spalding Coe. He attended the University of Southern California and was signed to a contract by 20th Century Fox.
Coe’s early roles included small parts in House of Bamboo (1955) and Love Me Tender (1956). His most prominent film performance was as Rodney Harrington in Peyton Place (1957). He co-starred as Ben Gregory in the ABC series Follow the Sun (1961–62) and appeared in later films such as The 300 Spartans (1962) and Jaws 2 (1978). In 1960 he shared a Golden Globe Award for most promising male newcomer.
From the late 1970s into the 1980s Coe was known for portraying the character Mr. Goodwrench in General Motors television commercials. He died on 16 July 2019 in Palm Desert, California.
