Of German and Scottish ancestry.

Eleanor Roosevelt was his godmother.

Father-in-law of (musician) Ben Harper.

Grandfather of Ellery Walker Harper & Jaya Harper.

Nephew of poet Archibald Macleish.

His grandfather was George Dern, former Governor of Utah & President Franklin Delano Roosevelt`s first Secretary of War.

He had two daughters by Diane Ladd. His eldest daughter, born in 1961, accidentally drowned at 18 months of age, years before his second child, Laura Dern, was born in 1967.

One of the few actors to have killed John Wayne on screen (The Cowboys (1972)). He even received some death threats out of it.

Born at 3:11am-CDT

Alumnus of New Trier Township High School East, Winnetka, Illinois. Other New Trier graduates include Ralph Bellamy, Charlton Heston, Rock Hudson, Hugh O`Brien, Ann-Margret, Penelope Milford, Virginia Madsen and Liz Phair.