OU DEFINITELY WOULDN’T LIKE HIM WHEN HE WAS ANGRY
Born in 1934. Gone Too Soon in 1993. But His Legacy Still Lives On… 🤔⤵️
Some faces never leave us.
Even decades later, they linger in memory — not because they shouted the loudest or chased the spotlight hardest, but because they made us feel something. Strength. Sadness. Conflict. Humanity.
This young man was born in 1934, into a world that had no idea what he would become.
No one could have guessed that one day, millions would recognize his quiet eyes… or fear the transformation that followed when anger took over.
He would become a television icon.
A respected actor.
A gifted director.
And yet, behind the fame, his life would be marked by extraordinary success — and heartbreaking loss.
You knew him.
You watched him.
And whether you realize it or not, he shaped an era of television.
THE BEGINNING: A BOY WITH BIG DREAMS
He was born Wilfred Bailey Everett Bixby III in San Francisco, California, in 1934.
From the beginning, life wasn’t simple.
His parents separated when he was young, and instability followed. Like many children growing up in uncertain circumstances, he learned early how to adapt — how to observe people, how to read rooms, how to survive emotionally by understanding others.
That skill would later become his greatest strength.
At first, acting wasn’t the plan.
He attended the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in drama — though his path there wasn’t smooth or traditional. He worked odd jobs, modeled, and slowly edged closer to the industry, not with arrogance, but with persistence.
Hollywood didn’t open its doors easily.
But he kept knocking.
THE FIRST STEPS INTO TELEVISION
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, television was exploding. Westerns, sitcoms, dramas — America was hungry for stories, and networks needed faces that felt trustworthy.
He had that face.
Warm. Relatable. Human.
He began appearing in small roles, commercials, and guest spots. Nothing glamorous. Nothing guaranteed. But each appearance sharpened his craft.
Then came a breakthrough.
SUCCESS COMES — BUT NOT THE WAY YOU’D EXPECT
In 1966, he landed a starring role in the sitcom “My Mother the Car.”
Yes — a comedy about a man whose deceased mother is reincarnated as a car.
It sounds absurd now, and it was even controversial then. Critics mocked it mercilessly.
But audiences watched.
And more importantly — Hollywood noticed him.
He didn’t let criticism define him. He learned from it. He moved forward.
Soon after, he starred in “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father,” a heartfelt, gentle series that showcased his emotional depth and sensitivity.
This role changed how people saw him.
Not as a joke.
Not as a novelty.
But as a serious actor with soul.
THE ROLE THAT MADE HIM IMMORTAL
Then came the late 1970s.
Television was darker. More psychological. More complex.
And that’s when David Banner entered the world.
When producers were developing a live-action series based on Marvel’s The Incredible Hulk, they needed someone who could do more than look the part.
They needed someone who could carry tragedy.
Someone believable as a man haunted by his own rage.
Someone audiences would root for — even as he lost control.
They chose him.
DAVID BANNER: A MAN AT WAR WITH HIMSELF
From 1978 to 1982, he starred as Dr. David Banner in The Incredible Hulk television series.
This wasn’t a superhero show in the modern sense.
It was a human drama.
David Banner wasn’t powerful because he wanted to be — he was cursed by it.
And the actor understood that pain instinctively.
Week after week, audiences watched him wander from town to town, trying to stay invisible… trying to stay calm… trying to avoid becoming the thing he feared most.
And then came the line.
The one that would echo through pop culture forever:
👉 “You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.”
Delivered quietly.
Almost apologetically.
And that’s why it worked.
WHY HIS PERFORMANCE STILL MATTERS
He didn’t play David Banner as a hero.
He played him as a man.
A man carrying guilt.
A man running from himself.
A man desperate for peace.
That emotional weight is why the show endured — and why his portrayal is still remembered as one of the most powerful in television history.
Kids feared the Hulk.
Adults understood David Banner.
BEHIND THE CAMERA: THE DIRECTOR EMERGES
While many actors would have been satisfied with fame, he wanted more control over storytelling.
So he became a director.
And a good one.
He directed episodes of major television series including:
The Incredible Hulk
Blossom
Doogie Howser, M.D.
The Magician
Actors respected him. Crews trusted him.
He knew what it meant to stand on both sides of the camera — and that made him compassionate, efficient, and deeply respected in the industry.
PERSONAL TRAGEDY OFFSCREEN
But while his career flourished, his personal life was marked by devastating loss.
In 1981, his young son, Christopher, fell seriously ill.
In 1983, tragedy struck in the cruelest way imaginable — Christopher died at just six years old from a rare illness.
The loss shattered him.
Friends said he was never quite the same.
Yet, he kept working.
Because sometimes, work is the only way to survive grief.
THE FINAL BATTLE
In the early 1990s, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Even then, he continued to work — directing, mentoring, creating.
But the disease progressed.
On November 21, 1993, at the age of 59, he passed away.
Too young.
Too soon.
A life of quiet strength ended far earlier than it should have.
THE LEGACY HE LEFT BEHIND
He didn’t chase scandal.
He didn’t dominate headlines.
Yet his influence is undeniable.
He proved that superheroes could be tragic.
That television could be emotional.
That anger could be frightening — because it came from pain.
Modern portrayals of conflicted heroes owe something to him.
And millions still remember the man who tried, week after week, to stay calm… to stay kind… to stay human.
SO… WHO WAS HE?
👇🏻 Name and story below ⤵️
⭐️ Bill Bixby
Actor. Director.
Born 1934 — Died 1993
Forever remembered as David Banner.
And no…
You definitely wouldn’t like him when he was angry.
If you want:
🔥 a short viral Facebook version
🎬 a Part 2 focused on his son and personal life
🕯️ a nostalgic tribute post
just tell me the style.
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