My Take
Brad Dexter is one of those guys who lived a life so wild it almost overshadows his actual filmography — and his filmography is nothing to sneeze at. Born Boris Michel Soso in the tiny Nevada mining town of Goldfield, he reinvented himself into a quintessential Hollywood tough guy, landing a role in the immortal 1960 ensemble western The Magnificent Seven alongside Steve McQueen and Yul Brynner. But honestly, what stays with me is the sheer strangeness of his biography: a brief marriage to jazz legend Peggy Lee, a close friendship with Marilyn Monroe, and — most astonishingly — personally pulling Frank Sinatra out of the Pacific Ocean after Sinatra was caught in a riptide in 1964. He also produced Lady Sings the Blues, the Diana Ross vehicle that earned five Academy Award nominations. A genuine Hollywood original who deserved far more recognition than he got.
Overview
Brad Dexter (born Boris Michel Soso; April 9, 1917 – December 12, 2002) was an American actor and film producer. He is known for tough-guy and western roles, including the 1960 film The Magnificent Seven (1960), and producing several films for Sidney J. Furie such as Lady Sings the Blues. He is also known for a short marriage to Peggy Lee, a friendship with Marilyn Monroe and for saving Frank Sinatra from drowning.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Brad Dexter
- Name (Japanese)
- ブラッド・デクスター
- Reading
- ぶらっど・でくすたー
- Born
- April 9, 1917 – December 12, 2002
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Snake
- Origin
- Goldfield, Nevada, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- actor / film producer / television actor / film actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Belmont High School
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.