Jack Edward Larson was born in Los Angeles, California, to Anita Calicoff and George E. Larson, and spent his childhood in Pasadena, where he attended Pasadena Junior College, coincidentally alongside his future Adventures of Superman co-star George Reeves.
As a contract player at Warner Bros., Larson found himself typecast as Jimmy Olsen, making it challenging for him to secure other acting roles after the series ended. He eventually retired from acting and devoted himself to writing, with his plays receiving widespread critical acclaim and being performed in theaters and opera houses worldwide.
Larson was the long-term companion of the late director James Bridges, and together they co-produced several popular films in the 1970s and 1980s. He was known for his erudite and charming nature, and was close friends with many prominent figures in the arts, including composer Virgil Thomson, actor John Houseman, dancer Leslie Caron, singer Libby Holman, actor Montgomery Clift, screenwriter Salka Viertel, author Christopher Isherwood, and actor James Dean.
Tragically, Larson passed away at the age of 87, surrounded by the beauty of his Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles, where he had been relaxing on the deck when he succumbed to natural causes.
