Celebrity Nooz: Jimmy Hawkins

Jimmy Hawkins (Actor) It's A Wonderful Life

Updated: 6/23/20

Name: Jimmy Hawkins

Birth Name: James F. Hawkins

Born: November 13, 1941 in Los Angeles, California, USA

Claim To Fame: Jimmy Hawkins is an American actor best-known for his TV roles in shows like Annie Oakley, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and The Donna Reed Show; and as well as Tommy Bailey, the youngest son of James Stewart and Donna Reed, in the 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life.

Family Life: Hawkins is married to actress and author Lara Parker, and they have a daughter, Caitlin Elizabeth Hawkins (born 1985). Hawkins is also stepfather to Lara's two sons from a previous marriage.

Info: Graduated from the Roman Catholic-affiliated Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, CA.

In 1961 he was voted into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Stepfather of Rick Parker and Andy Parker.

Stepfather-in-law of Miranda Lee Richards.

Hawkins retired from acting in his thirties

Hawkins created his own construction business. He even designed and built his family home in the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles.

Trivia: Hawkins has the distinction of working with some of Hollywood's biggest names of the 1940s, including Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Greer Garson, and Lana Turner.

Hawkins would take his horse Pixie, from the Annie Oakley TV series, on tour with Gene Autry to state and county fairs, and even visit hospitals. His last partnership with his horse Pixie was as grand marshal of the 1960 Rose Parade.

Hawkins later established himself as a movie producer, and worked on productions like Evel Knievel, The Satchel Paige Story and Disney's Love Leads The Way. He also created the Emmy Award winning television special The 50th Anniversary Motown Returns to the Apollo.

Sits on the Advisory Board of The Jimmy Stewart Museum.

Served for 20 years on the Board of Directors of the Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts.

Wrote several books about the classic film It's A Wonderful Life; The It's a Wonderful Life Trivia Book (1992) co-authored with Paul Petersen, It's a Wonderful Life: The Fiftieth Anniversary Scrapbook (1996), Wonderful Memories of "It's a Wonderful Life" (2002), It's a Wonderful Life: Favorite Scenes from the Classic Film (2003), and It's a Wonderful Life for Kids! (2006).

In celebration of the Frank Capra film, Hawkins and other cast members appear annually at the It's A Wonderful Life Festival in Seneca Falls, New York, the town thought to be the inspiration for the movie's setting of Bedford Falls.

Where Are They Now: Hawkins did retired from acting when he was in his early thirties. However, he did pop up on the currently running Web TV series The Forsaken Westerns which feature rare unsold western TV show pilots, anthology and western series episodes and are now being rescued before they disappear from existence.

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