Darren McGavin: (describing the quality of his early series "Casey, Crime Photographer") It was so bad that it was never re-run, and that’s saying something when you recall the caliber of television programs in those days.
Darren McGavin: (describing the appeal of his characters) The public identifies with a loser. President Nixon only got 43 percent of all the votes in the November elections. That makes losers out of 57 percent of the voters. Besides, the country has been built by losers; guys who failed and kept on going; guys who were losers in the east and decided to move West, and, before that, guys who were losers in their native countries and decided to come to America.
Darren McGavin: (when asked by a reporter if a weekly horror series could work) We can make it fun. As for the horror side, we’re not going to show much. I don’t believe papier-m?ch? masks or rubber fins induce fear, so you’re not going to see much of the monsters, but you’ll see what he’s done, and the fear he creates in others.
During the filming of The Natural, Robert Redford was so pleased with Darren McGavin's performance that they began to expand his role. However, after a certain point, union rules dictated that his contract needed to be renegotiated for salary and billing. After haggling on salary, and holding up production of the movie because of it, the billing had to be decided. Apparently, McGavin became somewhat fed up with the proceedings and instructed his agent to waive his billing entirely so they could get back to filming. That is why he is uncredited for his appearance in the film.
Darren McGavin briefly worked for a private detective agency before he became an actor.
Jack Nicholson was considered for the role of the "Old Man" in A Christmas Story before Darren McGavin was cast.
Darren McGavin appears (uncredited) in the pilot of the 2005 Night Stalker revival, thanks to a digital insert of old footage into the episode. He is leaning against a desk in the newsroom in an early scene in the episode.
He won a CableACE award in 1991 (Actor in a Dramatic Series, Clara).
He studied martial arts during his early days as an actor.
Darren McGavin raised himself. His parents disappeared and he spent his teenage years living in warehouses and eluding social workers.
Darren McGavin was asked to play the role of Arthur Dales, the man who started the X-Files, in three episodes. Season 5 Travelers, and two episodes from Season 6 Agua Mala and The Unnatural. Due to failing health he was forced to withdraw from the Unnatural and the script was rewritten to feature M. Emmet Walsh as Darren's characters brother, also called Arthur.
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