Dern was born in Chicago, the son of Jean (née MacLeish; 1908–1972) and John Dern (1903–1958), a utility chief and attorney. He grew up in Kenilworth, Illinois. His paternal grandfather, George, was a Utahgovernor

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Dern studied at The Actors Studio, alongside Elia Kazan and Lee Strasberg. Dern starred with Lyle Kessler in the Philadelphia premiere of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. Dern starred with Paul Newman and Geraldine Page in the original Broadway run of

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• Bruce Dern at IMDb
• Bruce Dern at the Internet Broadway Database
• Bruce Dern at the University of Wisconsin's Actors Studio audio collection

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Dern married Marie Dawn Pierce from 1957 to 1959. He married Diane Laddin 1960. Their first daughter, Diane Elizabeth Dern (born November 29, 1960), died at eighteen months from head injuries after falling into a swimming pool on May 18, 1962. The couple's second

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