TERRY KILBURN | 95

Terry Kilburn’s claim to fame was as a child actor. He was just ten years old when he started a Hollywood career and was at a peak in the late 1930s and the early 1940s. He starred in popular films, A Christmas Carol and Goodbye, Mr. Chips. When Kilburn graduated from high school, he focused on stage acting and earned a degree in drama at UCLA. His last film appearance was in 1962’s Lolita.

After Hollywood, Kilburn worked as the artistic director of Meadow Brook Theatre at Oakland University in Michigan. He worked on classic plays and musicals together with his partner, Charles Nolte. Though he decided to move away from the limelight and decided to go backstage, his works are still highly recognized, and he is, in fact, one of the best in his field. His success story is one of the best testaments why we should not give up on our dream.