The first thing to know about Tyrone Power Jr. is that it is very hard to track all of the Tyrone Powerses!
This Tyrone Power — referred to as Tyrone Power Jr. — is actually the fourth generation of actors to go by the name Tyrone Power. You’d think he would be Tyrone Power IV, but he’s really Tyrone Power III, but he goes by Tyrone Power Jr. (Huh?)
The first Tyrone Power was an Irish actor born in 1797 and active as an actor in the early/mid-1800s. He had a son, Harold Littledale Power (not named Tyrone, but he was also an actor) so he wasn’t one of the Tyrone Poweres.
BUT, Harold had a son, and decided to confuse things, so he named him Tyrone Power. This Tyrone also went into acting, so he went by Tyrone Power because his grandfather was no longer active as an actor and there wouldn’t be confusion.
THEN, this second Tyrone Power had a son, who was of course named, Tyrone Power, so this son would logically be Tyrone Power Jr. HOWEVER, this son was far more widely-known than his father, so his father was eventually known as Tyrone Power, Sr. (even though he was the second Tyrone Power after his Grandfather.)
But wait, there’s more… Tyrone Power, the actor most commonly known by that name (technically the third actor to go by this name), also had a son…so of course he named him…Tyrone Power. One would think this son would be known as Tyrone Power the 3rd or 4th, but he became known as Tyrone Power, Jr. (our current subject of this page!) He’s the fourth actor to go by this name, and the third in a row, but he’s called Jr., which would suggest he’s the second.
Did any of that make sense?
As far as this relates to Historic Elitch Theatre, the second actor to go by the name of Tyrone Power, performed at the theatre in 1905 and he is now known as Tyrone Power Sr. (He was married to Edith Crane who performed with him at that theatre.) 78-years later, in 1983, the actor now known as Tyrone Power Jr. — the grandson of Tyrone Power Sr. — performed at the theatre.
Whew!
As for Junior… He appeared at the Historic Elitch Theatre in 1983’s Outward Bound. We love to see generations of actors returning to the theatre — check out Douglas Fairbanks and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (That one is much easier — it’s a father and son — no confusion on that one!)
Tyrone Power Jr. — born Tyrone William Power IV on January 22, 1959, in Los Angeles — carries one of the most storied names in American theater and film. He is the fourth actor in his family to bear the name Tyrone Power, following in the footsteps of his great-great-grandfather (an Irish stage actor active in the early 1800s), his grandfather Tyrone Power Sr. (who performed at the Historic Elitch Theatre in 1905), and his father, the legendary Hollywood leading man Tyrone Power. Because his father remains the most famous bearer of the name, Tyrone Jr. is known as “Junior” even though he is technically the third Tyrone Power in a row — a family naming tradition that has confounded film historians for generations. He was born just months after his father’s sudden death in 1958, making his own career something of a continuation of a legacy he never got to share the stage with in person.
In 1983, Tyrone Power Jr. brought that legacy full circle when he appeared at the Historic Elitch Theatre in a production of Outward Bound, sharing the stage with an extraordinary cast that included Keir Dullea, David McCallum, Tammy Grimes, and Maureen O’Sullivan. His appearance came a remarkable 78 years after his grandfather, Tyrone Power Sr., had performed on that very same Elitch stage in 1905 alongside his wife, actress Edith Crane. The Historic Elitch Theatre has long been a home to generations of the same theatrical families returning across the decades — the Powers among them, alongside families like the Fairbankses — and Tyrone Jr.’s 1983 performance stands as one of the more poignant examples of that multigenerational thread running through the theatre’s history.
Beyond his time at Elitch, Tyrone Power Jr. built a steady career as a working actor across film and television beginning in the mid-1980s. He is likely best recognized for playing “Pillsbury” in Ron Howard’s beloved 1985 hit Cocoon and its 1988 sequel, Cocoon: The Return, both alongside a celebrated ensemble of veteran stars. He went on to appear in numerous films over the following decades, including Shag (1988), California Casanova (1991), Love and Honor (2007), and Bitch Slap (2009), among many others, along with television guest appearances such as a memorable turn on the classic NBC sitcom Cheers. His career has spanned genres from comedy to drama to horror, reflecting a working actor’s steady dedication to the craft across four decades.
Today, Tyrone Power Jr. remains a living link in one of American entertainment’s most enduring theatrical dynasties, and the Historic Elitch Tlheatre is proud to count him among the many notable performers who have graced its historic stage — following directly in his own grandfather’s footsteps.
Seasons at the Theatre
- 1983
Elitch Theatre Productions/Roles:
- 1983 – Outward Bound (with Keir Dullea, David McCallum, Tammy Grimes, and Maureen O’Sullivan)
Notable Roles, Awards, and Other Work:
- Cocoon (1985) – Played “Pillsbury” in Ron Howard’s hit science-fiction comedy-drama, starring alongside Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, and Maureen Stapleton
- Cocoon: The Return (1988) – Reprised the role of “Pillsbury” in the sequel
- Shag (1988) – Played “Harley”
- Member of a four-generation theatrical dynasty bearing the name Tyrone Power, dating back to his great-great-grandfather, an Irish stage actor born in 1797
Elitch Theatre Connections:
- Grandson of Tyrone Power Sr., who performed at the Historic Elitch Theatre in 1905 alongside his wife, actress Edith Crane — Tyrone Jr.’s 1983 appearance came 78 years after his grandfather’s, making the Elitch stage a rare site of direct multigenerational family history.
Wikipedia Link:
