Genial, toothsome actor and host David Hartman grew up learning to play a number of musical instruments and studied choral singing as well. He was actually geared toward professional baseball in high school, but turned down a scholarship to attend Duke University and instead majored in economics. While there he found himself in radio and TV spots. Military service (Air Force) interrupted his fledgling career, but he eventually got back on track with roles on the musical stage and some television parts. When working in films as a light leading man didn't pan out with such bland, forgettable work in Le ranch de l'injustice (1967) and Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady? (1968), he refocused on the small screen and won serious attention as a dedicated doctor on The Bold Ones: The New Doctors (1969) series. He reached the zenith of his TV career, however, with his long running stint as co-host of Good Morning America (1975). His responsible yet pleasant personality and resonant voice earned the show the #1 slot for many of his 11 years. As a writer, producer and host, he has won multiple Emmy and journalism awards and is well known for his award-winning documentaries. Out of the limelight for a time, he has more recently been seen as host of a New York "Walk..." tour series on cable. Married twice (his first wife died), he has fathered five children.
