Jackie Gleason may be best remembered for his starring role as one half of the Kramdens, a childless couple inThe Honeymooners,but in real life, he was the father of two girls: Geraldine and Linda.
The actor, known as "The Great One," shared two children with his first wife, dancer Genevieve Halford. The pair wed in 1936 and welcomed their first child, daughter Geraldine, in 1939. Three years later, their second daughter, Linda, was born.
Although Gleason and Halford remained legally married until filing for divorce in 1968, they separated in 1951.
Following their separation, the couple lived apart, with Gleason living in a hotel while his estranged wife lived in an apartment with the kids. While he did visit, he was described as somewhat of an absentee father.
"I can barely remember Dad showing up at Christmas and other times. It seemed like he would only stay a half hour or so," his daughter Geraldine recalled to biographer James Bacon in his 1985 book,How Sweet It Is: The Jackie Gleason Story.
Still, they looked forward to his visits and his attention. "We were always glad to see him," she said.
Geraldine went on to say that as they got older, she and her sister Linda saw their father's absence in a different light. "He's not your average father. We know that now," she said. "We know he loves us in his own special way and we love him."
Here's everything to know about Jackie Gleason's two children, Geraldine and Linda.
Geraldine Gleason Chutuk
Gleason welcomed his first child, daughter Geraldine Gleason, at the age of 23 on July 31, 1939. She was named after her mother's sister.
According toHow Sweet It Is: The Jackie Gleason Story, fatherhood made a strong impression on the actor. "That baby did something to Jackie," his cousin Renée said. "He came home after his show so he could play with his daughter at the two a.m. feeding."
Gleason and Halford separated for the first time after the birth of their second child in the early 1940's before reconciling in 1948. The couple even had a second wedding ceremony to mark their reconciliation, and the family moved together to Hollywood while Gleason pursued his acting career.
Ultimately, their marriage didn't work, and they officially separated in 1951. Speaking to Bacon for his biography, Geraldine recalled that she and her sister, Linda, didn't see their dad as much after that second and final separation.
"As kids, it hurt us some that we didn't have a full-time father. It doesn't hurt us now because as we got older, we realized that our father has a built-in shyness that won't allow him to get close to anyone, not even those he loves," she said.
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"We know now that he always loved us but had a hard time showing affection," she continued. "Sometimes he would express that love in lavish gifts. We never wanted for anything in all our lives. My dad is extremely generous."
Geraldine ultimately grew up in both New York City and Los Angeles, attending the Marymount School in N.Y. and Marymount College in Palos Verdes, Calif.
In September 1961, Geraldine married agent John Chutuk. They welcomed a son in 1964.
Linda Miller
Gleason and Halford welcomed their second daughter, Linda, in 1942.
Unlike her older sister, who has preferred to stay out of the spotlight, Linda chose to follow in her famous father's footsteps. As a child, she acted alongside him in a few scenes of his variety series,Cavalcade of Stars. She then went on to pursue her own successful career in the entertainment industry.
Linda acted in films and television shows and was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in the Broadway playBlack Picture Show.
Despite her father's standing in Hollywood, he never helped her get a job or an agent. In fact, in an August 1983 interview with UPI,Linda shared that Gleason really didn't want her to take after him career-wise.
"He didn't encourage me to go into show business because he didn't want to see me hurt, rejected, put down and turned down," she said.
Still, he had a big influence on her decision. "By example, he showed me that if you believe enough, it can happen. And I think to a certain extent talent is genetic," she said.
In 1963, Linda married actor and playwright Jason Miller, known for writing the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playThat Championship Seasonand for his Oscar-nominated performance as Father Damien Karras inThe Exorcist.
They welcomed three children together, Jennifer, Jason and Jordan Miller, before divorcing in 1973 after ten years of marriage.
In 2024, their youngest child,Jordan Miller, was tragically killed after being struck by a bus in New Jersey. Their middle child, meanwhile, who goes by the nameJason Patric, has found a successful acting career of his own and is known for his roles in films likeThe Lost BoysandMy Sister's Keeper.
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