Was long involved in the trawler industry after his driving career ended after a series of heavy crashes. He was also a very respected TV director, as he can list shows like Knight Rider, The A-Team, Ironside, I Dream of Jeannie, Rockford Files and Diagnosis Murder, amongst many others, to his credit. He also directed a handful of films too. he was also a skeet and trap shooter. Kessler's racing career, therefore, is almost a side note to what else he has achieved in his life, but he was a capable SCCA sportscar driver on the West Coast circuits. He survived - just - three massive accidents in 1959, 1959 and 1961. The son of a swimwear designer, Kessler married the actress Joan Freeman, whose most notable roles were either in Western TV shows as a child or in a few musical film's in the 1960's, where she played the love interest of Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison. Kessler was also one of the last people to see actor James Dean alive, as he was going to meet up with him and Lance Reventlow a few hours later, before Dean had his fatal car crash.

Biography last updated 7 Apr 2024