Lloyd Bridges was also one of the few actors to survive the
Hollywood blacklist.
Already known as a liberal from his participation in Los Angeles' Actors Lab (a
theater company which staged original plays that addressed issues of racism and discrimination) in the 1940s, Bridge's participation in High Noon landed him in front of the
House Un-American Activities Committee.
He ended up being "gray listed"-- though he cooperated as a witness, and the FBI cleared him of any "unamerican" activities, Bridges saw his career tailspin from an average dozen film roles a year to 4 films in 1953 and by 1956 only 2.
Then came Sea Hunt. Ivan Tors hired him for the lead, but networks balked-- partly because of Bridges's political status (and partly because they thought the series too limited to have broad appeal). Only when Tors put the show directly into syndication, where it became a hit, did Bridges career take off again.
Sources: Lloyd Bridges. Interview. "The Making of High Noon" Narr. Leonard Maltin, High Noon - 40th Anniversary Deluxe Collector's Edition,1992.
Obituary for Lloyd Bridges, The Internet Obituary Network, http://obits.com/bridgeslloyd.html