Biography of fred gwynne

Fred Gwynne Biography

Date of Birth:
Jul 10, Birth Place:
New York, New York, USA

Biography

A gentle and dapper giant, this 6'5" distinctive character player of stage, film and TV was best known for his portrayal of comic bumblers on two s sitcoms, "Car 54, Where Are You?" (NBC, ) and "The Munsters" (CBS, ). In the former, a broad slapstick police comedy, Gwynne portrayed the quietly hapless Officer Muldoon. "The Munsters," a freaky family comedy, exploited his resemblance to Boris Karloff by casting him as Herman Munster--a Frankenstein's Monster look-alike who was a devoted family man. Tall, greenish, and gruesome, Herman invariably frightened the neighbors but his sunny disposition made him quick to bellow with laughter. Gwynne reprised his signature character for a feature film "Munster, Go Home" () and has haunted syndicated reruns ever since. He returned 15 years later for a TV-movie "reunion," "The Munsters' Revenge" (NBC, ). Gwynne was especially convincing as quirky or somewhat melancholy authority figures, and he was well utilized in a number of films, including "On the Waterfront" as longshoreman Slim (); Bernardo Bertolucci's "Luna" () in a cameo as Jill Clayburgh's ill-fated husband; "The Cotton Club" () as a sympathetic underworld figure; "The Boy Who Could Fly" (), as the alcoholic uncle of the title character; "Pet Sematary" () as a country gentleman; a bit part in Woody Allen's "Shadows and Fog" (); and a delicious final supporting role as a no-nonsense Southern judge in "My Cousin Vinny" (). Gwynne also had a significant career on the New York stage, appearing in various plays including "Irma La Douce," "Texas Trilogy," "Arsenic and Old Lace," "Twelfth Night" and "The Winter's Tale." Gwynne worked as an advertising copywriter in the late 50s while pursuing acting. In the s, he made a good deal of his income doing voice-overs for TV commercials. A children's book author and illustrator, Gwynne succumbed to pancreatic cancer at age

Fred Gwynne: More Than a Munster

Frederick Hubbard Gwynne Develops Character

Harry Smith narrates this account of the life and multi-faceted career of Frederick Hubbard Gwynne, who is born in New York City of Irish and British ancestry, and determines to develop his many talents, in art, writing, singing and acting, under his famous moniker as Fred Gwynne.

Dorothy Ficken Gwynne (mother) encourages Fred to develop his creative talents during his formative years, in drawing, painting and illustrating, as she also performs in artistic ventures.

Frederick Walker Gwynne (father) co-manages a securities firm and offers young Fred educational opportunities in prep school, at Groton, and college, at Harvard University, after Fred enlists in the U.S. Navy to serve in World War II, upon reaching his 18th birthday.

The Gwynne family would often travel to their Florida vacation residence, to mingle with affluent neighbors, but the family's life would change after the sudden loss of Frederick Walker Gwynne, at the young age of

At Harvard University, Fred would devote his singing skills to the "Harvard Krokodiloes," and his cartooning skills to "Harvard Lampoon," and serve as its President, before graduating. Here, he would also act in the "Hasty Pudding" Theatricals shows.

Following his graduation, Fred Gwynne relocates to New York City, joining Brattle Theatre Repertory Company, to act on Broadway, while serving as a copy-writer at J. Walter Thompson Advertising Agency for several years.

For his first Broadway role, he supports the legendary Helen Hayes in "Mrs. McThing" and continues to perform on stage and on NYC-based national television productions, such as "The Phil Silvers Show."

In , Fred receives what many consider his "big break," as he lands a co-starring role in the television series "Car 54, Where Are You?" ().

But Fred, now married to Foxy, together face personal traged

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      • Biography of fred gwynne


    Fred Gwynne

    American actor and author (–)

    Fred Gwynne

    Gwynne in Car 54, Where Are You?,

    Born

    Frederick Hubbard Gwynne


    ()July 10,

    New York City, New York, U.S.

    DiedJuly 2, () (aged&#;66)

    Taneytown, Maryland, U.S.

    Resting placeSandy Mount United Methodist Church Cemetery, Finksburg, Maryland
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    Frederick Hubbard Gwynne (July 10, – July 2, ) was an American actor, artist and author, who is widely known for his roles in the s television sitcoms Car 54, Where Are You? (as Francis Muldoon) and The Munsters (as Herman Munster), as well as his later film roles in The Cotton Club (), Pet Sematary (), and My Cousin Vinny ().

    Early life

    Gwynne was born on July 10, , in New York City, the son of Frederick Walker Gwynne, a partner in the securities firm Gwynne Brothers, and his wife Dorothy Ficken Gwynne, who, before her marriage, was a successful artist known for her "Sunny Jim" comic character. He had at least two siblings, Dorothy Gwynne and Bowers Gwynne, both of whom died young. His paternal grandfather, Walker Gwynne, was an Anglican priest, born c. in Camus, County Tyrone, Ireland, who married American Helen Lea Bowers. His maternal grandfather, H. Edwards Ficken, was a British immigrant who married the American Josephine (or Josephina) Preston Hubbard. Although Gwynne partially grew up in Tuxedo Park, New York, he spent most of his childhood in South Carolina, Florida, and Colorado because his father traveled extensively.

    Following his father's death, his mother sent him to boarding school at Groton School, where he graduated in and may have set the school record for disciplinary black marks. He was president of

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