David Wayne
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| David Wayne | |
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 from the trailer for Adam's Rib (1949) |
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| Born | Wayne James McMeekan January 30, 1914 Traverse City, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | February 9, 1995 (aged 81) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1948–1987 |
| Spouse(s) | Jane Gordon (1941-1993) (her death) 2 children |
David Wayne (January 30, 1914 – February 9, 1995) was an American actor with a career spanning nearly half a century.
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[edit] Early career
Born Wayne James McMeekan in Traverse City, Michigan and growing up in Bloomingdale, Michigan, Wayne's first major Broadway role was Og the leprechaun in Finian's Rainbow, for which he won the Theatre World Award and the first ever Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. While appearing on Broadway in the play, he and his co-star Albert Sharpe played Irish characters in the film Portrait of Jennie.
He was awarded a second Tony for Best Actor in a Play for The Teahouse of the August Moon and was nominated as Best Actor in a Musical for The Happy Time. He originated the role of Ensign Pulver in the classic comedy Mister Roberts and also appeared in Say, Darling, After the Fall, and Incident at Vichy.
[edit] Movies and television
In films Wayne most often was cast as a supporting player, such as the charming cad opposite Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn in Adam's Rib (1949). He portrayed the child killer, originally played by Peter Lorre, in the remake of M (1951), a chance to see him in a rare leading role, even rarer as an evil character. He costarred in The Tender Trap (1955) with Frank Sinatra, Debbie Reynolds, and Celeste Holm.
Wayne also appeared in four films with Marilyn Monroe (more than any other actor): As Young as You Feel (1951), We're Not Married (1952), O. Henry's Full House (1952) (although he was not in the same scene as Monroe), and How to Marry a Millionaire (1953).
Wayne appeared as Darius Woodley in two 1961 episodes of NBC's The Outlaws television series with Barton MacLane. Wayne was also noted for his portrayal of Dr. Charles Dutton in the 1971 film version of Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain. He also played the Mad Hatter, one of the recurring villains in the 1960s TV series Batman. In 1964, he guest-starred in the series finale, "Pay Now, Die Later," of CBS's drama, Mr. Broadway, starring Craig Stevens as public relations specialist Mike Bell. In the story line, Wayne's character, the wealthy John Zeck, hires Bell to prepare Zeck's obituary before his death.
Wayne appeared as Uncle Timothy Jamison in the NBC sitcom, The Brian Keith Show. He co-starred with Jim Hutton in the 1970s television series Ellery Queen (as Queen's widowed father). Wayne played Digger Barnes on the CBS hit drama Dallas from 1978 to 1979. He left the show to star in the t.v. sit com House Calls with Lynn Redgrave and later Sharon Gless in the role of Dr. Weatherby. He played "Big Daddy" -- Blanche's father on The Golden Girls-- after the death in 1986 of Murray Hamilton, the first actor to play that part.
[edit] Other
In the 1960s, Wayne was a radio host on NBC's magazine program "Monitor".
Wayne died in Santa Monica, California in 1995, at age 81.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: David Wayne |
- David Wayne at the Internet Broadway Database
- David Wayne at the Internet Movie Database
- David Wayne as The Mad Hatter
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