William Windom
| Ngày sinh: | 28-09-1923 |
| Tuổi: | 101 |
| Quốc tịch: | USA |
| Đia chỉ: |
Tiểu sử
A man of all mediums, this veteran, Manhattan-born character actor was
named after his great-grandfather, Lincolnesque Congressman William
Windom. Born in 1923, the son of Paul Windom, an architect, and the
former Isobel Wells Peckham, Bill attended Williams College and the
University of Kentucky, among others, before serving in the Army during
WWII. After the war, he studied at both Fordham and Columbia
universities in New York City before settling on an acting career.
Trained at the American Repertory Theatre (1946-1961), he made his
minor Broadway debut with the company in November of 1946 with
revolving productions of "Henry VIII", "What Every Woman Knows", "John
Gabriel Borkman" and "Androcles and the Lion". The following year, he
continued building up his Broadway resume with roles in "Yellow Jack"
and as the "White Rabbit" in a production of "Alice in Wonderland".In the early 1950s, a new avenue opened up to Bill: television. For the
duration of the decade, he shifted between stage, which included
Broadway roles in "A Girl Can Tell" (1953), "Mademoiselle Colombe"
(1954), "Fallen Angels" (1956), "The Greatest Man Alive" (1957) and
"Viva Madison Avenue!" (1960), and TV drama, with stalwart work in such
programs as
Robert Montgomery Presents (1950)
and
Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951).Major attention came Windom's way on TV moving into the following
decade. In addition to hundreds of guest appearances on the most
popular shows of the day
(Combat! (1962),
The Fugitive (1963),
All in the Family (1971),
Dallas (1978),
Highway to Heaven (1984)),
his standout work included a co-starring role opposite the luminous
Inger Stevens in the popular light comedy
series
The Farmer's Daughter (1963).
On the show, Windom portrayed widower "Glen Morley", a decent
congressman who eventually falls in love with his pert and pretty
Swedish governess "Katy Holstrum" (played by Stevens). Prior to this
success, both he and Ms. Stevens had been singularly recognized for
their sterling performances on various episodes of
The Twilight Zone (1959).
Following this success, Windom enjoyed critical notice as the
cartoonist/protagonist whose vivid imagination causes problems on the
homefront on the Thurberesque weekly series
My World and Welcome to It (1969).
Despite the show's critical merit and Windom's "Best Actor" Emmy win,
the show, years ahead of its time, lasted only one season. Decades
later, Windom would play
James Thurber on stage in one-man
shows.The native New Yorker went on to essay a number of loungy Southerners
and down-home types with incredible ease--both heroes and villains. He
offered strong support in his film debut as
Gregory Peck's opposing counsel in the
Alabama-based
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962),
and went on to play prelate
Norman Vincent Peale's father in
One Man's Way (1964) starring
Don Murray. Windom demonstrated the
maturity to carry off the character even though he was only 5 years
older than Murray. He also delivered a variety of pungent roles in such
films as The Detective (1968) (as a
closeted gay married man),
Robert Altman's
Brewster McCloud (1970) (as a
political blowhard facing a series of murders) and
The Man (1972) (as a racist
politician).Growing slier and stockier over the years, Windom provided TV audiences
with a colorful gallery of characters, ranging from avuncular and
ingratiating, to cantankerous and unscrupulous. He became a regular for
over a decade on the Angela Lansbury
whodunit series
Murder, She Wrote (1984),
joining the show in its second season as "Dr. Seth Hazlitt". He briefly
left "Murder" to work on another series,
Parenthood (1990), which was based
on the highly popular 1989 movie starring
Steve Martin. Here,
Ed Begley Jr. took over the Martin part
and Windom assumed Jason Robards's
patriarchal role as Begley's father. The show was off the air within a
few months, however, and Windom was invited back to the mystery series
-- a semi-regular until the show folded in 1997.In addition, Windom reprised a
Star Trek (1966) portrayal as
"Commodore Matt Decker," appeared in scores of mini-movies, has given
voice to various book readings, presented a second one-man show (this
time that of combat reporter Ernie Pyle), and
continued to film at age 80+, his latest being
Yesterday's Dreams (2005).The five-times-married Windom was wed (for 36 years) to writer Patricia
Veronica Tunder at the time of his death of congestive heart failure at
age 88. A chess, tennis and sailing enthusiast, he is survived by four
children: Rachel, Heather Juliet, Hope and Rebel Russell.Two step-daughters, Debora and Maggie as well as
four grandchildren. He died at his home in Woodacre, California, on
August 16, 2012.
named after his great-grandfather, Lincolnesque Congressman William
Windom. Born in 1923, the son of Paul Windom, an architect, and the
former Isobel Wells Peckham, Bill attended Williams College and the
University of Kentucky, among others, before serving in the Army during
WWII. After the war, he studied at both Fordham and Columbia
universities in New York City before settling on an acting career.
Trained at the American Repertory Theatre (1946-1961), he made his
minor Broadway debut with the company in November of 1946 with
revolving productions of "Henry VIII", "What Every Woman Knows", "John
Gabriel Borkman" and "Androcles and the Lion". The following year, he
continued building up his Broadway resume with roles in "Yellow Jack"
and as the "White Rabbit" in a production of "Alice in Wonderland".In the early 1950s, a new avenue opened up to Bill: television. For the
duration of the decade, he shifted between stage, which included
Broadway roles in "A Girl Can Tell" (1953), "Mademoiselle Colombe"
(1954), "Fallen Angels" (1956), "The Greatest Man Alive" (1957) and
"Viva Madison Avenue!" (1960), and TV drama, with stalwart work in such
programs as
Robert Montgomery Presents (1950)
and
Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951).Major attention came Windom's way on TV moving into the following
decade. In addition to hundreds of guest appearances on the most
popular shows of the day
(Combat! (1962),
The Fugitive (1963),
All in the Family (1971),
Dallas (1978),
Highway to Heaven (1984)),
his standout work included a co-starring role opposite the luminous
Inger Stevens in the popular light comedy
series
The Farmer's Daughter (1963).
On the show, Windom portrayed widower "Glen Morley", a decent
congressman who eventually falls in love with his pert and pretty
Swedish governess "Katy Holstrum" (played by Stevens). Prior to this
success, both he and Ms. Stevens had been singularly recognized for
their sterling performances on various episodes of
The Twilight Zone (1959).
Following this success, Windom enjoyed critical notice as the
cartoonist/protagonist whose vivid imagination causes problems on the
homefront on the Thurberesque weekly series
My World and Welcome to It (1969).
Despite the show's critical merit and Windom's "Best Actor" Emmy win,
the show, years ahead of its time, lasted only one season. Decades
later, Windom would play
James Thurber on stage in one-man
shows.The native New Yorker went on to essay a number of loungy Southerners
and down-home types with incredible ease--both heroes and villains. He
offered strong support in his film debut as
Gregory Peck's opposing counsel in the
Alabama-based
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962),
and went on to play prelate
Norman Vincent Peale's father in
One Man's Way (1964) starring
Don Murray. Windom demonstrated the
maturity to carry off the character even though he was only 5 years
older than Murray. He also delivered a variety of pungent roles in such
films as The Detective (1968) (as a
closeted gay married man),
Robert Altman's
Brewster McCloud (1970) (as a
political blowhard facing a series of murders) and
The Man (1972) (as a racist
politician).Growing slier and stockier over the years, Windom provided TV audiences
with a colorful gallery of characters, ranging from avuncular and
ingratiating, to cantankerous and unscrupulous. He became a regular for
over a decade on the Angela Lansbury
whodunit series
Murder, She Wrote (1984),
joining the show in its second season as "Dr. Seth Hazlitt". He briefly
left "Murder" to work on another series,
Parenthood (1990), which was based
on the highly popular 1989 movie starring
Steve Martin. Here,
Ed Begley Jr. took over the Martin part
and Windom assumed Jason Robards's
patriarchal role as Begley's father. The show was off the air within a
few months, however, and Windom was invited back to the mystery series
-- a semi-regular until the show folded in 1997.In addition, Windom reprised a
Star Trek (1966) portrayal as
"Commodore Matt Decker," appeared in scores of mini-movies, has given
voice to various book readings, presented a second one-man show (this
time that of combat reporter Ernie Pyle), and
continued to film at age 80+, his latest being
Yesterday's Dreams (2005).The five-times-married Windom was wed (for 36 years) to writer Patricia
Veronica Tunder at the time of his death of congestive heart failure at
age 88. A chess, tennis and sailing enthusiast, he is survived by four
children: Rachel, Heather Juliet, Hope and Rebel Russell.Two step-daughters, Debora and Maggie as well as
four grandchildren. He died at his home in Woodacre, California, on
August 16, 2012.
Gia đình
- SpousesPatricia Veronica Tunder(December 31, 1975 - August 16, 2012) (his death, 1 child)Jacqulyne Hopkins(August 8, 1969 - June 1975) (divorced, 2 children)Barbara Goetz(April 12, 1963 - July 1968) (divorced, 1 child)Barbara Joyce(June 30, 1958 - March 1963) (divorced)Carol Keyser(August 10, 1947 - December 1955) (divorced)
- Cha mẹ: Paul WindomIsobel Wells