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Than Wyenn (May 2, 1919January 30, 2015) was an American
character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...
. His acting career spanned more than forty years with more than 150 credits in film and television. He may be best known for his role in the 1960 '' Twilight Zone'' episode " Execution", as well as roles in '' Imitation of Life'' in 1959 and ''
Splash Splash or Splash! or The Splash may refer to: Common meanings * Splash (fluid mechanics), sudden disturbances on the surface of water Entertainment * ''Splash'' (film), a 1984 fantasy film starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah ** ''Splash, Too'' ...
'' in 1984.


Early life

Wyenn was from
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. He made his debut at age 9 and studied acting as teenager under
Michael Chekhov Mikhail Aleksandrovich Chekhov (russian: Михаил Александрович Чехов; 29 August 1891 – 30 September 1955), known as Michael Chekhov, was an American actor, director, author and theatre practitioner. He was a nephew o ...
and Lee Strasberg, among others. He toured nationally with a Shakespearean troupe of actors. Wyenn worked on a farm in Vermont during World War II as part of the U.S. war effort. Than Wyenn and his wife, Gertrude "Guy" Wyenn (November 19, 1921 - April 5, 2018), moved to Los Angeles following the end of World War II. He was cast in a starring role in the world premiere of
Baruch Lumet Baruch Lumet (''Burech Lumet''; 16 September 1898 – 8 February 1992) was an American actor best known for his work in the Yiddish theatre. Early life Lumet was born in Warsaw, then part of Congress Poland, to a Yiddish-speaking Jewish family ...
's stage production ''Once Upon a Tailor'', which debuted at The Circle Theater. His role in ''Once Upon a Tailor'' earned him a talent agent, which launched his television and film career.


Film

While much of career focused on television, Wyenn appeared in several notable film roles. Wyenn portrayed Romano, an Italian film representative who attempts to recruit Lana Turner's character, Lora Meredith, in '' Imitation of Life'' in 1959. He was also cast as Mr. Ambrose in the 1984 film ''
Splash Splash or Splash! or The Splash may refer to: Common meanings * Splash (fluid mechanics), sudden disturbances on the surface of water Entertainment * ''Splash'' (film), a 1984 fantasy film starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah ** ''Splash, Too'' ...
'', opposite
Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...
and Daryl Hannah. Other film roles included '' Beginning of the End'' in 1957, '' Pete Kelly's Blues'' in 1959, '' The Boy and the Pirates'' in 1960, and '' Being There'' in 1979.


Television

In 1960, Wyenn appeared as Paul Johnson, a villain, in " Execution" during '' The Twilight Zone's'' first season. In the episode, Wyenn's character transported to the past straight into a hangman's gallows in the American frontier during the 1800s. "Execution" also starred Russell Johnson and Albert Salmi. He also guest starred on '' Combat!'', in 1965 as Captain Beggs, along with guest star
Frank Gorshin Frank John Gorshin Jr. (April 5, 1933 – May 17, 2005) was an American actor, comedian and impressionist. He made many guest appearances on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' and ''Tonight Starring Steve Allen''. As an actor, he played the Riddler on the ...
in the third-season episode "The Hell Machine". He appeared in '' Honey West'' episode one, "The Swingin' Mrs. Jones" (1965) as the driver/waiter. Wyenn's numerous other television credits, spanning the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, included '' Leave it to Beaver'', ''
Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...
'', '' Dragnet'', '' Barnaby Jones'', '' Mission: Impossible'', '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'', '' Perry Mason'', ''
Quincy, M.E. ''Quincy, M.E.'' (also called ''Quincy'') is an American mystery medical drama television series from Universal Studios that aired on NBC from October 3, 1976, to May 11, 1983. Jack Klugman starred in the title role as a Los Angeles County medic ...
'', ''
The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin is reb ...
'', ''
T. J. Hooker ''T. J. Hooker'' is an American police drama television program starring William Shatner in the title role as a 15-year veteran police sergeant. The series premiered as a mid-season replacement on March 13, 1982, on ABC and ran on the network un ...
'', '' Hart to Hart'', '' The Untouchables'', '' Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'', '' Wanted: Dead or Alive'', '' Burke's Law'' and '' Zorro''.


Other activities

Wyenn became a voting member of the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...
in 1966. He worked as a drama consultant for the Los Angeles Bureau of Jewish Education for 37 years. Wyenn and his wife were highly-active in Jewish causes. He was a co-founder of the Yiddish Kinder Theater in Los Angeles. He began documenting Jewish life throughout the world during the 1980s through traveling and painting.


Death

Wyenn died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, on January 30, 2015, at the age of 95. He was survived by his wife of 71 years, Guy Wyenn, and their sons, Joel and Neil, and five grandchildren.


Filmography


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wyenn, Than 1919 births 2015 deaths American male film actors American male television actors American male stage actors Yiddish theatre performers Jewish American male actors Male actors from New York City 21st-century American Jews