David Wayne

Acting

David Wayne

Born
Died
(aged 81)
Birthplace
Traverse City - Michigan - USA
Credits
116 titles

Biography

David Wayne (January 30, 1914 – February 9, 1995) was an American actor with a career spanning nearly 50 years.

Wayne was born Wayne James McMeekan in Traverse City, Michigan, the son of Helen Matilda (née Mason) and John David McMeekan. He grew 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 in the play, he and co-star Albert Sharpe were recruited by producer David O. Selznick to play Irish characters in the film Portrait of Jennie (1948).

It was in 1948 as well that Wayne became one of those fortunate 50 applicants (out of approximately 700) granted membership in New York's newly formed Actors Studio. 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 stage comedy Mister Roberts and also appeared in Say, Darling, After the Fall, and Incident at Vichy.

Signature work

Known For

Acting credits 116

YearTitleRole
2005 Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards Film Grandpère Bonnard (segment "The Happy Time") (archive footage)
1987 Poker Alice Film Amos
1987 The Survivalist Film Dub Daniels
1986 Masters of Photography - Edward Steichen Film Narrator (voice)
1985 The Golden Girls TV Big Daddy (1 ep)
1984 Crazy like a Fox TV Jennings Hyde (1 ep)
1984 Murder, She Wrote TV Cyrus Leffingwell (1 ep)
1984 Finder of Lost Loves TV Professor Wheeler (1 ep)
1984 Finders Keepers Film Stapleton
1982 St. Elsewhere TV George Wyler (3 ep)
1982 Newhart TV Mr. Pittman (1 ep)
1982 Matt Houston TV Bill Houston (3 ep)
1979 House Calls TV Amos Weatherby (59 ep)
1979 An American Christmas Carol Film Merrivale
1979 The Prize Fighter Film Pop Morgan
1979 The Girls in the Office Film Ben Nayfack
1978 The Gift of Love Film O'Henry and Narrator
1978 Lassie: The New Beginning Film Amos
1978 Murder at the Mardi Gras Film Mickey Mills
1978 Dallas TV Digger Barnes, Willard 'Digger' Barnes (3 ep)
1977 The Love Boat TV Dwight Scoffield (1 ep)
1977 Big Hawaii TV (1 ep)
1977 Eight Is Enough TV (2 ep)
1977 In the Glitter Palace Film Nate Redstone
1977 Hunter TV (1 ep)
1977 The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries TV
1976 Once an Eagle TV Col. Terwilliger (7 ep)
1976 Delvecchio TV Jack Henderson (1 ep)
1976 That's Entertainment, Part II Film (archive footage)
1975 Ellery Queen TV Inspector Richard Queen (22 ep)
1975 Switch TV Dancer (1 ep)
1975 The Apple Dumpling Gang Film T.R. Clydesdale
1975 Tubby the Tuba Film Pee-Wee the Piccolo (voice)
1975 Ellery Queen: Too Many Suspects Film Insp. Richard Queen
1975 It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman! Film Dr. Abner Sedgwick
1975 Barney Miller TV E.J. Heiss (1 ep)
1974 The F.B.I. Story: The FBI Versus Alvin Karpis, Public Enemy Number One Film Maynard Richards
1974 The Front Page Film Roy Bensinger
1974 Return of the Big Cat Film Grandpa Jubal
1974 Huckleberry Finn Film The Duke
1973 Faraday and Company TV Branigan (1 ep)
1973 Barnaby Jones TV Raymond Lennox / 'Steele' (1 ep)
1972 The Streets of San Francisco TV Wally Sensibaugh (1 ep)
1972 The Brian Keith Show TV (1 ep)
1972 Banacek TV Walter Tyson (1 ep)
1972 The Catcher Film Armand Faber
1971 Mooch Goes to Hollywood Film David Wayne (uncredited)
1971 The African Elephant Film Narrator
1971 The Good Life TV Charles Dutton (15 ep)
1971 The Andromeda Strain Film Dr. Charles Dutton
1970 Night Gallery TV Dr. Mill (1 ep)
1970 The Boy Who Stole the Elephant Film Colonel Rufus Ryder
1970 With These Hands Film Narrator
1969 Hawaii Five-O TV Monsieur Bordeaux (1 ep)
1969 Arsenic and Old Lace Film Teddy Brewster
1968 The Name of the Game TV Emory Ward (1 ep)
1967 Mannix TV (1 ep)
1967 Ironside TV Dr. Ian Rice (1 ep)
1966 CBS Playhouse TV George Spears (1 ep)
1966 Batman TV The Mad Hatter (4 ep)
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