Orson Bean
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Born Name:
Dallas Frederick Burrows
Born Date: July 22, 1928
Born Place: Burlington, Vermont
Died Date: February 7, 2020
Died Place: Los Angeles, California
Occupations: Actor, comedian, producer, writer
Brief Biography: Orson Bean was a multifaceted American actor, comedian, and writer whose career spanned nearly seven decades. While he was a prominent figure on Broadway and in film, he is perhaps most widely recognized as a "neocelebrity" of the golden age of television game shows and for his frequent, witty appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, where he appeared more than 200 times.
Early Life and Career Beginnings:
Ancestry: He was a distant cousin of U.S. President Calvin Coolidge.
Early Years: After serving in the U.S. Army in Japan, he began his career as a stage magician before transitioning to stand-up comedy in the early 1950s.
Stage Name: He adopted the name "Orson Bean" after a suggestion from a piano player at a Boston nightclub; he found the name's blend of "pompous and amusing" resonate well with audiences.
Notable Roles and Career Highlights:
Television Game Shows: Bean was a staple on prime-time game shows from the 1960s through the 1980s, most notably as a long-term panelist on To Tell the Truth.
Scripted Television:
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: Played the shopkeeper Loren Bray for its entire six-season run.
Desperate Housewives: Portrayed Roy Bender, the love interest of Karen McCluskey.
Animated Classics: Voiced Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins in the Rankin/Bass animated adaptations of The Hobbit (1977) and The Return of the King (1980).
Film: Notable film roles include an appearance in the courtroom drama Anatomy of a Murder (1959) and as the eccentric 105-year-old Dr. Lester in Being John Malkovich (1999).
Theater: He received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role in Subways Are for Sleeping (1961).
Politics and Philanthropy: Briefly blacklisted in the 1950s for his political associations, Bean later became more conservative. He was a founding member of "The Sons of the Desert," an organization dedicated to comedy duo Laurel and Hardy.
Born Date: July 22, 1928
Born Place: Burlington, Vermont
Died Date: February 7, 2020
Died Place: Los Angeles, California
Occupations: Actor, comedian, producer, writer
Brief Biography: Orson Bean was a multifaceted American actor, comedian, and writer whose career spanned nearly seven decades. While he was a prominent figure on Broadway and in film, he is perhaps most widely recognized as a "neocelebrity" of the golden age of television game shows and for his frequent, witty appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, where he appeared more than 200 times.
Early Life and Career Beginnings:
Ancestry: He was a distant cousin of U.S. President Calvin Coolidge.
Early Years: After serving in the U.S. Army in Japan, he began his career as a stage magician before transitioning to stand-up comedy in the early 1950s.
Stage Name: He adopted the name "Orson Bean" after a suggestion from a piano player at a Boston nightclub; he found the name's blend of "pompous and amusing" resonate well with audiences.
Notable Roles and Career Highlights:
Television Game Shows: Bean was a staple on prime-time game shows from the 1960s through the 1980s, most notably as a long-term panelist on To Tell the Truth.
Scripted Television:
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: Played the shopkeeper Loren Bray for its entire six-season run.
Desperate Housewives: Portrayed Roy Bender, the love interest of Karen McCluskey.
Animated Classics: Voiced Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins in the Rankin/Bass animated adaptations of The Hobbit (1977) and The Return of the King (1980).
Film: Notable film roles include an appearance in the courtroom drama Anatomy of a Murder (1959) and as the eccentric 105-year-old Dr. Lester in Being John Malkovich (1999).
Theater: He received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role in Subways Are for Sleeping (1961).
Politics and Philanthropy: Briefly blacklisted in the 1950s for his political associations, Bean later became more conservative. He was a founding member of "The Sons of the Desert," an organization dedicated to comedy duo Laurel and Hardy.