Born: July 10, 1926, in New York, New York
Died: July 2, 1993, in Taneytown, Maryland

Height: 6' 5"

Spouse
Gwynne, Deb (9 March 1981 - 2 July 1993)
Jean "Foxy Gwynne" (1951 - ?) (divorced)

After high school, the young Gwynne, who stood at a lumbering, rail-thin six-foot, five-inches, enlisted in the Navy and served on a sub chaser during World War II. Upon his discharge from the Navy, Gwynne attended the New York Phoenix School of Design, then entered Harvard University on the G.I. Bill. There he became president of The Harvard Lampoon, and drew cartoons for the popular periodical. However, after performing in several of The Hasty Pudding Clubs farcical productions, he realized his future was upon the stage. Eager to learn his craft, the Harvard graduate joined the Brattle Theater Repertory Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he played a variety of characters in numerous plays.

In 1951, Fred married Jean "Foxie" Reynard, whom he had met through friends. After a successful run as "Bottom" in A Midsummer Nights Dream, he and his wife headed to New York to pursue bigger and brighter possibilities. Although most thought he was too tall and unattractive to be a leading man, he landed a supporting role in Mrs. McThing on Broadways. Gwynne simultaneously worked as a copywriter at the J. Walter Thompson Advertising agency to make ends meet between assignments. For the next five years he juggled his day job with numerous stage and television roles, appearing in such prestigious productions as Studio One, Kraft Theater, and The Phil Silvers Show.



In 1954, the 28-year-old made his film debut with a bit part in On The Waterfront, directed by Elia Kazan and starring Marlon Brando. Gwynnes career took another surprising turn when he landed his first major Broadway role in the musical, Irma La Duce. It was during the run of the show that TV producer Nat Hiken hired Gwynne to co-star as Francis Maldoon in the NBC television series, Car 54, Where Are You?, which also starred Munsters' Grandpa Al Lewis. The show was a success, though only ran from 1961-1963. Unfortunately one day during the run of that show, he got devastating news. His son, Dylan, had drowned in the family pool. While still trying to cope with the loss of his son Car 54, Where Are You? was canceled.

He was not out of work long though for in 1964, he was cast in the CBS television series, The Munsters. The already towering actor was transformed into Herman Munster. He had to go through 3 hours of makeup session and had to wear 5 inch platforms. However his performance as Herman Munster, a lovable and funny Frankenstein monster, is what he is best known for. Unfortunately though when the show ended Gwynne was left standing in the dust for many years as Hollywood was afraid to hire him feeling he was type casted as the bumbling Herman.

Gwynne returned to the stage and won critical acclaim as Big Daddy in the Broadway revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with Elizabeth Ashley. Other successful stage roles included Claudius in Hamlet and the stage manager in Our Town. In 1976, he won an Obie Award for his performance in the off-Broadway play, Grand Magic. Gwynne also made a comeback to the big screen with a small role in Bernardo Bertoluccis haunting drama, Luna, starring Jill Clayburgh. He eventually began to make appearances in such A-list films as Ironweed with Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson, Fatal Attraction with Glenn Close and Michael Douglas, and The Cotton Club starring Richard Gere. In 1981, he returned to the role that he had fought so hard to leave behind Herman Munster in the TV movie, Munsters Revenge.


Gwynne continued to appear in supporting roles, the highlight being his turn as the comic foil for Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei in 1992s My Cousin Vinny. After forty years of working non-stop, Gwynne decided to put his film career on the back burner. He and his wife, Deborah, purchased a farm in rural Maryland and the actor only accepted work as a voice-over artist in radio and television commercials.


Fred Gwynne was not only an actor but an author of numerous children books and an artist. To this day, however, most remember will remember him as the hulking and comical Herman Munster.

Filmography:


Lincoln (1992) (TV) (voice) .............. Edwin Stanton
My Cousin Vinny (1992) ................... Judge Chamberlain Haller
Shadows and Fog (1992) ................... Hacker's Follower
Earthday Birthday (1990) ................. Fred the Moose
Murder in Black and White (1990) (TV) .... Brannigan
Pet Sematary (1989) ...................... Jud Crandall
Disorganized Crime (1989) ................ Max Green
Cameramen Who Dared (1988) (TV) (voice) .. Narrator
Ironweed (1987) .......................... Oscar Reo
Fatal Attraction (1987) .................. Arthur
Secret of My Succe$s, The (1987) ......... Donald Davenport
Murder by the Book (1987) (TV) ........... Victor Greville
Christmas Star, The (1986) (TV) .......... Waters
Boy Who Could Fly, The (1986) ............ Uncle Hugo Gibb
Vanishing Act (1986) (TV) ................ Father Macklin
Off Beat (1986) .......................... The Commissioner
Water (1985/I) ........................... Spender
"Kane & Abel" (1985) (mini) TV Series .... Davis LeRoy
Cotton Club, The (1984) .................. Frenchy Demange
Mysterious Stranger, The (1982) (TV) ..... Balthasar Hoffman
Any Friend of Nicholas Nickleby Is a Friend of Mine (1981) (TV) .... Charles Dickens
So Fine (1981) ........................... Chairman Lincoln
Munsters' Revenge, The (1981) (TV) ....... Herman Munster
Day with Conrad Green, A (1980) (TV) ..... Conrad Green
Simon (1980) ............................. National Guard Major General Korey
Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg, The (1980) (TV) .... Rev. Burgess
Luna, La (1979) .......................... Douglas Winter
Sanctuary of Fear (1979) (TV) ............ Judge Potter
Captains Courageous (1977) (TV) .......... Long Jack
Harvey (1972) (TV) ....................... E.J. Lofgren
Littlest Angel, The (1969) (TV) .......... Patience
Arsenic and Old Lace (1969) (TV) ......... Jonathan Brewster
Munster, Go Home (1966) .................. Herman Munster
Munsters, The (1964) TV Series ........... Herman Munster
Car 54, Where Are You? (1961) TV Series .. Officer Francis Muldoon
On the Waterfront (1954) (uncredited) .... Slim (Goon)