"I decided to take a stab at acting. I entered the American Academy of Dramatic Art, where one teacher told me I'd never make it — I was too tall."
Frederick Hubbard Gwynne (July 10, 1926 – July 2, 1993) was an American actor.
After starring in the sitcom Car 54, Where Are You?, he landed his most famous role as Herman Munster in another sitcom, The Munsters. Although he would return to the role in the 1981 movie The Munsters' Revenge, Gwynne disliked being associated with the show because he found himself typecast despite his range as an actor. In his later years, Gwynne played supporting roles in such films as The Cotton Club, The Secret of My Success, Fatal Attraction, Ironweed, Pet Sematary, and My Cousin Vinny. The latter turned out to be his last film, due to his death from pancreatic cancer in 1993.
Selected Filmography:
- On the Waterfront (1954): Mladen "Slim" Sekulovich. His film debut.
- Car 54, Where Are You? (1961–63): Officer Francis Muldoon.
- The Munsters (1964–66): Herman Munster.
- The Cotton Club (1984): Frenchy Demange.
- The Boy Who Could Fly (1986): Uncle Hugo.
- The Secret of My Success (1987): Donald Davenport.
- Fatal Attraction (1987): Arthur.
- Ironweed (1987): Oscar Reo.
- Pet Sematary (1989): Jud Crandall.
- Shadows and Fog (1991): Hacker's Follower.
- My Cousin Vinny (1992): Judge Chamberlain Haller.
