Fred Gwynne

American actor and writer
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://mainten.top/biography/Fred-Gwynne
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
Also known as: Frederick Hubbard Gwynne
Quick Facts
In full:
Frederick Hubbard Gwynne
Born:
July 10, 1926, New York, New York, U.S.
Died:
July 2, 1993, Taneytown, Maryland, U.S. (aged 66)

Fred Gwynne (born July 10, 1926, New York, New York, U.S.—died July 2, 1993, Taneytown, Maryland, U.S.) was an American actor and writer who possessed a lanky and towering physique, which, coupled with his distinctive high forehead and long-jawed, dour face, made him a natural to portray the Frankensteinian Herman Munster, a lugubrious funeral director and patriarch of the ghoulish yet kindly family on the hit television series The Munsters (1964–66).

The Harvard-educated Gwynne, who once aspired to become a portrait painter, was for several years an advertising copywriter for the J. Walter Thompson agency and, from 1958 to 1988, wrote and illustrated a number of children’s books. He made his Broadway debut as a gangster named Stinker in Mrs. McThing (1952), with Helen Hayes, following that role with another onstage as a police officer in Irma La Douce. That portrayal led to Gwynne’s being cast as Francis Muldoon, a bumbling New York City policeman who partnered officer Gunther Toody on the television comedy series Car 54, Where Are You? (1961–63).

Though Gwynne was best remembered as lovable Herman Munster, he enjoyed a diverse career that encompassed serious roles, notably Big Daddy in the celebrated 1974 Broadway revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He also won an Obie award for best actor for his work in the Off-Broadway play Grand Magic (1979). Gwynne’s film credits include On the Waterfront (1954), Munster Go Home (1966), The Cotton Club (1984), and Fatal Attraction (1987), and he won particular notice for his performances in the horror film Pet Sematary (1989) and the comedy My Cousin Vinny (1992).

Book Jacket of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by American children's author illustrator Eric Carle (born 1929)
Britannica Quiz
Classic Children’s Books Quiz
The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.