Actor

David Wayne

January 30, 1914 · Traverse City - Michigan - USA

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.

Notable work

8.5
The Twilight Zone (1959)
as Walter Bedeker
7
The Andromeda Strain (1971)
as Dr. Charles Dutton
7.3
Batman (1966)
as The Mad Hatter
6.8
How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
as Freddie Denmark
7.5
Murder, She Wrote (1984)
as Cyrus Leffingwell
7.6
The Golden Girls (1985)
as Big Daddy
7.3
The Front Page (1974)
as Roy Bensinger
7.1
Adam's Rib (1949)
as Kip Lurie

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