Bill McCutcheon
(1924 - 2002)Anyone born prior to 1980 should recognize this wonderful face, but very few will know his name. He was a star of TV commercials and guest starred on many TV dramas and sitcoms of the 1960s and 70s. In recent years he had literally disappeared from the public eye, save for those who attended the Broadway theatre. He is the epitome of the type character actor for which these pages were designed. Wide-eyed, with sandy hair and a rubbery moon-face, he was short of stature with a smooth tenor voice. As in the line from the Big Yellow Taxi song: "you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone", when these great character actors pass away we are reminded of how much we loved and appreciated their work. His looks were perfect for comedy roles but he could excel at drama also. He was born William McCutcheon on May 23, 1924 in Russell, Kentucky. His love of performing came as early as high school where he formed a comic jazz trio much in the tradition of Spike Jones band. After high school he served in the military in Italy during World War II where he was wounded. After the War he attended Ohio University where he again formed a dance band. Upon graduation in 1948 he moved to New York, as acting was what he really aspired to. He formed another jazz comedy trio and worked Manhattan nightclubs and Catskill resorts as well as taking other odd jobs to support his acting career. In 1952 he married his only wife, Anne. Eventually he found a job at CBS television as an usher and, in a fluke appearance on Ed Murrow’s "Person to Person" show, his meek lifestyle as a struggling actor, with Anne, living in a small Greenwich village apartment was contrasted with Arthur Godfrey’s palatial estate and show business success. Ironically, this appearance opened the door to acting jobs and success for Bill. He had more success in television, commercials and theatre than in films. His film credits include: "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" (1964) as Dropo, his film debut; "Viva Max!" (1969) with Peter Ustinov, as Desmond Miller; "Deadhead Miles" (1972) as Used Car Dealer; "The Stoolie" (1974) as Gas Station Attendant; "W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings" (1975) as Good Ole Boy #1; "Hot Stuff" (1979) as Paully Albadecker; "Vibes" (1988) as Mr. Van Der Meer; "Steel Magnolias" (1989) with Shirley MacLaine, as Owen Jenkins, husband to Shirley MacLaine’s character; "Family Business" (1989) with Matthew Broderick and Dustin Hoffman, as Doheny; "Tune in Tomorrow" (1990) as Puddler and "Mr. Destiny" (1990) with Jim Belushi, as Leo Hansen, his last film role. On TV he was a regular on the series: "The Dom DeLuise Show" (1968-69) as Regular; "Ball Four" (1976) as Coach Pinky Pinkney and "Sesame Street" (1969-present) as Uncle Wally (1984-92). He also appeared in the TV movie "You Can’t Take It with You" (1984). He also guested on such TV series as: "Kojak"; "Tale from the Darkside" and "Spenser: For Hire." He retired from TV in the 1980s and stayed primarily in theatre. He won a Tony Award for the 1988 revival of "Anything Goes" and an Obie for "Marriage of Bette and Boo" in 1985. He also won three daytime Emmy Awards for his work on Sesame Street. He and his wife Anne had three children: a boy, Jay and two daughters, Carol and Kenna. He died of natural causes on January 9, 2002 in Ridgeway, New Jersey at age 77.
From Great Character Actors, Page 9.
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