J. Carrol Naish
Birthday: 1896-01-21 | Place of Birth: New York City, New York, USAFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Joseph Patrick Carrol Naish (January 21, 1896 – January 24, 1973) was an American character actor born in New York City, New York. Naish did many film roles, but they were eclipsed when he found fame in the title role of radio's Life with Luigi (1948–1953), which surpassed Bob Hope in the 1950 ratings. Naish appeared on stage for several years before he began his film career. He began as a member of Gus Edwards's vaudeville troupe of child performers. In Paris after World War I, Naish formed his own song and dance act. He was traveling the globe from Europe to Egypt to Asia, when his China-bound ship developed engine problems, leaving him in California in 1926. His uncredited bit role in What Price Glory (1926) launched his career in more than two hundred films. He was twice nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, the first for his role in the 1943 film Sahara, then for his performance in the 1945 film A Medal for Benny, for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor, Motion Picture. He notably played Boris Karloff's hunchback assistant in The House of Frankenstein in 1944. He was of Irish descent, but never used his dialect skills to play Irishmen, explaining, "When the part of an Irishman comes along, nobody ever thinks of me." Instead, he portrayed myriad other ethnic groups on screen: Latino, Native American, East Asian, Polynesian, Middle Eastern/North African, South Asian, Eastern European, and Mediterranean. Besides his film roles, he often appeared on television later in his career. He spent many of his later years in San Diego studying philosophy and theology. Naish was married (1929–1973) to actress Gladys Heaney (1907–1987). They had one daughter. For his contributions to television and film, J. Carrol Naish has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6145 Hollywood Boulevard.
Known For
Acting
Role
as Dr. Duryea alias Frankenstein
as Uncle Picaud
as Hawkeye
as Bedloe Mason
as Ben Dagajanian
as Chapman, Bank Robber
as General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana
as Mr. Peroni
as Sgt. Diepel
as Simeon 'Sim' Reno
as Batouche
as Sitting Bull
as Bruno
as Gil Harkness
as Sheriff Joe Kneen
as Uncle Vince
as Frankie Scarbine
as Looking Glass
as 'Lucky' Reilly
as Chief Sitting Bull
as Louis Lorelli
as Lt. Gen. Philip Sheridan
as Nicky Duvalle
as Dynamite Dawson
as Papa Donnetti
as Chico
as John, Count of Luxembourg, Joan's Captor
as A Police Informer
as Police Commissario Ovidio Castanio
as Rudy Boray