Conrad Bain

Conrad Bain was a Canadian-American actor who began in the theater and became best known for television comedy. Born in Lethbridge, Alberta, he attended the Banff School of Fine Arts and trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, graduating in 1948. After working at the Stratford Festival, his performance in a 1956 revival of The Iceman Cometh drew a positive notice from a New York Times reviewer, who called it especially well acted. On television he appeared in Dark Shadows in 1966 as the innkeeper Mr. Wells, and producer Norman Lear cast him as Dr. Arthur Harmon on Maude from 1972 to 1978. That led to Diff'rent Strokes from 1978 to 1986, where he played Phillip Drummond, a role he reprised on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1996. His films included Lovers and Other Strangers (1970) and Bananas (1971), and he starred in the sitcom Mr. President in 1987.