Fred Gwynne
Biography
Fred Gwynne was an American actor who became known to television audiences in the 1960s as Patrolman Francis Muldoon on Car 54, Where Are You? and as Herman Munster on The Munsters. Born in New York City in 1926, he joined the Brattle Theatre Repertory Company after graduating from Harvard in 1951 and made his Broadway debut in Mrs. McThing. His first film appearance came in On the Waterfront (1954), and after The Munsters left him typecast and shut out of film work for a time, he turned to regional theater and Broadway, playing Big Daddy Pollitt in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 1974. Later films included The Cotton Club (1984), Pet Sematary (1989), and My Cousin Vinny (1992), in which he played Judge Chamberlain Haller. He also painted, sang, and wrote and illustrated children's books. He died in 1993.
66years old at death
- Born New York City
- Died Taneytown
- Star sign: CancerThe sign runs June 21 to July 22
- Frederick Hubbard Gwynne (birth name)Also credited as Frederick Gwynne
Movie Career
- Films
- 16
- Career span
- 38 years1954 to 1992
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Getting ready for a role
Gwynne stood 6 ft 5.25 in tall, which helped him win the part of Herman Munster on The Munsters. For the role he wore 40 or 50 lbs of padding and makeup, plus 5-inch asphalt-spreader boots.
A change of course
Gwynne supported himself by writing copy at the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency. He resigned in 1952 when he was cast as a gangster in the comedy Mrs. McThing, which starred Helen Hayes.
First role
Gwynne made his film debut in an uncredited role as the laconic Slim in On the Waterfront, the Oscar-winning 1954 film.
A role that slipped away
In 1984, Gwynne tried out for Henry on the sitcom Punky Brewster. He pulled out in frustration after a director called him Herman Munster rather than his real name, and George Gaynes took the part.
Fred Gwynne movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Two actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Austin Pendleton's page
Rex Robbins's page
Tom Waits's page
Margaret Whitton's page
Michael Lombard's page
Box office
What Fred Gwynne's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$625 million
11 of the 16 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 16 films: 11 worldwide figure; 2 never in cinemas; 3 figure not found.
- 11Worldwide figure
- 2Never in cinemas
- 3Figure not found
Top grosser
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 97% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$320M51.2% of the total
- 2$111M17.8% of the total
- 3$64M10.3% of the total
- 4$58M9.2% of the total
- 5$26M4.1% of the total
- 6$9.8M1.6% of the total
- 7$9.6M1.5% of the total
- 8$7.7M1.2% of the total
$19.3 millionfrom the other 3 films with a worldwide figure, 3% of the total
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.