William Demarest

William Demarest

actor, soundtrack

William Demarest was born on Feb 27, 1892 in USA. William Demarest's big-screen debut came with Finger Prints directed by Lloyd Bacon in 1927, strarring Cuffs Egan. William Demarest is known for It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World directed by Stanley Kramer, Spencer Tracy stars as Capt. T. G. Culpepper and Milton Berle as J. Russell Finch. William Demarest has got 1 awards and 3 nominations so far. The most recent award William Demarest achieved is Walk of Fame. The upcoming new movie William Demarest plays is Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood which will be released on May 26, 1976.

A stocky, serious-looking character, Carl William Demarest started off in vaudeville in 1905 along with two older brothers. At one time he also performed in a stage act with his wife Estelle Collette (billed as 'Demarest and Collette') and then moved on to Broadway. He entered movies in 1926 and first appeared in Vitaphone one-reelers and in films for Warner Brothers, which included the first sound picture, Le chanteur de jazz (1927). In his later years, he became a household name on TV as retired sea captain Uncle Charley, replacing a seriously ill William Frawley in My Three Sons (1960). However, Demarest was truly at his best during the 1940s as a member of Preston Sturges's unofficial stock company of players, noted for his trademark deadpan or exasperated expressions. He made his reputation in eccentric comic supporting roles, invariably seen as pushy, wary or droll cops, business guys or wisecracking, jaundiced friends of the hero with names like Mugsy, Kockenlocker or Heffelfinger. Gouverneur malgré lui (1940), Les voyages de Sullivan (1941) and Miracle au village (1944) are often cited as his best films. When movie offers began to diminish, Demarest segued into television work with many guest spots and a regular co-starring role as a ranch foreman in the western series Tales of Wells Fargo (1957). As a character actor, his quiet intensity and comic timing kept him in demand well into his eighties. Nominated just once for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor in the biopic Le roman d'Al Jolson (1946), he lost out to Harold Russell for his performance in Les Plus Belles Années de notre vie (1946).

  • Birthday

    Feb 27, 1892
  • Place of Birth

    St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

Known For

Awards

1 wins & 3 nominations

Walk of Fame
1979
Motion Picture
Winner - Star on the Walk of Fame

Movies & TV Shows

All
Movies
TV Shows