David Wayne

Biography

David Wayne (January 30, 1914 – February 9, 1995) was an American actor with a career spanning nearly 50 years. Wayne was born Wayne James McMeekan in Traverse City, Michigan, the son of Helen Matilda (née Mason) and John David McMeekan. He grew up in Bloomingdale, Michigan. Wayne's first major Broadway role was Og the leprechaun in Finian's Rainbow, for which he won the Theatre World Award and the first ever Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. While appearing in the play, he and co-star Albert Sharpe were recruited by producer David O. Selznick to play Irish characters in the film Portrait of Jennie (1948). It was in 1948 as well that Wayne became one of those fortunate 50 applicants (out of approximately 700) granted membership in New York's newly formed Actors Studio. He was awarded a second Tony for Best Actor in a Play for The Teahouse of the August Moon and was nominated as Best Actor in a Musical for The Happy Time. He originated the role of Ensign Pulver in the classic stage comedy Mister Roberts and also appeared in Say, Darling, After the Fall, and Incident at Vichy.

Most Known For

The Mike Douglas Show

as Self

Murder, She Wrote

as Cyrus Leffingwell

The Twilight Zone

as Walter Bedeker

Batman

as The Mad Hatter

Dallas

as Digger Barnes

Dallas

as Willard 'Digger' Barnes

The Golden Girls

as Big Daddy

Hawaii Five-O

as Monsieur Bordeaux

What's My Line?

as Self

Ironside

as Dr. Ian Rice

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

as Andrew Anderson

St. Elsewhere

as George Wyler

Mannix

Studio One

as Jasper Hornby

Barney Miller

as E.J. Heiss

The Virginian

as Martin Reese

Night Gallery

as Dr. Mill

Route 66

Naked City

as Herbert Konish

Gunsmoke

as Judge Warfield