Richard Crenna
| Richard Crenna | |||||||
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 Crenna as Colonel Trautman |
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| Born | Richard Donald Crenna November 30, 1926(1926-11-30) Los Angeles, California |
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| Died | January 17, 2003 (aged 76) Los Angeles, California |
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| Occupation | actor, director, producer | ||||||
| Years active | 1950 - 2003 | ||||||
| Spouse(s) | Penni Sweeney (1959-2003) | ||||||
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Richard Donald Crenna (November 30, 1926 – January 17, 2003) was an American film, television and radio actor. He starred in such motion pictures as The Sand Pebbles, Wait Until Dark, Body Heat, Rambo (First Blood – Rambo III), Hot Shots! Part Deux, and The Flamingo Kid. While he is best remembered for his role as Walter Denton in the CBS radio and television series "Our Miss Brooks"; or as Luke McCoy in the ABC and CBS sitcom The Real McCoys (1957-1963), his most substantive television work was done in the 36 episodes of a rare political dramatic series, "Slattery's People," on CBS.
Younger generations remember him as Colonel Trautman in the Rambo films.
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Biography
Early life
Crenna was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Edith J. (née Pollette), who managed a hotel in Downtown Los Angeles, and Domenick Anthony Crenna, a pharmacist. He had Italian ancestry.[1] Crenna attended Virgil Jr. High School on Vermont Avenue and 1st Street, and later Belmont High School and the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. One of his classmates at Belmont was Mort Sahl. He was also a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. [2][3]
Career
Crenna got his acting start on radio, appearing in My Favorite Husband, Boy Scout Jamboree, A Date With Judy, The Great Gildersleeve, and Our Miss Brooks. He remained with the cast of the latter show when it transitioned to television.
When Our Miss Brooks, starring Eve Arden, underwent a change in format -- his character Walter Denton was omitted -- Crenna joined The Real McCoys. Kathleen Nolan was cast as his young wife, Kate McCoy; they lived on a California farm with Grandpa Amos McCoy, Walter Brennan's best-known role. Crenna guest starred on I Love Lucy with Janet Waldo.
Crenna won an Emmy for his performance in the title role of the film The Rape of Richard Beck. He portrayed a California state senator named James Slattery. Crenna received two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment (1965) and for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series (1965). In addition, in 1965 Crenna was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best TV Star - Male for his portrayal of the fictional Senator Slattery.
Crenna is perhaps best known for his role as John Rambo's ex-commanding Officer "Colonel Trautman" in the first three Rambo films. He also spoofed the role in Hot Shots! Part Deux, as an homage to his Rambo character. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6714 Hollywood Blvd.
Personal life
Crenna contracted pancreatic cancer but died of heart failure at the age of seventy-six. At the time of his death, he had a recurring role in the CBS series Judging Amy. On the show, his passing was acknowledged by the death of the character that he portrayed.
Crenna's son, Richard Anthony Crenna, is also an actor.
In popular culture
Crenna is mentioned in the sitcom Friends during the episode 'The One with the Cake', when Phoebe writes a birthday song for Rachel's daughter Emma: "Emma/Your name poses a dilemma/'Cuz not much else rhymes with Emma/Maybe the actor Richard Crenna/He played the commanding officer in Rambo/Happy birthday Emma."
The character Roy Campbell from the Metal Gear series bears a remarkable resemblance to Crenna.
Dan Castellaneta, the voice of the animated sitcom The Simpsons's character Homer Simpson, lifted his voice for the Squeaky-Voiced Teen from Crenna's for his character Walter Denton in Our Miss Brooks.[4]
Filmography
References
- ^ http://www.newspaperarchive.com/LandingPage.aspx?type=nlp&search="richard%20crenna"%20italian&img=43673720
- ^ Richard Crenna Biography - Yahoo! Movies
- ^ IMDB Biography
- ^ Castellaneta, Dan. The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season DVD Video Collector's Edition commentary for the episode "Boy-Scoutz N the Hood" [DVD]. Twentieth Century Fox.
External links
- Richard Crenna at the Internet Movie Database
- Archive of American Television Video Interview with Richard Crenna
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| Persondata | |
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| NAME | Crenna, Richard |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Crenna, Richard Donald |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | actor, director, producer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1926-11-30 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Los Angeles, California |
| DATE OF DEATH | 2003-1-17 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Los Angeles, California |
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