1. Gwynne was born on July 10,1926, in New York City, the son of Frederick Walker Gwynne, a partner in the securities firm Gwynne Brothers, and his wife Dorothy Ficken Gwynne, who, before her marriage, was a successful artist known for her "Sunny Jim" comic character.
Fred Gwynne had at least two siblings, Dorothy Gwynne and Bowers Gwynne, both of whom died young.
Fred Gwynne's paternal grandfather, Walker Gwynne, was an Anglican priest, born c 1846 in Camus, County Tyrone, Ireland, who married American Helen Lea Bowers.
Fred Gwynne's maternal grandfather, H Edwards Ficken, was a British immigrant who married the American Josephine Preston Hubbard.
Fred Gwynne was president of the drama club and made his first stage appearance in a school production of Henry V Forty years later, he used his drawing skills to pen the school's official campus map.
Fred Gwynne was a member of the Fly Club, served as president of the Harvard Lampoon, sang with the Harvard Krokodiloes a cappella group, and acted for the Hasty Pudding Theatricals.
Fred Gwynne joined the Brattle Theatre Repertory Company after his 1951 graduation, then moved to New York City.
Fred Gwynne preferred theater to film and television, and maintained that if the United States had a national theater mounting year-round productions, he would rather work there.
Fred Gwynne's face was painted a bright violet because it captured the most light on the black-and-white film.
Fred Gwynne then found success as a stage actor in regional state productions across the United States while maintaining a low Hollywood profile.
From 1975 to 1982, Fred Gwynne appeared in 83 episodes in different roles on the popular radio drama series, the CBS Radio Mystery Theater, produced and directed by Himan Brown.
In 1984, Fred Gwynne auditioned for the part of Henry on the sitcom Punky Brewster, then withdrew in frustration when a director identified him as Herman Munster rather than by his real name.
The character's likeness and accent, as played by Fred Gwynne, have been used in a number of episodes of the animated show South Park, beginning in 2001 and as recently as 2019.
Fred Gwynne had roles in the movies Simon, On the Waterfront, So Fine, Disorganized Crime, The Cotton Club, Captains Courageous, The Secret of My Success, Water, Ironweed, Fatal Attraction, and The Boy Who Could Fly.
Fred Gwynne performed the role of Judge Chamberlain Haller in his final film, the 1992 comedy My Cousin Vinny.
Fred Gwynne did his voice work for TV and radio commercials.
In 1952, Fred Gwynne married socialite Jean "Foxy" Reynard, a granddaughter of New York City mayor William Jay Gaynor.
Fred Gwynne died of complications from pancreatic cancer, in the cigar room at his home in Taneytown, Maryland, on July 2,1993, eight days shy of his 67th birthday.
Fred Gwynne is buried in an unmarked grave at Sandy Mount United Methodist Church Cemetery in Finksburg, Maryland.