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.
16 Facts About Fred Gwynne
2.
Fred Gwynne's paternal grandfather Walker Gwynne was an Anglican priest, born in Camus, County Tyrone, Ireland, around 1846, who married American Helen Lea Bowers.
3.
Fred Gwynne's maternal grandfather H Edwards Ficken was an emigrant from London, who married American Josephine or Josephina Preston Hubbard.
4.
Fred Gwynne had at least two siblings, Dorothy Gwynne and Bowers Gwynne, who both died young.
5.
Fred Gwynne was a member of the Fly Club, sang with the a cappella group the Harvard Krokodiloes, was a cartoonist for the Harvard Lampoon, and acted for the Hasty Pudding Theatricals.
6.
Fred Gwynne joined the Brattle Theatre Repertory Company after his 1951 graduation, then moved to New York City.
7.
Fred Gwynne's face was painted a bright violet because it captured the most light on the black-and-white film.
8.
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.
9.
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.
10.
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.
11.
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.
12.
Fred Gwynne played Judge Chamberlain Haller in his last film, the 1992 comedy My Cousin Vinny.
13.
Fred Gwynne lent his voice talents to TV and radio commercials.
14.
In 1952, Fred Gwynne married socialite Jean "Foxy" Reynard, a granddaughter of New York City mayor William Jay Gaynor.
15.
Fred Gwynne died of complications from pancreatic cancer, in the cigar room at his home in Taneytown, Maryland, on July 2,1993, eight days short of his 67th birthday.
16.
Fred Gwynne is buried in an unmarked grave at Sandy Mount United Methodist Church Cemetery in Finksburg, Maryland.