Jason Wingreen

Jason Wingreen (October 9, 1920 – December 25, 2015) was an American actor. He portrayed bartender Harry Snowden on the CBS sitcom ''All in the Family'' (1977–1979), a role he reprised on the continuation series ''Archie Bunker's Place'' (1979–1983). He was also the original voice of ''Star Wars'' character Boba Fett in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980).

Early years

Born in 1920 in Brooklyn, New York to a Jewish family, he grew up in Howard Beach, Queens, attended John Adams High School, and graduated from Brooklyn College in 1941. While at Brooklyn College, he participated in the Varsity Dramatic Society. Wingreen originally planned to become a newspaper reporter after writing about high school sports for the ''Brooklyn Eagle'' during his high school years.

During World War II, he served with the United States Army Air Force and was stationed in England and Germany. Following his return home, with the aid of the G.I. Bill, he studied acting at New York's New School. He was a co-founder of the Circle in the Square Theatre company in New York's Greenwich Village, and he appeared for the first time on Broadway in two 1954 plays: ''The Girl on the Via Flaminia'' and ''Fragile Fox''.

Career

Film

In 1958, Wingreen had the role of Nichols in the 20th Century Fox production ''The Bravados''.

Wingreen lent his voice to the bounty hunter Boba Fett (portrayed by Jeremy Bulloch) in the 1980 sequel to ''Star Wars'', ''The Empire Strikes Back''. For the DVD release of the film in 2004, Wingreen's voice was replaced by New Zealand actor Temuera Morrison in continuity with the 2002 prequel '' Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones'' in which the character is revealed to be a clone of Morrison's Jango Fett who acts as Boba's father.

From the early 1960s Wingreen was a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.}

Stage

Wingreen helped to found the Circle in the Square Theatre in Greenwich Village. On Broadway, he played in ''The Girl on the Via Flaminia'' and ''Fragile Fox'', both in 1954.

Television

Wingreen was known for his role as bar owner/bartender Harry Snowden on the television sitcom ''All in the Family'' and its continuation series, ''Archie Bunker's Place''.

Prior to this, Wingreen was a regular during the 1960–61 season of ''The Untouchables'', playing Police Captain Dorsett. He performed in "A Stop at Willoughby," " The Midnight Sun," and "The Bard," three episodes of the original '' Twilight Zone'' series. He also appeared on the original ''Star Trek'' series, making him one of the few people involved with both ''Star Wars'' and ''Star Trek''. Wingreen also had a recurring role as Judge Arthur Beaumont in the series '' Matlock'', and has guest-starred in numerous other series, including '' Mission: Impossible'', '' Outer Limits'', ''Bonanza'', ''The Rockford Files'', ''The Armstrong Circle Theatre'', ''Alcoa Theatre'', ''The Man From U.N.C.L.E.'', ''The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis'', ''Dr. Kildare'', and '' The Fugitive''.

In 1965, Wingreen portrayed Adolf Hitler on ''Blue Light''.McNeil, Alex, ''Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming From 1948 to the Present'', New York: Penguin Books, 1996, p. 104.Brooks, Tim, and Earle Marsh, ''The Complete Directory to Prime-Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946–Present, Sixth Edition'', New York: Ballantine Books, 1995, , p. 116.

In 1979, Wingreen was a part of the ensemble cast of the TV mini-series '' Roots: The Next Generations''. In 1991, he guest starred on ''General Hospital'' as Judge Mattson.

After an appearance on TV's ''Seinfeld'' in the 1990s, Wingreen retired. His last credited TV work was on '' In The Heat Of The Night'' in 1994.

Personal life

Wingreen married Gloria Scott Backe. Backe, known as "Scotty" died in 1996. They had one son together.

Death

Wingreen died at the age of 95 at his home in Los Angeles, California, on December 25, 2015. Jeremy Bulloch, who physically portrayed Boba Fett, paid tribute saying that "he will be sadly missed by his family, friends and all the ''Star Wars'' fans."

He was survived by his son, theoretical physicist, Ned Wingreen, two grandchildren, and his sister, Harriet, a former pianist for the New York Philharmonic.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wingreen, Jason
1920 births
2015 deaths
20th-century American male actors
American male film actors
American male stage actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
Brooklyn College alumni
Jewish American male actors
John Adams High School (Queens) alumni
Male actors from New York City
People from Brooklyn
People from Howard Beach, Queens
The New School alumni
21st-century American Jews