Joseph Sweeney (July 26, 1884 (other sources state 1882) – November 25, 1963) was an American actor who worked in stage productions, television and movies. His best-known role was as the elderly Juror #9 in the 1957 classic ''
12 Angry Men
''Twelve Angry Men'' is an American courtroom drama written by Reginald Rose concerning the jury of a homicide trial. It was broadcast initially as a television play in 1954. The following year it was adapted for the stage. It was adapted for a ...
'',
[Biography of Joseph Sweeney](_blank)
/ref> the role he originated in a 1954 ''Westinghouse Studio One
''Studio One'' is an American anthology drama television series that was adapted from a radio series. It was created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. It premiered on November 7, 1948 and ended on Septem ...
'' live teleplay
A teleplay is a screenplay or script used in the production of a scripted television program or series. In general usage, the term is most commonly seen in reference to a standalone production, such as a television film, a television play, or an ...
of which the film was an adaptation.
Stage career
Born in Philadelphia, Sweeney debuted on stage in stock theater with a company in Norwich, Connecticut
Norwich ( ) (also called "The Rose of New England") is a city in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The Yantic, Shetucket, and Quinebaug Rivers flow into the city and form its harbor, from which the Thames River flows south to Long ...
. He had a successful career as a stage performer in such productions as ''The Clansmen'', ''George Washington Slept Here
''George Washington Slept Here'' is a 1942 comedy film starring Jack Benny, Ann Sheridan, Charles Coburn, Percy Kilbride, and Hattie McDaniel. It was based on the 1940 play of the same name by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, adapted by Everett F ...
'', ''Ladies and Gentlemen
Ladies and Gentlemen may refer to:
* Ladies and gentlemen (salutation), a common introductory phrase
Film and television
* ''Ladies & Gentlemen'' (2015 film), a Telugu film
* ''Ladies & Gentlemen'' (TV series), a 2021 Bangladeshi drama serie ...
'', ''A Slight Case of Murder
''A Slight Case of Murder'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon. The film is based on the 1935 play by Damon Runyon and Howard Lindsay. The offbeat comedy stars Edward G. Robinson spoofing his own gangster image as Remy Marco.
...
'', ''Dear Old Darlin'', and ''Days To Remember''. In the 1940s he made the switch to television as audiences' interests changed.Arthur Miller
Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), ''Death of a Salesman'' ( ...
's ''The Crucible
''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692–93. Miller wrote the play as a ...
''.[''The Crucible'', Bantam Book edition, 1959 at page xiii]
Later life
Sweeney kept acting until his death, appearing in numerous television shows, including at least twelve during the last year of his life. He died on November 25, 1963, at the age of 79.
Filmography
Television
Films
References
External links
*
*
Biography
by New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
Biography
by Fandango (ticket service)
Fandango Media, LLC is an American ticketing company that sells movie tickets via their website as well as through their mobile app, as well as a provider of television and streaming media information through its subsidiary Rotten Tomatoes.
...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sweeney, Joseph
1880s births
1963 deaths
American male television actors
20th-century American male actors
Male actors from Philadelphia
American male film actors
American male stage actors