Al Lewis (actor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Al Lewis
Lewis in The Munsters in 1964
Born	Abraham Meister (1923-04-30)April 30, 1923 Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Died	February 3, 2006(2006-02-03) (aged 82) Roosevelt Island, New York, U.S.
Other names	Grandpa Al Lewis
Occupation	Actor activist
Years active	1949–2002
Political party	Green
Spouse(s)	Marge Domowitz ​ ​ (m. 1956; div. 1977)​ Karen Ingenthron ​ (m. 1984)​
Children	3

Al Lewis (born Abraham Meister; April 30, 1923 – February 3, 2006) was an American actor and activist. He was best known for his role as Count Dracula-lookalike Grandpa on the popular television show The Munsters. This show aired from 1964 to 1966.

Before The Munsters, he also acted alongside Fred Gwynne in another TV show called Car 54, Where Are You? (1961–1963). Later in his life, Al Lewis owned a restaurant, ran for political office, and was a radio host.

Early Life and Learning

Al Lewis, whose birth name was Abraham Meister, was born on April 30, 1923, in Manhattan, New York City. His parents, Alexander and Ida, were immigrants from the Russian Empire. His father was a house painter and his mother worked in clothing factories.

Lewis had two brothers, Phillip and Henry. There was some confusion about his birth year, with some records suggesting 1910, but his Social Security application confirmed 1923.

Lewis attended Yeshiva Chaim Berlin and later Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn. He left high school before finishing. He also claimed to have gone to Oswego State Teachers College and earned a Ph.D. from Columbia University, but there are no official records to confirm these claims.

Acting Career

Al Lewis as Grandpa (back) with the cast of The Munsters, 1964

Al Lewis started his acting career in live shows like burlesque and vaudeville. He then performed on Broadway, which is New York City's famous theater district.

His first TV roles included appearances in crime dramas like Decoy. From 1961 to 1963, he became well-known as Officer Leo Schnauser in the sitcom Car 54, Where Are You?. He even played this role again in a movie version in 1994.

His most famous role was Grandpa on The Munsters. In this show, he played a funny, vampire-like character who was the head of a family of friendly monsters. The show was very popular and ran for two years.

Lewis also appeared in several movies, including Pretty Boy Floyd (1960), They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969), and Married to the Mob (1988). He also had a small role in an episode of the TV show Taxi.

Al Lewis caricature by Jim McDermott

Al Lewis didn't mind being known mostly for his Grandpa role. He enjoyed playing the character, even wearing the costume for public appearances. He once said, "Why not? It pays the bills."

In the early 1990s, he appeared as Grandpa in an episode of Hi Honey, I'm Home. He also hosted a show called Super Scary Saturday on TBS, where he would introduce scary movies while dressed as Grandpa.

Other Activities

Al Lewis was a strong supporter of free speech. He often spoke out against groups that tried to control what people could say or hear, especially in music and broadcasting.

He also opened an Italian restaurant in Manhattan called Grampa's Bella Gente in 1987. He was featured in the Atari 7800 video game Midnight Mutants, where his character looked like Grandpa from The Munsters.

Politics

Al Lewis was also a left-wing activist. He hosted a radio show that focused on political topics on WBAI.

In 1998, he ran for governor of New York as a candidate for the Green Party. He wanted his name on the ballot to be "Grandpa Al Lewis" because that's how most people knew him. However, the election board did not allow it.

Even though he didn't win, he achieved an important goal for the Green Party. He received enough votes (over 50,000) to ensure the Green Party of New York would automatically be listed on future election ballots for the next four years. He knew winning would be very hard, like "climbing Mount Everest barefooted," but he was proud to help his party.

Personal Life and Later Years

Al Lewis married Marge Domowitz in 1956. They had three sons: Dave, Ted, and Paul. They divorced in 1977. In 1984, he married actress Karen Ingenthron, and they stayed married for the rest of his life.

In his later years, he lived on Roosevelt Island in New York City. In 2003, he had surgery for a heart condition. Complications from this led to more surgeries, including the amputation of his right leg below the knee and all the toes on his left foot.

Al Lewis passed away on February 3, 2006, at the age of 82, due to natural causes.

Filmography

Al Lewis appeared in many films and television shows throughout his career. Here are some of them:

Film

Television

Theater

See also

In Spanish: Al Lewis para niños