Allan Arbus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Allan Arbus
Born	Allan Franklin Arbus (1918-02-15)February 15, 1918 New York City, U.S.
Died	April 19, 2013(2013-04-19) (aged 95) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, photographer
Years active	1961–2000
Spouse(s)	Diane Nemerov ​ ​ (m. 1941; div. 1969)​ Mariclare Costello ​ (m. 1977)​
Children	3, including Doon and Amy Arbus

Allan Franklin Arbus (born February 15, 1918 – died April 19, 2013) was an American actor and photographer. He was well-known for playing the kind psychiatrist Dr. Sidney Freedman on the popular TV show M*A*S*H. Allan was also married to the famous photographer Diane Arbus.

Early Life

Allan Arbus was born in New York City, USA. His family was Jewish, and his father, Harry Arbus, worked as a stockbroker (someone who buys and sells stocks for others). Allan went to DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx. It was there that he first became interested in acting after performing in a school play.

Allan also loved music. Before he became an actor, he was so inspired by Benny Goodman's music that he learned to play the clarinet.

Photography Career

During the 1940s, Allan Arbus worked as a photographer for the United States Army. After his military service ended in 1946, he and his first wife, Diane Arbus, started a photography business in Manhattan. They focused on advertising photography.

Their photos appeared in popular magazines like Glamour, Seventeen, Vogue, and Harper's Bazaar. They also took weekly photos for newspaper ads for Russeks, a department store owned by Diane's father.

A famous photo exhibition called The Family of Man included a picture credited to the couple. Their professional partnership ended in 1956. Allan continued as a solo photographer for a while, but by the time they divorced in 1969, he had decided to become an actor.

Acting Career

After his first marriage ended and his photography business closed, Allan Arbus moved to California in 1969. He wanted to start a new career in acting. His acting career began to take off when he got a main role in the 1972 movie Greaser's Palace, directed by Robert Downey Sr.. In this film, he acted alongside Robert Downey Jr..

Allan also starred with Bette Davis in Scream, Pretty Peggy (1973). He played Gregory LaCava in W.C. Fields and Me (1976). These roles helped him get cast as Major Sidney Freedman on the TV show M*A*S*H.

His work on M*A*S*H helped him become a well-known character actor. A character actor is someone who often plays interesting supporting roles. Allan appeared in over seventy TV shows and movies. In 1979, he played a dance choreographer in The Electric Horseman.

Allan Arbus is most famous for his television work, which includes more than forty-five shows. He appeared in TV series like Law & Order, In the Heat of the Night, L.A. Law, Matlock, Starsky and Hutch, Judging Amy, and Curb Your Enthusiasm in 2000.

Personal Life

Allan and Diane Arbus had two daughters: Amy Arbus, who is a photographer, and Doon Arbus, who is a writer and art director.

Allan married actress Mariclare Costello in 1977. They had one daughter named Arin Arbus. Arin is now the associate artistic director at a theater company called Theatre for a New Audience.

Death

Allan Arbus passed away on April 19, 2013, in Los Angeles due to heart problems. He was 95 years old. His body was cremated, and his ashes were given to his family.

Selected TV and Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Allan Arbus para niños