Dave Madden facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dave Madden
Madden in 1970
Born	David Joseph Madden (1931-12-17)December 17, 1931 Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
Died	January 16, 2014(2014-01-16) (aged 82) Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1962–2008
Spouse(s)	Nena Arnold ​ ​ (m. 1975; div. 1985)​ Sandra Martin ​ (m. 1998)​
Children	2

David Joseph Madden (born December 17, 1931 – died January 16, 2014) was an actor. He was born in Canada but became an American citizen. He was best known for his role as Reuben Kincaid, the manager of the singing family in the 1970s TV show The Partridge Family. He also played Earl Hicks, a regular customer at Mel's Diner, on the TV show Alice.

Early Life and Magic Tricks

Dave Madden was born in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. When he was young, he lived in Port Huron, Michigan. After his father passed away, he moved to Terre Haute, Indiana, to live with his aunt and uncle.

When he was 13, Dave had a serious bicycle accident. He had to stay still for many months to get better. During this time, he became very interested in magic tricks. He later used magic in his comedy shows. He performed these shows around Terre Haute.

Dave finished high school in 1950. He then joined the United States Air Force in 1951. He was sent to Tripoli, Libya, where he entertained people in camp shows. He even performed for the ruler of Libya, Idris of Libya. After his time in the Air Force, Dave went to the University of Miami. He graduated in 1959 with a degree in communications.

Becoming an Actor

After college, Dave Madden tried to become a comedian in nightclubs. He moved to Los Angeles and had a very successful show in Beverly Hills, California. Famous singer Frank Sinatra saw him perform. Sinatra recommended Dave to Ed Sullivan, who then invited Dave to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show three times.

These TV appearances helped Dave get his first acting job. He appeared on the show Camp Runamuck in 1965.

Dave became well-known for his funny acts on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In from 1968 to 1969. On this show, he often played a character who drank milk and threw confetti.

The Partridge Family and Beyond

Dave Madden became famous around the world for his role as Reuben Kincaid. Reuben was the busy manager for The Partridge Family (1970–1974). This show was about a family that traveled in a colorful bus and sang songs.

Dave was very kind to his young co-star, Danny Bonaduce. Danny had some family problems, and Dave even let him live in his home for a while. Danny has said that Dave helped him a lot.

After The Partridge Family, Dave appeared in many other TV shows. He was a guest on shows like Bewitched, Happy Days, The Love Boat, Barney Miller, and Fantasy Island. He also had a regular role on Alice. On Alice, he played Tommy's basketball coach, Earl Hicks, who was a regular customer at Mel's Diner.

Dave also used his voice for radio shows. He voiced several characters on the children's radio drama Adventures in Odyssey. In 1990, he got his own regular character, Bernard Walton, a window-washer. He played Bernard until 2008.

In 1992, Dave played Mr. Kincaid again for a funny sketch on The Ben Stiller Show. Two years later, he appeared with Danny Bonaduce in an episode of Married... with Children. His last guest appearance was on Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

Dave also did voice-overs for many TV and radio commercials. He narrated the beginning of the TV show Herman's Head for its first two seasons.

Personal Life and Hobbies

Dave Madden married Nena Arnold in 1975. They had two children, Selena and Peter Michael. They later divorced in 1985. In 1998, Dave married his college sweetheart, Sandy Dempsey.

While working on The Partridge Family, Dave became very interested in photography. He would bring his camera to the set and take pictures of the actors, crew, and guest stars. This became a hobby he enjoyed for his whole life.

Dave was a smoker for a long time. He decided to quit after an episode of The Partridge Family where his character, Reuben, made a bet about quitting smoking.

Dave Madden became friends with many other actors during his career. These friends included Jonathan Winters, Alan Young, Pat Morita, and all of his co-stars from The Partridge Family. Later in life, he wrote a book about his memories called Reuben on Wry: The Memoirs of Dave Madden.

Death

Dave Madden passed away on January 16, 2014, in Jacksonville, Florida. He was 82 years old. He died from problems related to a blood disorder called myelodysplastic syndrome.

Film and Television Roles

Dave Madden appeared in several movies and many TV shows. Here are some of his roles:

Film

Television

Radio

Video games

Images for kids

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  Dave Madden in 1970

See also

In Spanish: Dave Madden para niños