Hume Cronyn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hume Cronyn OC
Cronyn in the 1950s
Born	Hume Blake Cronyn Jr. (1911-07-18)July 18, 1911 London, Ontario, Canada
Died	June 15, 2003(2003-06-15) (aged 91) Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation	Actor writer
Years active	1934–2001
Spouse(s)	Emily Woodruff ​ ​ (m. 1934; div. 1936)​ Jessica Tandy ​ ​ (m. 1942; died 1994)​ Susan Cooper ​ ​ (m. 1996)​
Children	2
Parent(s)	Hume Cronyn Sr. (father)
Relatives	John Labatt (maternal grandfather) John Kinder Labatt (maternal great-grandfather) Benjamin Cronyn (paternal great-grandfather) Robert Whitehead (cousin)

Hume Blake Cronyn Jr. OC (July 18, 1911 – June 15, 2003) was a famous Canadian-American actor and writer. He was known for his long career in movies, TV shows, and plays.

Hume Cronyn's Early Life

Hume Cronyn was born in London, Ontario, Canada, in 1911. He was one of five children. His father, Hume Blake Cronyn Sr., was a businessman and a politician. He was a Member of Parliament for London. The Hume Cronyn Memorial Observatory at Western University is named after his father. Even an asteroid, (12050) Humecronyn, carries his father's name.

His mother, Frances Amelia, came from the family that owned the Labatt Brewing Company. Hume Cronyn's great-grandfather, Benjamin Cronyn, was an important religious leader. He helped start Huron University College, which later became part of the University of Western Ontario.

School and Hobbies

Hume Cronyn went to Elmwood School in Ottawa from 1917 to 1921. After that, he attended Ridley College and McGill University. At McGill, he was part of The Kappa Alpha Society. When he was younger, Cronyn was also a talented amateur boxer. He was even considered for Canada's 1932 Olympic Boxing team.

Hume Cronyn's Acting Career

After college, Cronyn changed his focus from law to drama. He studied acting with famous teachers like Max Reinhardt. In 1934, he made his first appearance on Broadway in a play called Hipper's Holiday. He quickly became known for being able to play many different types of characters. He won a Drama Desk Special Award in 1986. In 1990, he received the National Medal of Arts.

L-R: Walter Slezak, John Hodiak, Tallulah Bankhead, Henry Hull, William Bendix, Heather Angel, Mary Anderson, Canada Lee, and Hume Cronyn in Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat (1944)

Working with Alfred Hitchcock

Hume Cronyn's first Hollywood movie was Alfred Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt in 1943. He also appeared in Hitchcock's Lifeboat (1944). He even helped write the screenplays for two other Hitchcock films, Rope (1948) and Under Capricorn (1949).

Movie and TV Roles

He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Seventh Cross (1944). He also won a Tony Award for playing Polonius in the play Hamlet (1964), starring Richard Burton. Cronyn also appeared in several TV shows. These included Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Hawaii Five-O.

Stratford Festival and Foxfire

Hume Cronyn was involved with the Stratford Festival in Canada. He was an actor there and also on its board of directors. He played Shylock in The Merchant of Venice in 1976. He also wrote a play called Foxfire, which first opened at the festival in 1980. This play later moved to Broadway and was even made into a movie in 1987. In 1990, he won an Emmy award for his role in the TV movie Age Old Friends.

Hume Cronyn's Family Life

Cronyn's first marriage was to Emily Woodruff in 1934. They divorced in 1936.

Cronyn and Jessica Tandy at the 1988 Emmy Awards

In 1942, Cronyn married the actress Jessica Tandy. They became a very famous acting couple. They worked together in many memorable plays, movies, and TV shows. Some of their well-known films include The Green Years (1946), The Seventh Cross (1944), Cocoon (1985), and *batteries not included (1987).

They also starred in a short radio series called The Marriage (1953–1954). This show was based on their Broadway play, The Fourposter. The couple had two children, a daughter named Tandy and a son named Christopher. They lived in the Bahamas, New York, and Connecticut. Jessica Tandy passed away in 1994.

After Jessica Tandy died, Cronyn married author and playwright Susan Cooper in 1996. They had worked together on the play Foxfire. Hume Cronyn wrote an autobiography in 1991 called A Terrible Liar. He passed away on June 15, 2003, just before his 92nd birthday.

Awards and Recognition

Hume Cronyn received many honors during his life.

• In 1979, he was added to the American Theater Hall of Fame.
• On July 11, 1988, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. This is a very high honor in Canada.
• In 1999, he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.
• He also received special medals like the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal in 1992.
• The University of Western Ontario gave him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1974. His wife, Jessica Tandy, received the same degree on the same day.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Radio appearances

See also

In Spanish: Hume Cronyn para niños