Jason Wingreen facts for kids

Jason Wingreen (born October 9, 1920 – died December 25, 2015) was an American actor. He was well-known for playing Harry Snowden, a bartender, on the TV shows All in the Family (1977–1979) and Archie Bunker's Place (1979–1983). He also provided the original voice for the famous Star Wars character Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back (1980).

Early Life and Beginnings

Jason Wingreen was born in 1920 in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in Howard Beach, Queens. He went to John Adams High School. Later, he graduated from Brooklyn College in 1941. While in college, he was part of the Varsity Dramatic Society. Jason first wanted to be a newspaper reporter. He even wrote about high school sports for the Brooklyn Eagle newspaper.

During World War II, he served in the United States Army Air Force. He was stationed in England and Germany. After the war, he used the G.I. Bill to study acting. He went to New York's New School. He also helped start the Circle in the Square Theatre company. This theater was in New York's Greenwich Village. He first appeared on Broadway in 1954. He was in two plays: The Girl on the Via Flaminia and Fragile Fox.

His Acting Journey

Famous Roles in Film

In 1980, Jason Wingreen lent his voice to a very famous character. He was the voice of the bounty hunter Boba Fett. This was in the Star Wars movie, The Empire Strikes Back. The character was physically played by Jeremy Bulloch. Later, for the 2004 DVD release, Wingreen's voice was changed. Another actor, Temuera Morrison, replaced his voice. This was done to match the 2002 movie Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. In that movie, Boba Fett is shown to be a clone of Morrison's character, Jango Fett.

Jason Wingreen was also a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This group gives out the Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars.

On Television

Jason Wingreen was widely recognized for his role as Harry Snowden. Harry was a bar owner and bartender. He appeared on the TV sitcom All in the Family. He continued this role on the show's follow-up series, Archie Bunker's Place.

Before these roles, Wingreen appeared in many other TV shows. He was a regular on The Untouchables in 1960–61. He played Police Captain Dorsett. He also appeared in three episodes of the original Twilight Zone. These episodes included "A Stop at Willoughby" and "The Midnight Sun".

He even appeared on the original Star Trek series. This made him one of the few actors to be in both Star Wars and Star Trek! Wingreen also had a recurring role as Judge Arthur Beaumont. This was in the series Matlock. He was a guest star in many other popular shows. These included Mission: Impossible, Outer Limits, Bonanza, and The Rockford Files. In 1965, he even played Adolf Hitler on the show Blue Light.

In 1979, Wingreen was part of the TV mini-series Roots: The Next Generations. He later guest-starred on General Hospital in 1991. After appearing on TV's Seinfeld in the 1990s, Wingreen retired. His last TV role was in 1994 on In The Heat Of The Night.

Personal Life

Jason Wingreen was married to Gloria Scott Backe. She was known as "Scotty" and passed away in 1996. They had one son together.

His Passing

Jason Wingreen died at his home in Los Angeles, California. He was 95 years old. This was on December 25, 2015. Jeremy Bulloch, the actor who physically played Boba Fett, shared his sadness. He said Jason would be greatly missed by his family, friends, and all Star Wars fans.

Jason was survived by his son, Ned Wingreen. Ned is a theoretical physicist. Jason also had two grandchildren and a sister, Harriet. Harriet was a pianist for the New York Philharmonic.