Richard Crenna facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard Crenna
Richard Crenna in 1961
Born	Richard Donald Crenna (1926-11-30)November 30, 1926 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	January 17, 2003(2003-01-17) (aged 76) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	Belmont Senior High School
Alma mater	University of Southern California (BA)
Occupation	Actor director producer
Years active	1937–2003
Spouse(s)	Joan Grisham ​ ​ (m. 1950; div. 1955)​ Penni Sweeney ​ (m. 1959)​
Children	3
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1945–1946
Battles/wars	World War II

Richard Donald Crenna (born November 30, 1926 – died January 17, 2003) was a famous American actor. He worked in movies, on television, and on the radio.

Richard Crenna starred in many popular movies. These include The Sand Pebbles, Wait Until Dark, and Body Heat. He is perhaps best known for playing Colonel Sam Trautman in the first three Rambo films. He even made fun of this role in the comedy movie Hot Shots! Part Deux.

Crenna first became well-known on the radio in 1948. He played a high school student named Walter Denton in the show Our Miss Brooks. He continued this role when the show moved to television in 1952. Later, he starred as Luke McCoy in the TV series The Real McCoys from 1957 to 1963. In 1985, he won an Emmy Award for his acting.

Richard Crenna's Early Life

Richard Crenna was born on November 30, 1926. His birthplace was Los Angeles, California. He was the only child of Edith Josephine and Domenick Anthony Crenna. His mother managed a hotel, and his father was a pharmacist. Both of his parents were from Italy.

Crenna went to Virgil Junior High School. Then he attended Belmont Senior High School in Los Angeles. He graduated from high school in 1944. After high school, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was in the Army from February 1945 to August 1946.

After his time in the Army, Crenna went to the University of Southern California (USC). He earned a degree in English literature. He was also a member of the Kappa Sigma club.

Richard Crenna's Acting Career

Richard Crenna had a long and successful acting career. He started in radio and moved to television and movies.

Starting in Radio Shows

Crenna began his acting journey on the radio. In 1937, he got his first role on a show called Boy Scout Jamboree. He played "the kid who did everything wrong." He appeared on this show many times until 1948.

The next year, he started playing Walter "Bronco" Thompson on The Great Gildersleeve. He continued this role until 1954. In 1948, he also created the role of Walter Denton on the radio comedy Our Miss Brooks. He played alongside Eve Arden and Gale Gordon. When the show moved to television in 1952, he went with it. He stayed in that role until 1957.

Early Television Roles

Crenna continued playing Walter Denton when Our Miss Brooks moved to TV in 1952. He stayed with the show until it ended in 1957. He also appeared as a guest star on the I Love Lucy episode "The Young Fans."

In 1956, he was on the TV series Father Knows Best. He played a young man named Woody. In 1957, he played a bank robber on the Cheyenne TV series.

After Our Miss Brooks was canceled, Crenna joined The Real McCoys. He played Luke McCoy, with Walter Brennan as Grandpa Amos McCoy. Kathleen Nolan played his wife, Kate McCoy. Crenna even directed some episodes of the show during its six-year run (1957–1963).

Acting in the 1960s and 1970s

Richard Crenna also directed TV shows. He directed eight episodes of The Andy Griffith Show in 1963-1964. These included popular episodes like "Opie the Birdman." He also directed an episode of the drama Lou Grant in 1977.

From 1964 to 1965, Crenna played California state senator James Slattery. This was in the CBS-TV series Slattery's People. He was nominated for an Emmy Award twice for this role. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1965. In 1966, Crenna acted with Steve McQueen in The Sand Pebbles. He played a captain on an American gunboat.

Richard Crenna and Bernadette Peters in All's Fair, 1976

During the 1970s, Crenna acted in Western movies. Some of these were The Deserter and Breakheart Pass. He also had a notable role in the French film Un Flic in 1972. In 1976, Crenna returned to TV in the comedy All's Fair. He co-starred with Bernadette Peters. In 1978, he was in the TV miniseries Centennial.

Acting in the 1980s and 1990s

Crenna won an Emmy Award in 1985 for his role in the movie The ... of Richard Beck. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for this film.

Richard Crenna in 1998

He then played John Rambo's former boss, Colonel Sam Trautman, in the Rambo movies. This role became his most famous. He was praised for his acting. He even made fun of the character in the 1993 movie Hot Shots! Part Deux.

Crenna also played police lieutenant Frank Janek. This was in a series of seven popular TV movies from 1988 to 1994. The character of Janek came from novels by William Bayer.

Richard Crenna's Legacy

Richard Crenna received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star is located at 6714 Hollywood Boulevard. This is a special honor for actors.

Richard Crenna's Death

Richard Crenna became ill with pancreatic cancer. He passed away from heart failure at age 76. This happened on January 17, 2003. He was at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. His wife, Penni, and his three children were with him. His body was cremated.

Filmography

Richard Crenna appeared in many films and television shows throughout his career.

Movies

Television Shows

Video Games

Awards and Nominations

Richard Crenna was recognized for his acting with several awards and nominations.

Images for kids

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  Richard Crenna and Kathleen Nolan in The Real McCoys, 1960

See also

In Spanish: Richard Crenna para niños