Sebastian Cabot (actor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sebastian Cabot
Cabot in 1964
Born	Charles Sebastian Thomas Cabot (1918-07-06)6 July 1918 London, England
Died	23 August 1977(1977-08-23) (aged 59) North Saanich, British Columbia, Canada
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1935–1977
Known for	Family Affair The Time Machine Kismet Checkmate
Spouse(s)	Kathleen Rose Humphreys ​ (m. 1940)​
Children	3

With Mickey Rooney in Checkmate (1961)

Cabot, Carolyn Craig, and Doug McClure in Checkmate (1962)

Cabot (at top) as Mr. French on Family Affair in 1967

Nancy Walker, Cabot and Brian Keith in Family Affair, 1970

Charles Sebastian Thomas Cabot (born July 6, 1918 – died August 23, 1977) was a British actor. He is best known for playing Giles French, a kind "gentleman's gentleman" (like a butler), in the TV show Family Affair from 1966 to 1971.

He was also famous for his voice acting in many Disney animated movies. He was the narrator and Sir Ector in The Sword in the Stone (1963). Later, he voiced Bagheera the panther in The Jungle Book (1967). Sebastian Cabot was also the narrator for several Winnie the Pooh films, including Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966) and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977).

Early Life and First Steps in Acting

Sebastian Cabot was born in London, England, on July 6, 1918. When he was 14, he left school. He started working in a car garage, where he also drove and helped British actor Frank Pettingell.

Cabot became very interested in acting. He met other actors and, after working for Pettingell, he joined a theater group. He later said that he sometimes made up stories about his acting experience to get jobs. He believed acting was a bit like telling a good story, and he learned to speak smoothly while helping Pettingell. He didn't go to drama school but learned by doing. He was even fired from his first show! But he kept trying, and soon, people were calling him directly for acting jobs.

A Career on Screen and Stage

Sebastian Cabot's acting career officially began with a small part in a film called Foreign Affaires in 1935. His first role that was mentioned in the credits was in Alfred Hitchcock's movie Secret Agent (1936). He appeared in many other British films, like Love on the Dole (1941) and They Made Me a Fugitive (1947). In 1946, he played Iago in a short film version of Othello.

After World War II, Cabot continued to act in British movies. He played the bad guy Fouracada in Dick Barton Strikes Back (1949). He was also in Ivanhoe (1952) and The Love Lottery (1954). He took on roles in international films, such as Babes in Bagdad (1952) and Romeo and Juliet (1954), where he played Lord Capulet.

Moving to America and Famous Roles

Cabot later moved to the United States. There, he worked with Disney on films like Westward Ho, the Wagons! (1956) and Johnny Tremain (1957). In the science fiction movie The Time Machine (1960), he played Dr. Hillyer.

Around this time, Cabot also started doing a lot of voice acting. He was the voice of Noah in a musical play called The Flood (1962). As mentioned, he voiced Sir Ector in The Sword in the Stone (1963) and Bagheera in The Jungle Book (1967).

Television Work

Sebastian Cabot also became well-known for his work on television. He hosted a series called Jack the Ripper. He also appeared in many popular TV shows, including Gunsmoke, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Bonanza. He played a friendly demon in an episode of The Twilight Zone (1960).

From 1960 to 1962, Cabot was one of the main actors in the detective show Checkmate. He played Dr. Carl Hyatt, a college professor. He also appeared on the game show Stump the Stars. In 1965, he had a role on The Beverly Hillbillies.

His most famous TV role was Giles French in the CBS series Family Affair, which ran from 1966 to 1971. Even after the show ended, many people remembered him as Mr. French.

After Family Affair, Cabot hosted Ghost Story (1972), a show about supernatural tales. In 1973, he played Kris Kringle in the TV remake of Miracle on 34th Street. For this role, he had to shave his famous beard! He also narrated two more Pooh projects. In 1967, he even released an album where he recited songs by Bob Dylan.

On Broadway, he acted in a play called Love for Love in 1947.

Death

Sebastian Cabot passed away on August 23, 1977. He had a stroke at his home near Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and died in a hospital at age 59. His ashes were buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

Legacy

Years after his death, Sebastian Cabot was remembered on the Late Show with David Letterman in 2012. Comedian Billy Crystal mentioned him, and a photo of Cabot was shown on TV as a tribute.

Selected Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Sebastian Cabot (actor) para niños