Tom Poston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tom Poston
|
|
|---|---|
Poston in 1965
|
|
| Born |
Thomas Gordon Poston
October 17, 1921 Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
|
| Died | April 30, 2007 (aged 85) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
|
| Resting place | Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1950–2006 |
| Spouse(s) |
Doris Sward
(m. 1949, divorced)Jean Sullivan
(m. 1955; div. 1961)Kay Hudson
(m. 1968; div. 1976)
(m. 1980; died 1998) |
| Children | 3 |
Thomas Gordon Poston (born October 17, 1921 – died April 30, 2007) was a well-known American actor. He was famous for his roles in many TV shows and movies. He started his acting career in 1950.
Tom Poston was a funny actor, a guest on game shows, and a host for comedy shows. He also acted in films and on Broadway plays. He appeared in more TV comedy shows (sitcoms) than almost any other actor. In the 1980s, he played George Utley in the TV show Newhart. This role earned him three Emmy Award nominations.
Early Life
Tom Poston was born in Columbus, Ohio. His parents were George and Margaret Poston. His father worked as a liquor salesman and a dairy chemist.
After high school, Tom went to Bethany College in West Virginia. He joined the Sigma Nu club there. In 1941, he joined the United States Army Air Forces. He became a pilot and flew planes in World War II. He helped drop paratroopers during the Normandy invasion.
After the war, he started studying acting in New York City. He graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Acting Career
In 1953, Tom Poston acted in the movie City That Never Sleeps. He was called Thomas Poston in the credits. In 1957, he became famous for his funny "Man in the Street" skits on The Steve Allen Show. He won an Emmy Award in 1959 for these performances. When the show moved to Los Angeles, Tom stayed in New York. He often appeared on Broadway and on TV game shows.
He acted in a few movies like Zotz! (1962) and Cold Turkey (1971). He was also in Grease 2 (1982), but his scenes were cut from the final movie.
Tom Poston had a very long TV career, lasting almost 50 years! The TV network ABC wanted him to play the main role of Maxwell Smart in the show Get Smart. But NBC ended up picking up the show, and the role went to Don Adams. However, Tom Poston did appear as a guest villain on Get Smart.
In 1968, Tom played the Scarecrow in a stage show of The Wizard of Oz.
.jpg)
He was a frequent guest star on The Bob Newhart Show in the 1970s. He played "The Peeper," a college friend of Bob's character. Later, he played Franklin Delano Bickley on Mork & Mindy.
Tom Poston was a good friend of actor Bob Newhart. He played George Utley, a simple handyman, on the show Newhart. He was nominated for an Emmy Award three times for this role. He also worked with Bob Newhart in the movie Cold Turkey and the TV show Bob.
Tom Poston also had roles in many other popular TV shows. These include Family Matters, Murphy Brown, Home Improvement, Cosby, ER, Grace Under Fire, and Will & Grace. He played Burt Sigurdson, Kitty Forman's father, on That '70s Show. He even lent his voice to the Capital City Goofball in an episode of The Simpsons.
In 1991, he was nominated for another Emmy for his role as Art Hibke on Coach. His last acting role was in 2006. He played Merle in an episode of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.
Personal Life
Tom Poston was married four times. His first marriage was to Doris Sward in 1949, but they later divorced.
He married Jean Sullivan in 1955. They had a daughter named Francesca. They divorced in 1961.
Tom then married Kay Hudson in 1968. They had two children, Jason and Hudson. They divorced in 1976 but got married again in 1980. They stayed together until Kay passed away in 1998.
In 2001, Tom Poston married actress Suzanne Pleshette. She played the wife of Bob Newhart's character on The Bob Newhart Show. They had briefly dated many years before.
Tom Poston passed away on April 30, 2007, at age 85, after a short illness. He is buried next to Suzanne Pleshette.
Images for kids
-
Poston in 1965
-
Tom Poston (left), Constance Ford, and Robert Elston in a Broadway play called Golden Fleecing (1959).
-
The handprints of Tom Poston in front of Hollywood Hills Amphitheater at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.
See also
In Spanish: Tom Poston para niños
