Wally Cox facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wally Cox
Cox in 1962
Born	Wallace Maynard Cox December 6, 1924 Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Died	February 15, 1973(1973-02-15) (aged 48) Hollywood, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor comedian
Years active	1948–1973
Spouse(s)	Marilyn Gennaro ​ ​ (m. 1954, divorced)​ Milagros Tirado ​ ​ (m. 1963; div. 1966)​ Patricia Tiernan ​ (m. 1969)​
Children	2

Wallace Maynard Cox (born December 6, 1924 – died February 15, 1973) was an American actor and comedian. He started his career telling jokes on stage. Later, he became famous as the main character in the TV show Mister Peepers from 1952 to 1955.

Wally Cox also acted in more than 20 movies and many TV shows. He was the voice of the cartoon superhero Underdog in the TV show of the same name.

Early Life and Start in Show Business

Wally Cox was born in Detroit, Michigan, on December 6, 1924. When he was 10, he moved to Evanston, Illinois, with his mother and younger sister. There, he became good friends with another child, Marlon Brando, who later became a famous actor.

His family moved a few times, including to New York City. Wally finished high school at Denby High School after they moved back to Detroit.

After high school, Wally went to college in New York City. He also spent a short time in the United States Army. To help his family, he made and sold jewelry. He also started performing funny monologues at parties. These performances led him to perform regularly at nightclubs, starting in 1948.

His friend Marlon Brando encouraged him to study acting.

Wally Cox's Acting Career

Wally Cox on an episode of
Lost in Space (1967)

In 1949, Wally Cox appeared on a radio show called Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. He made the audience laugh with his unique comedy style. He would tell stories in a quiet, mumbled voice about his friend "Dufo." Then, he would suddenly switch characters and sing a high-pitched song with yodels.

This performance was a big hit. He later recorded his comedy routine for a record. Wally also performed in Broadway shows and on early TV comedy programs.

In 1951, he starred in a TV comedy episode called "The Copper." The show's producer then offered him the main role in a new live TV comedy show, Mister Peepers. Wally accepted, and the show became very popular, running for three years on NBC.

In 1953, Wally Cox's comedy acts were part of The Ford 50th Anniversary Show. This special TV program was watched by 60 million people. It was a very important event in early television history.

Wally Cox also acted in many movies. He played Preacher Goodman in Spencer's Mountain (1963). He was a Navy sonar man in The Bedford Incident (1964). He even acted alongside his friend Marlon Brando in the movie Morituri (1965).

He was a regular guest on the TV game show Hollywood Squares. Many people remember him as the voice of the cartoon superhero Underdog. He also appeared on many other popular TV shows. These included Here's Lucy, The Beverly Hillbillies, Lost in Space, and The Twilight Zone.

Wally Cox played characters who were often shy and kind. They usually wore thick glasses and spoke in a gentle, high-pitched voice. He acted in over 20 movies and many TV episodes during the 1960s and early 1970s.

Besides acting, Wally Cox also wrote several books. These included Mister Peepers: A Sort of Novel, based on his TV show. He also wrote a children's book called The Tenth Life of Osiris Oakes.

Personal Life

Wally Cox was known for being handy. He even installed and took care of all the wiring in his own home. While he often played quiet characters on TV, he was quite active in real life. On a TV show called I've Got a Secret, he and the host ran around putting furniture together.

His friend Robert Blake once said that Wally Cox was adventurous and athletic. Wally Cox was married three times and had two children.

Wally Cox and Marlon Brando remained very close friends throughout Wally's life. Brando even came to Wally's memorial gathering. It is said that Brando kept Wally's ashes and talked to them every night.

Wally Cox was a supporter of the Democratic Party. He supported Adlai Stevenson in the 1952 presidential election.

Death

Wally Cox passed away on February 15, 1973, at his home in Hollywood, California. He was 48 years old. An autopsy showed that he died from a heart attack. His ashes were later scattered with those of Marlon Brando and another friend in Death Valley and Tahiti.

Partial Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Wally Cox para niños