Will Lee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Will Lee
Lee as Mr. Hooper on Sesame Street
Born	William Lubovsky August 6, 1908 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died	December 7, 1982(1982-12-07) (aged 74) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1930–1982

William Lee (born William Lubovsky; August 6, 1908 – December 7, 1982) was an American actor. He appeared in many TV shows and movies. He was best known for playing Mr. Hooper, the friendly store owner on Sesame Street. Will Lee was one of the four original human characters when the show started in November 1969. He played Mr. Hooper until he passed away in 1982 at age 74.

Early Life and Acting Career

Will Lee was born into a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, in 1908. His father, who worked with books, lost his job because of big changes in the economy. Will Lee grew up during the Great Depression, a time when many people struggled to find work.

He took on many different jobs in New York City. He also spent time in Greenwich Village, a part of the city known for its new and exciting art and theater. He started his acting career on stage. In the 1930s, he was part of a group called the Group Theater. He acted in several Broadway plays, including The Time of Your Life. He even took over the main role in the play Golden Boy from another famous actor, John Garfield.

Will Lee also helped start the Theater of Action. He was part of the Federal Theatre Project, which was a government program that supported theater during the Depression. During World War II, he served in the Army. He helped direct and put on shows for soldiers overseas. He also taught acting classes. After the war, he continued to act in plays both on and Off Broadway.

Facing Challenges and Teaching Acting

Lee also started acting in movies, often in small parts. However, he faced a difficult time in the 1950s. He was put on a "blacklist," which meant he was stopped from working in movies and on TV for five years. This happened during a time called McCarthyism, when people were unfairly accused of being communists. Will Lee had been questioned by a government committee about his involvement in show business.

After this period, in 1956, he got a role in the TV show As the World Turns. He also became a respected acting teacher. He taught at the American Theatre Wing for nine years, where one of his students was the famous actor James Earl Jones. He also taught at other schools and led his own acting classes. Besides Sesame Street, he appeared in TV movies and a movie called Daniel. He also acted in commercials, like one for Atari where he played a grandfather learning to play Pac-Man.

Mr. Hooper's Special Impact

In 1969, Will Lee got the role that made him famous: Mr. Hooper on Sesame Street. Mr. Hooper was the kind and wise owner of the neighborhood store. Joan Ganz Cooney, who helped create Sesame Street, said that Will Lee showed millions of children that old and young people can learn a lot from each other.

A survey showed that young viewers recognized Mr. Hooper more than any other human character on Sesame Street. His bowtie and horn-rimmed reading glasses became his special look.

Will Lee played Mr. Hooper for over 10 years. He appeared in Sesame Street TV specials like Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. He also took part in parades, including the 1982 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. In Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, it was shown that Mr. Hooper was Jewish, just like Will Lee.

Will Lee filmed his last scenes as Mr. Hooper on November 24, 1982. This was just two weeks before he passed away. These scenes became very important in a special episode that aired a year later. In that episode, the adults on Sesame Street explained Mr. Hooper's death to Big Bird, who was very close to him.

Children would often come up to Will Lee on the street and ask, "How did you get out of the television set?" or quietly tell him, "I love you." Will Lee said in 1981 that knowing he was helping so many kids brought him great joy.

Saying Goodbye to Mr. Hooper

After Will Lee's death, the people who made Sesame Street had to decide how to talk about it on the show. They thought about replacing Mr. Hooper with a new actor or having him move away. But in the end, they decided to show that Mr. Hooper had also passed away. They created an episode that helped children understand the difficult topic of death.

This special episode, number 1839, was called "Farewell, Mr. Hooper." It aired on November 24, 1983, which was Thanksgiving Day. This episode was later chosen by the Daytime Emmy Awards as one of the 10 most important moments in daytime television. At the end of the show, a picture of Will Lee was shown with his birth and death dates, and the words "In Loving Memory of Will Lee."

The cast of Sesame Street was very sad about Will Lee's death. They had become good friends with him over the years. The actors said that their sad faces in the episode were real. But they kept performing, knowing they were doing something important for children. Caroll Spinney, who played Big Bird, said that the last time he saw Will Lee was during the filming of Mr. Hooper's last episode. Lee was not feeling well that day. Spinney, while wearing Big Bird's feet, put his arm around Lee and said, "I love you, Mr. Hooper." Lee replied, "And I love you, Caroll." Will Lee passed away a few days later.

A few years later, Loretta Long, who played Susan on the show, talked about the episode's impact. She said, "People come up to us and say 'Thank you. Now we can explain what happened to Grandma, what happened to Grandpa.'"

Death

Will Lee passed away on December 7, 1982, at age 74. He died from a heart attack at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Will Lee was never married and did not have any children. He was survived by his sister, Sophie Lee Lubov. The Sesame Street episode "Farewell, Mr. Hooper" was released 11 months later and was dedicated to Will Lee.

Film and Television Roles

Will Lee appeared in many films and television shows throughout his career.

Film Roles

Television Roles

Images for kids

• 

  Will Lee as Mr. Hooper on Sesame Street.

See also

• History of Sesame Street