Dick Wilson: Difference between revisions
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'''Dick Wilson''' (born '''Riccardo DiGuglielmo'''; [[July 30]] [[1916]] – [[November 19]] [[2007]]), was a [[England|British |
'''Dick Wilson''' (born '''Riccardo DiGuglielmo'''; [[July 30]] [[1916]] – [[November 19]] [[2007]]), was a [[England|British]] [[character actor]] who played the role of finicky grocery store manager [[Mr. Whipple|Mr. (George) Whipple]] in over 500 [[Charmin]] [[toilet paper]] [[television commercial]]s ([[1965]]–[[1989]], [[1999]]).<ref>[http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jykyF_SSoGg97nrQ-hpWIZUhxLMwD8T0SMB00 Associated Press Obituary]</ref> In appreciation for his performance of the recognizable character, [[Procter & Gamble]] famously provided Wilson with a free lifetime supply of Charmin.<ref name=nytobit>Gates, Anita. [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/20/arts/20wilson.html Dick Wilson, Squeezer of Tissue Rolls on Television, Dies at 91]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. [[November 20]] [[2007]].</ref> |
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==Biography== |
==Biography== |
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Revision as of 05:18, 26 November 2007
 | This article is currently being heavily edited because its subject has recently died. Information about their death and related events may change significantly and initial news reports may be unreliable. The most recent updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
Dick Wilson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Riccardo DiGuglielmo |
| Years active | 1956-1987 |
| Spouse | Meg (? - present) 1 child |
| Children | Melanie Wilson |
Dick Wilson (born Riccardo DiGuglielmo; July 30 1916 – November 19 2007), was a British character actor who played the role of finicky grocery store manager Mr. (George) Whipple in over 500 Charmin toilet paper television commercials (1965–1989, 1999).[1] In appreciation for his performance of the recognizable character, Procter & Gamble famously provided Wilson with a free lifetime supply of Charmin.[2]
Biography
Dick Wilson was born in England to an Italian father, Aldo DiGuglielmo, and an English mother, Victoria Wilson. His father performed in vaudeville; his mother was a singer. In late 1916, his father moved the family to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada where he spent his childhood growing up in the Corktown neighbourhood and on the Mountain, attending Queen Victoria and Sacred Heart Schools. He had a Hamilton Spectator newspaper route and got his start in showbiz with a part-time job at CHML radio in Hamilton at age 15. Not wanting to be typecast as an Italian, he anglicized his first name and used his mother's maiden name as a last name when performing (DiGuglielmo and Wilson are also etymologically similar names).[3]
Wilson graduated from the Ontario College of Art & Design and then became a comic dancer in vaudeville. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force early in World War II and served as a fighter pilot against the German Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain in 1940. After the war, he moved to the United States, becoming an American citizen in 1954. After the war he worked as an acrobatic dancer in New York City before heading to California in 1954 for movie and TV work.[3]
Wilson made numerous appearances as several characters on the television sitcom Bewitched (usually as the drunk) and McHale's Navy, sometimes a neighbour or other stock character (various episodes between #33 and #247). He played a similar character in Disney's The World's Greatest Athlete in 1973. Also appeared in Hogan's Heroes & The Bob Newhart Show.[3]
Wilson was quoted one time saying, "I've done 38 pictures and nobody remembers any of them. But they all remember me selling toilet paper" on his claim to fame, Charmin toilet paper TV commercials. Wilson made more than 504 commercials as George Whipple, making $300,000 annually and working only 12 days a year.[3]
On his 80th birthday, when asked about his experiences in World War II, Wilson refused to discuss them, saying, "I lost too many good wing men."
Death
Wilson died at the Motion Picture and Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, United States.[4] Wilson was survived by his wife Meg, daughters Wendy and actress Melanie Wilson of the ABC sitcom Perfect Strangers, and five grandchildren. He was buried at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles.
Filmography
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References
- ^ Associated Press Obituary
- ^ Gates, Anita. Dick Wilson, Squeezer of Tissue Rolls on Television, Dies at 91. The New York Times. November 20 2007.
- ^ a b c d Foley, Doug (November 20 2007). "Corktown lad became TV's Mr. Whipple". The Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved November 21 2007.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Earthtimes.org Obituary
External links
- Please use a more specific IMDb template. See the documentation for available templates.
- An interview with Dick Wilson