Ian Abercrombie

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Ian Abercrombie (born September 11, 1934 in Grays , Essex , † January 26, 2012 in Los Angeles , California ) was a British actor .

Life

Ian Abercrombie was born into a British working class family and took an early interest in acting. As a child he performed as a tap dancer. Then he could be seen in London, but also in countries such as the Netherlands , Ireland and Scotland . In 1951, at the age of seventeen, he emigrated to the United States and had one of his early theater roles in 1955 in a production of Stalag 17 at the 48th Street Theater in New York City with Jason Robards and Roddy McDowall .

In 1957 Abercrombie was drafted by the US Army and transferred to Germany. Back in the USA, he began a career as a film and television actor in addition to his work in the theater. He made his first appearance in 1965 in the television series General Hospital . This was followed by roles in the series Armus Burke (1965) and Police Report (1969). He has also appeared in Barnaby Jones (1973), The Life and Times of Eddie Roberts (1980), California Clan (1984–1985) and Twin Peaks (1990). While he also played leading roles in the theater, he was mostly seen in smaller roles in front of the camera. He often played boring figures of the upper class, often with an English background.

In the 1990s he became known to a wider audience through his recurring roles as the butler Alfred Pennyworth in the comic book adaptation Birds of Prey and as the eccentric boss Mr. Pitt in Seinfeld . He has had other recurring roles as butler Rupert Cavanaugh on Desperate Housewives and as Professor Crumbs, a parody of Albus Dumbledore , in The Wizards of Waverly Place . Abercrombie also gave his voice to characters in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2013) and Green Lantern: The Animated Series (2011-2013). In addition to numerous television roles, he played in the movies Army of Darkness (1992), Forgotten World: Jurassic Park (1997), Mice Hunt (1997), Wild Wild West (1999), Garfield 2 (2006) and Inland Empire (2006) .

Abercrombie died of kidney failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at the age of 77 . He was a co-founder and member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and a member of the Actor's Fund of America .

Filmography (selection)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ian Abercrombie | Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos | AllMovie. Retrieved June 19, 2018 .
  2. ↑ Gavin Gaughan: Ian Abercrombie: Character actor best known in 'Seinfeld'. In: The Independent . Retrieved October 6, 2013 .
  3. ↑ Ian Abercrombie | Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos | AllMovie. Retrieved June 19, 2018 .
  4. ↑ Dennis McLellan: Ian Abercrombie dies at 77; actor played Elaine's boss on 'Seinfeld'. In: Los Angeles Times . Retrieved October 6, 2013 .
personal data
SURNAME Abercrombie, Ian
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British actor
DATE OF BIRTH September 11, 1934
PLACE OF BIRTH Grays , Essex , England
DATE OF DEATH January 26, 2012
Place of death Los Angeles , California