Ed Wynn
Isaiah Edwin Leopold (November 9, 1886 – June 19, 1966), better known as Ed Wynn, was an American actor and comedian. He began his career in vaudeville in 1903 and was known for his Perfect Fool comedy character, his pioneering radio show of the 1930s, and his later career as a dramatic actor, which continued into the 1960s.[2] His variety show (1949–1950), The Ed Wynn Show, won a Peabody Award and an Emmy Award.
Not to be confused with Ed Wynne.
Ed Wynn
June 19, 1966 (aged 79)[1]
- Actor
- comedian
1903–1966
-
Frieda Mierse(m. 1937; div. 1939)
-
Dorothy Elizabeth Nesbitt(m. 1946; div. 1955)
- Tracy Keenan Wynn (grandson)
- Ned Wynn (grandson)
- Jessica Keenan Wynn (great-granddaughter)
Background[edit]
Wynn was born Isaiah Edwin Leopold in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to a Jewish family. His father, Joseph, a milliner, was born in Bohemia. His mother, Minnie Greenberg, of Romanian and Turkish ancestry, came from Istanbul.[3] Wynn attended Central High School in Philadelphia until age 15. He ran away from home in his teens, worked as a hat salesman and as a utility boy, and eventually adapted his middle name "Edwin" into his new stage name, "Ed Wynn", to save his family the embarrassment of having a lowly comedian as a relative.[1]
Personal life[edit]
Wynn was married three times. He first married actress Hilda Keenan on September 5, 1914. They eventually divorced on May 13, 1937, after twenty-three years of marriage.[11] Together, they had a son, actor Keenan Wynn.[11] He married his second wife, Frieda Mierse, on June 25, 1937, but would divorce her only two years later on December 12, 1939.[11] He married his third and final wife Dorothy Elizabeth Nesbitt on July 31, 1946. She filed for divorce from Wynn on February 1, 1955, and it was finalized on March 1, 1955.[12]
Wynn was a Freemason at Lodge No. 9 in Pennsylvania.[13][14]
Legacy[edit]
Wynn's distinctive voice continues to be emulated by countless actors and comedians, including Alan Tudyk for the character King Candy in Disney's animated film Wreck-It Ralph.[16]
Wynn was posthumously named a Disney Legend on August 10, 2013.[17]
In the graphic adventure game King's Quest VI, the character Jollo is based on his style.