Updated 05-May-2020.
Mondo shtuff from around the internet, all about FRED GWYNNE!
My botty best at summarizing from Wikipedia: Frederick Hubbard Gwynne (July 10, 1926 – July 2, 1993) was an American actor, artist and author . he played Herman Munster in The Munsters, as well as his later Gwynne served in the United States Navy as a radioman on a submarine chaser . he later studied art under the G.I. Bill before attending Harvard . in 1951, he graduated from the university in 1954 he made his first cinematic appearance playing the laconic character “Slim” in the Oscar-winning film On the Waterfront . Phil Silvers sought him out for his television show because of his comedic work in Mrs he was 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) tall, an attribute that contributed to his being cast as Herman Munster . his face was painted a bright violet because it captured the most light on the black “herman munster was typecast after his iconic role in The Munsters . he was cast as Jonathan Brewster in a television production of arsenic and old lace . in 1969, he Gwynne found success as a stage actor in regional state productions across the u.s. he sang in a Hallmark Hall of Fame made-for-television production, The Littlest Angel (1969 Gwynne returned to Broadway in 1976 as Colonel J. C. Kinkaid in two parts of A Texas Trilogy . in 1984, he auditioned for the part of Henry on the show Punky Brewster Fred Gwynne played an investigative reporter in pet sematary . he also had roles in the movies Simon, On the Waterfront, So Fine, Disorganized Crime and The Cotton Club . he used a southern accent in his sparring with Joe Pesci’s character, Vincent “Vinny” Gambini . he lent his voice talents to commercials and radio shows such as CBS Radio he held a number of shows of his artwork, the first in 1989 . before divorcing in 1980, the couple had five children . In 1988, Gwynne married Deborah Flater .