Trivia: Born in Canada, he was brought up in New York City. For a while he was a professional swimmer in a water carnival. He became a stage actor, appearing in many productions in stock and on Broadway; he often appeared in Shakespeare. In the mid '40s he began working in films, at first in lead roles that tended to be introspective; as time went by, he was cast in secondary roles, often as a pessimistic bad guy. For his work in All the King's Men (1949) he received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. In the '60s his career began to dry up, and he appeared in many low-budget Italian films; however, he stayed busy as a screen actor into the '80s, often appearing in action or horror films. He co-directed and co-produced the film Outlaw Territory (1953). From 1949-56 he was married to actress Joanne Dru.

Trivia: American actor Ernest Truex fulfilled the dream of many a performer by playing Hamlet--at age six, in a kiddie talent show. A professional from adolescence onward, Truex appeared in several plays produced by the legendary David Belasco, including a "character juvenile" in The Good Little Devil, in which he supported Mary Pickford. Good Little Devil served as Truex's film debut in 1914, though it would be at least fifteen years and numerous plays later before he'd tackle the movies on a fulltime basis. During the '20s, Truex gained so much popularity in light domestic comedies that several writers concocted vehicles especially for him. Usually cast in wistful, milquetoast roles, Truex in real life was fiercely competitive, much to the chagrin of directors and writers who had to fight tooth and nail to keep Truex from hogging every scene he was in. Talking pictures allowed Truex a few leading roles, as in the first version of the comedy melodrama Whistling in the Dark (1933) (a role played in the remake by Red Skelton), but soon found his weight was more effectively felt in supporting parts. Many of these recycled his "downtrodden little man" routine, with such spectacular exceptions as The Warrior's Husband (1933), in which he played an outrageously campy "nance," and Roadblock (1939), where the actor went against the mild-mannered grain to play a scheming, demonic gang boss. Truex continued his stage work in the '30s and '40s, notably as the "back to the farm" homeowner in Kaufman and Hart'sGeorge Washington Slept Here (Jack Benny did the movie version). Becoming slightly more precious as he got older, Truex portrayed any number of "sly grandpop" roles in the '50s, with television providing fresh new outlets for the actor's talent. He had recurring roles in such sitcoms as Mr. Peepers, Jamie, Pete and Gladys; a potential long-lasting 1958 stint as a hotel manager on The Ann Sothern Show came to an abrupt end because Ms. Sothern, some say, was a tad intolerant of inveterate scene stealers. Like many veteran performers, Ernest Truex was given ample opportunity to shine on Rod Serling's anthology Twilight Zone, first as a prescient peddler in the 1959 episode "What You Need," then more memorably as a nursing home resident desperate to recapture his youth in 1962's "Kick the Can." Ernest Truex was married to actress Sylvia Field, herself an early-'60s TV favorite as Mrs. Wilson on Dennis the Menace.

Trivia: Character player Emile Genest first appeared onscreen in the '60s.

Trivia: American actress Sharon Farrell first began making TV appearance in the early '60s. Farrell began studying dance at age seven, and before she was out of her teens had racked up a great many appearances with the American Ballet Company. Her musical comedy debut occurred at age 17 with a Denver production of Oklahoma. Moving to New York, Farrell immediately got a job with a children's theatre--which just as immediately folded. Modelling work followed, then several years as a guest actress on a variety of top network programs, among them Bob Hope Chrysler Theatre, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and The Wild Wild West. Movie assignments included Marlowe (1969) and The Reivers (1969); despite several years' experience, she was voted "most promising newcomer" for the latter film. Farrell's career was tragically interrupted when her heart stopped beating for four minutes during childbirth. She incurred brain damage, and was virtually unable to read, write, or memorize. After extensive sessions of re-learning, Sharon returned to acting in the early '70s, her work load increasing as her recovery progressed. By the '90s, Farrell was seen as a regular on two series: The Young and the Restless and Matlock. Sharon Farrell's second husband was writer Dale Trevillon, whom she met on the set of the Mississippi-filmed The Premonition (1976).