Edmund Gwenn

Active - 1916 - 1956  |   Born - Sep 26, 1877 in Wandsworth, London, United Kingdom  |   Died - Sep 6, 1959   |   Genres - Drama, Comedy, Romance

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Biography by AllMovie

The son of a traveling British civil servant, Edmund Gwenn was ordered to leave his home at age 17 when he announced his intention to become an actor. Working throughout the British empire in a variety of theatrical troupes, Gwenn finally settled in London in 1902 when he was personally selected by playwright George Bernard Shaw for a role in Shaw's Man and Superman. Thanks to Shaw's sponsorship, Gwenn rapidly established himself as one of London's foremost character stars, his career interrupted only by military service during World War I. Gwenn's film career, officially launched in 1916, took a back seat to his theatrical work for most of his life; still, he was a favorite of both American and British audiences for his portrayals of blustery old men, both comic and villainous. At age 71, Gwenn was cast as Kris Kringle, a lovable old eccentric who imagined that he was Santa Claus, in the comedy classic Miracle on 34th Street (1947); his brilliant portrayal was honored with an Academy Award and transformed the veteran actor into an "overnight" movie star. Edmund Gwenn died shortly after making his final film, an oddball Mexican comedy titled The Rocket From Calabuch (1958); one of his surviving family members his cousin Cecil Kellaway, was a respected character actor in his own right.

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Factsheet

  • The first actor to win the Best Actor Academy Award for playing Santa Claus, and he won the award for the role in 1947's Miracle on 34th Street.
  • While in university, excelled at rugby and amateur boxing.
  • Was essentially kicked out of his home by his father after proclaiming he was pursuing acting, and for a while would only act in parts where he wore a disguise to avoid being recognized by someone his father knew.
  • Appeared in a number of dog-centered films, including 1955's It's a Dog's Life and two Lassie films - 1943's Lassie Come Home and 1949's Challenge to Lassie.
  • Frequently collaborated with Alfred Hitchcock, appearing in four films directed by the master of suspense - The Skin Game, Strauss' Great Waltz, Foreign Correspondent and The Trouble with Harry.
  • Received a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame which is located at 1751 Vine Street.