Tom Bosley: biography
Tom Bosley was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 1, 1927. As a child, he didn't dream of
being on stage, but on the baseball field. In 1976 he told TV Guide that he had wanted to
become the "star left-fielder for the Cubs" but he eventually realized that he was
"short, heavy, and not good at any sports."
Passing up on baseball, Bosley pursued a law degree at De Paul University after a stint
in the navy. Midway through college, he transferred to a radio school with the new goal of
becoming a sports announcer. Unable to find work as a sports announcer, however, Bosley became
a radio actor. In 1950, after two years of acting on the radio and in stock theater, he moved
to New York.
Like most young actors, Bosley worked a variety of odd jobs to pay the rent, including
hat-checker at a restaurant and doorman for Tavern-on-the-Green. In 1958, after years of
stage work, he was cast as the lead in the Broadway musical "Fiorello!" about the legendary
New York City mayor. His performance was nothing less than stunning and he won a "grand slam"
of New York theatrical awards, including top honors from the Tony Awards, the Drama
Critics, and the Newspaper Guild.
From that point on, Bosley became one of the busiest actors in the business. He appeared
on countless television shows, including "Route 66," "Dr. Kildare," "Mod Squad," and
"Bewitched." His first film role came in 1963 when he starred with Steve McQueen and Natalie
Wood in "Love with a Proper Stranger." Parts in other movies followed, including "Yours, Mine
and Ours," "The Secret World of Harry Frigg," and "Divorce, American Style." In addition to
his most famous TV role as Mr. C. on "Happy Days," Bosley was also a regular on "The Debbie
Reynolds Show" (1969-70) and the voice of the father on "Wait Til Your Father Gets Home" (1972).
For more information on what Tom Bosley has done after Happy Days, see the Where are they now? section.
The above biography is from the Nick-at-Nite site with minor additions by
myself. Please e-mail
if you have any additional information.
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