| |
|---|---|
| Tom Bosley | |
| Credits | |
| Role | Ferdy |
| Biographical Information | |
| Full Name | Thomas Edward Bosley |
| Birthdate | October 1, 1927 |
| Birthplace | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Death Date | October 19, 2010 (age 83) |
| Death Place | Rancho Mirage, California, United States |
Tom Bosley played Esmeralda's old boyfriend Ferdy in the seventh season episode, "Samantha's Magic Mirror" (1971).
Biography[]
Thomas Edward Bosley was an American actor of radio, stage, television and film. His most famous acting role was the patriarch ‘Howard Cunningham’ in the popular television series "Happy Days", starring in it from 1974 to 1984.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, he served in the United States Navy during World War Two, and attended DePaul University following his return home. After becoming interested in an acting career, he studied at the Radio Institute of Chicago, and began performing on various radio programs.
He made his debut in the Broadway Theatre in the production "The Power and the Glory" (1958 to 1959), and began a lengthy television career during that same period. His breakthrough theatre role was his Tony Award-winning performance as New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in the musical "Fiorello!" (1959 to 1961), which was followed by scores of television guest appearances on such programs as "Car 54, Where Are You?", "Route 66", "The Defenders", and "The Streets of San Francisco".
He found substantial film roles in the pictures "Love with the Proper Stranger" (1963), "The World of Henry Orient" (1964) and "Divorce American Style" (1967). After recurring parts in the series "The Debbie Reynolds Show" (1969 to 1970) and "The Sandy Duncan Show" (1972), Bosley would inherit the role of ‘Howard Cunningham’ for the series "Happy Days" (initially played by Harold Gould in a 1972 episode of "Love, American Style", which inspired the show), and with it he would become a household name, earning an Emmy Award nomination in 1978.
Following the conclusion of the shows' run in 1984, he had a memorable supporting part as ‘Sheriff Amos Tupper’ in the series "Murder, She Wrote" (1984 to 1988), and played the title role in "Father Dowling Mysteries" (1987 to 1991).
He was married to Jean Eliot Bosley from 1962 until her passing in 1978 at age 45. Tom Bosley died from heart failure on October 19, 2010. He was 83.
Sources[]
- C. S. Tom Bosley memorial on Findagrave.com, October 19, 2010. Retrieved on September 23, 2020.
- Theologianthespian. Jean Eliot Bosley memorial on Findagrave.com, October 20, 2010. Retrieved on December 2, 2020.