Ray Collins (actor)
| Ray Collins | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
Ray Bidwell Collins December 10, 1889 Sacramento, California, U.S. |
| Died | July 11, 1965 (aged 75) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1902–1964 |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Marriott (married 1909–1924) Joan Uron (married 1926–1965) |
Ray Bidwell Collins (December 10, 1889 – July 11, 1965) was an American character actor in stock and Broadway theatre, radio, films, and television. With 900 stage roles to his credit, he became one of the most successful actors in the developing field of radio drama. A friend and associate of Orson Welles for many years, Collins went to Hollywood with the Mercury Theatre company and made his feature-film debut in Citizen Kane, as Kane's ruthless political rival. Collins appeared in more than 75 films and had one of his best-remembered roles on television, as the irascible Lieutenant Arthur Tragg on the long-running series Perry Mason.
Ray Bidwell Collins was born December 10, 1889, in Sacramento, California, to Lillie Bidwell and William Calderwood Collins. His father was a newspaper reporter and dramatic editor on The Sacramento Bee. His mother was the niece of John Bidwell, pioneer, statesman, and founder of society in the Sacramento Valley area of California in the 19th century. Collins was inspired as a young boy to become an actor after seeing a stage performance by his uncle, Ulric Collins, who had performed the role of Dave Bartlett in the Broadway production of Way Down East. He began putting on plays with neighborhood children in Sacramento.
Collins made his professional stage debut at age 13, at the Liberty Playhouse in Oakland, California. In July 1914, he and his first wife and their young son moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where Collins worked as an actor. In 1922, he was part of a stock company called Vancouver's Popular Players which enacted plays at the original Orpheum Theatre. He operated his own stock company for five years at his own theatre, the Empress Theatre in Vancouver. Collins toured in vaudeville and made his way to New York.
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