George Gaynes
| George Gaynes | |
|---|---|
George Gaynes in 1964
|
|
| Born |
George Jongejans May 3, 1917 Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire |
| Died | February 15, 2016 (aged 98) North Bend, Washington, U.S. |
| Nationality | Dutch (1917–1948) American (1948–2016) |
| Occupation | Actor · Voice actor · Singer · Comedian |
| Years active | 1940–2003 |
| Known for |
Police Academy Punky Brewster |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Spouse(s) | Allyn Ann McLerie (m. 1953; his death 2016) |
| Children | Iya Gaynes Falcone Brown Mathew Gaynes |
| Parent(s) | Gerrit Jongejans (father) Iya Grigorievna de Gay (mother) |
| Relatives | Gregory Gaye (Uncle) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | The Netherlands |
| Service/branch | Royal Netherlands Navy |
| Years of service | 1943–1946 |
| Rank |
 Sergeant
|
| Unit | HNLMS Oranje Nassau HMS Hilary HMS Wilton |
| Battles/wars | |
George Gaynes (born George Jongejans; May 3, 1917 – February 15, 2016) was an American singer, actor, voice artist, and comedy performer of stage, screen, and television. Born to Dutch and Russian parents in Finland, he served in the Royal Netherlands Navy during World War II and subsequently immigrated to the United States, where he became a citizen and began his acting career on Broadway.
Gaynes' most recognized roles in cinema were, arguably, that of Commandant Eric Lassard in the Police Academy series and the comedy film Tootsie. To television fans, he is perhaps best remembered as the curmudgeonly but lovable foster parent Henry Warnimont on the NBC series Punky Brewster; as high-powered theatrical producer Arthur Feldman on The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, in which Gaynes' real-life wife, Allyn Ann McLerie, co-starred as his love interest; and as Frank Smith, the mob boss brought down by Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary) on the soap opera General Hospital.
Gaynes was born on May 3, 1917, in Helsinki, in what was then the Grand Duchy of Finland and part of the Russian Empire (Finland became independent that year), the son of Iya Grigorievna de Gay (later known as Lady Abdy), a Russian artist, and Gerrit Jongejans, a Dutch businessman. His uncle was the actor Gregory Gaye. He was raised in France, England, and Switzerland. Gaynes graduated from the Collège Classique Cantonal near Lausanne in 1937. He also attended the Music School of Milan from 1938 to 1939, and many years later trained at the Actors Studio in New York City from 1953 to 1958.
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