Louis Nye
| Louis Nye | |
|---|---|
Nye in 1966.
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| Born |
Louis Neistat May 1, 1913 Hartford, Connecticut United States |
| Died | October 9, 2005 (aged 92) Los Angeles, California United States |
| Cause of death | lung cancer |
| Resting place | Hillside Memorial Park Culver City, California United States Plot: Acacia Gardens Cremation Wall Space TT-643 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1950–2005 |
| Spouse(s) | Anita Leonard (?-2005) (his death) 1 child |
Louis Nye (May 1, 1913 – October 9, 2005) was an American comedy actor. He was an entertainer to the troops during World War II and is best known for his work on countless television, film and radio programs.
He was born Louis Neistat in Hartford, Connecticut, son of Joseph Neistat and Jennie Sherman. His sister Rose Neistat was born 1917. Although Nye, who pronounced his given name as Louie, later claimed he was born in 1922, he is listed as age six in the 1920 Hartford County, Connecticut, Federal Census.
Nye's parents were both Yiddish speaking Jews from the Russian Empire. They emigrated to the United States in 1906, and became naturalized citizens in 1911. His father owned a small grocery store, which his wife helped him run. Louis Nye attended Weaver High School, but he was not a good student. "My marks were so low," he explained, "that they wouldn't let me in the drama club. So I went down to WTIC Radio, auditioned, and got on a show."
Nye decided to go to New York, where he worked in radio, playing various roles on soap operas. He recalled, "I still think of myself as an actor. In the radio days, I was busy playing rotten Nazis, rich uncles and emotional juveniles -- the whole span -- and the only time I tried to be funny was at parties."
Nye served in the United States Army during World War II, and because he earned laughs by mimicking other soldiers, he was assigned to run the recreation hall. Following his discharge, he returned to New York and began working in live television. He also appeared in several plays on Broadway, and made many appearances on such TV variety shows as The Jack Benny Program (including one memorable turn as a crying cab driver), The Jimmy Durante Show, The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom and The Victor Borge Show.
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