William Demarest

William Demarest
Demarest in a screenshot of The Palm Beach Story trailer in 1942
Born	Carl William Demarest (1892-02-27)February 27, 1892 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	December 27, 1983(1983-12-27) (aged 91) Palm Springs, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Prostate cancer; pneumonia
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1926–1978
Spouse(s)	Estelle Collette (b. 1886-d.1968) Lucile Thayer (1939–1983, his death) (1912–2009)

Carl William Demarest (February 27, 1892 – December 27, 1983) was an American character actor, known for playing Uncle Charley in My Three Sons. A veteran of World War I, Demarest became a prolific film and television actor, working on over 140 films, beginning in 1926 and ending in the 1970s. He frequently played crusty but good-hearted roles.

Carl William Demarest was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the son of Samuel and Wilhelmina (née Lindgren) Demarest. They moved to New Bridge, a hamlet in Bergen County, New Jersey, during his infancy.

Demarest served in the United States Army during World War I.

Demarest started in show business working in vaudeville, appearing with his wife Estelle Collette (real name Esther Zychlin) as "Demarest and Colette", then moved on to Broadway. Demarest worked regularly with director Preston Sturges, becoming part of a "stock" troupe of actors that Sturges repeatedly cast in his films. He appeared in ten films written by Sturges, eight of which were under his direction, including The Lady Eve, Sullivan's Travels and The Miracle of Morgan's Creek.

Demarest appeared with veteran western film star Roscoe Ates in the 1958 episode "And the Desert Shall Blossom" of CBS's Alfred Hitchcock Presents. In the story line, Ates and Demarest appear as old timers living in the Nevada desert. The local sheriff, played by Ben Johnson, appears with an eviction notice, but he agrees to let the pair stay on their property if they can make a dead rosebush bloom within the next month.