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William Demarest

Personal Profile

William Demarest
  • Birth Name:
    Carl William Demarest
  • Date of Birth:
    February 27, 1892
  • Zodiac Sign:
    Pisces
  • Place of Birth:
    St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
  • Place of Death:
    Palm Springs, California, U.S.
  • Date of Death:
    December 28, 1983
  • Cause of Death:
    Prostate cancer and Pneumonia
  • Height:
    5' 9½"
  • Sex:
    Male
  • Nationality:
    American

Family

William Demarest
  • Brother:
    Rube Demarest
  • Spouse:
    Estelle Collette
    Lucile Thayer

Career

William Demarest

Trivia

William Demarest
  • Co-starred on NBC Radio's "The Eddie Bracken Story" (1945).
  • A golf enthusiast, he died the same day and year as pro golfer Jimmy Demaret.
  • Former professional boxer.
  • Hated to talk about his boxing career.
  • Demarest received a single Academy Award nomination, for his supporting role in The Jolson Story, playing Al Jolson's fictional mentor. He had previously shared the screen with the real Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer.
  • He started in show business working in vaudeville, then moved on to Broadway. His film career began in 1926 and spanned the decades up to the 1970s.
  • He worked regularly with director Preston Sturges, becoming part of a "stock" troupe of actors that Sturges repeatedly cast in his films.
  • He was a prolific film and television actor, having worked on over 140 films.
  • Was an American character actor.

Filmography

William Demarest

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