Description:
Burly American character actor with a deep gravelly voice who was equally adept at comedy and drama. The son of a theatrical costume designer, Strauss worked as a salesman and also as a singing waiter and busboy before finding success in the stage version of "Detective Story" on Broadway. He appeared with José Ferrer in the Broadway revival of "Twentieth Century." Also on Broadway, he played "Animal" in "Stalag, 17", and repeated the role in the film version (Stalag 17 (1953)). The wildly comic yet appealing character brought Strauss an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He had appeared in films as early as 1942 but became most familiar during the 1950s in memorable roles in such films as The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954) and The Man with the Golden Arm (1955). He continued to appear on stage and also in many television programs and commercials into the '70s. He died of complications from a stroke, leaving a widow and three children from his first marriage.
Birthday
November 8, 1913
Born In
New York City, New York, USA
Height
180 cm
Spouse/Ex-
Virginia Christina Deeb November 17, 1961 - February 20, 1975 (his death),Audrey Strauss November 21, 1951 - 1960 (divorced)
Trivia
A seemingly ubiquitous presence in films of the 1950s, this beefy
character actor drifted from one menial job to another before turning
to dramatics. He worked on the stage for several years before breaking
into movies in 1952. Typically played gruff characters -- sometimes
comic, sometimes menacing -- and essayed quite a few gangster roles as
well. He won an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Animal in
Stalag 17 (1953), a role he had originated on Broadway. He also appeared in
Sailor Beware (1952), Jumping Jacks (1952), The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954), The Seven Year Itch (1955), The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), Attack (1956), Li'l Abner (1959) (as Romeo
Scragg), The George Raft Story (1961), Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962), The Thrill of It All (1963), The Family Jewels (1965), Harlow (1965), Frankie and Johnny (1966), and
Fort Utah (1967), to name a few, in addition to many TV shows in the 1960s and
1970s. He was incapacitated during the final years of his life, from a
paralytic stroke.
