Frank Gorshin was an American actor and impressionist. He is perhaps best remembered for making several guest appearances on the TV shows ‘Tonight Starring Steve Allen’ and ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ as an impressionist. As an actor, he was known for his role as The Riddler in the live-action series ‘Batman.’ Born to a seamstress and a railroad worker, Gorshin started working part-time at the age of 15. Following his graduation from Peabody High School, he studied at Carnegie Tech School of Drama and performed in nightclubs and plays when not studying. At the age of 19, Gorshin was drafted into the U.S. military and was posted in Germany where he served for about two years as an entertainer before becoming a prolific film actor. The actor married once and had one son. He remained a chain smoker throughout his adult life and eventually died of lung cancer in May 2005, at the age of 72.
