User:Joefax530/sandbox

Conrad McLaren
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Conrad McLaren (born Robert Conrad Price, November 13, 1926 – January 25, 2020) was an American actor with dozens of film, theatrical, television, and commercial appearances.

Early Years
Born in Greenfield, Illinois, McLaren was valedictorian of his graduating class of Greenfield High School, 1944. McLaren served in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper in 1944/1945, and upon his return, earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts from Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) in 1950, followed by post-graduate studies at the University of Iowa. He worked for the U.S. Army in Europe throughout the mid-1950’s as Field Entertainment Director, staging a variety of productions in support of military personnel stationed in Germany, receiving the Commendation for Meritorious Civilian Service.  

Upon his return to the U.S., he was extremely active in community and professional theatre in Bloomington, Illinois and throughout the state, directing, producing, and acting in more than a dozen productions staged by the Community Players, and serving as Director of the American Passion Play for five years.

Career
McLaren, he began a career as a professional actor in the late 1960’s, relocating to New York City. His Broadway credits included a revival of “Guys and Dolls” in 1992/1993 (Arvide Abernathy) and the original run of “Ragtime” in 1998/2000, in which he originated the role of Grandfather. He appeared in more than two-dozen off-Broadway productions between 1968 and 2001.

He began his television career in 1980 with a recurring role as the Sheriff on the daytime drama Ryan’s Hope.  He appeared as Ben, Kate’s father in the “Lovely Rita” episode of Kate and Allie (1985), Silas Phelps in the American Playhouse production of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1986), the Judge in the “Where’s Rudy?” episode of The Cosby Show, and Fred Furd in the PBS children’s series Mathnet (1990.)  He appeared in made-for-television movies Everyday Heroes (Bill Benson, 1990), Ironclads (Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy, 1991), and Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore (Dr. Halloway, 1992), as well as the ABC Afterschool Special A Town’s Revenge (1989.)

His featured film appearances include “Mac,” the creator of the titular silver bullet in Stephen King’s Silver Bullet (1985), Mr. Tatie in Summer Heat (1987), the Sheriff in Reversal of Fortune (1990), and the father of the lead character Bronte in Green Card (1990.) Other film work included Out of the Rain (1991), Killer: A Journal of Murder (1995), and Addicted to Love (1995.)

Personal Life
He married Billie Lou Brummell of Alton, Illinois in 1953, and although they ended their marriage in 1970, they remained close friends for many years until his passing. He lived with his lifelong domestic partner Daniel Kruger from 1968 until his passing in 2021.

Death
McLaren died January 25, 2020, at the age of 93, in Litchfield Park, Arizona, of natural causes.

Filmography
Film Television