Carl William Demarest is an American actor. He played vivid and memorable roles, which is why he is often called a character actor. The audience remembered him for the film "My Three Sons", in which William Demarest played Uncle Charlie.
Karl William Demarest is a Hollywood star, a famous and talented American actor, an extraordinary personality with a simple biography. He loved hunting and fishing, was seriously fond of golf, played the cello. William was a professional boxer, achieved success in this area, but did not like to talk about it. During his life, the actor starred in more than 150 films, mostly his roles were episodic, and the characters he played were notorious. The actor rarely got the main roles, and the real fame came to the actor thanks to television. William Demarest is a comedian, but his track record also includes serious roles.
Actor's life
The actor was born on February 27, 1892 in the city of Saint Paul, which is located in the US Midwest (Minnesota). His parents Samuel Demarest and Wilhelmina Demarest (Lindgren) had nothing to do with the acting profession, they were not famous people. William is not the only child in the Demarest family; he had two brothers, Ruben and George. The actor has Caucasian roots, but he and his brothers often in their work altered the surname Demarest in the Italian way, they said that their surname was Demarestio. The fate of George is not known, Ruben became a famous actor.
In 1904, the Demarest family moved to Bergen County, New Bridge, at the decision of Wilhelmina's mother. In her opinion, the boys had more prospects in this place than in Saint-Paul.
During World War I (1917-1918), William served in the United States Army and after the war was awarded World War I Veteran status.
After demobilization from the army, William performed with his brothers in vaudeville, their creative team was called the Demarest Trio.
In 1926, William moved to Broadway, and a year later began his film career. In the early 1930s, he and his wife arranged receptions where he played the cello.
In 1940 the actor moved to Hollywood.
Since 1968, William has been involved in charity work and opened two charitable foundations.
Karl William Demarest has come a long creative path, he had an interesting life, he played many roles, but the viewer remembered only some of them. The actor died on December 27, 1983 at the age of 91 from cancer. Buried at Memorial Park in Forest Lawn (Glendale), Los Angeles, California.
Film and musical career
The actor's creative career began in early childhood, he and his brothers Ruben and Georgy performed at the stock theater.
The actor participated in vaudeville with his brothers, after the war with his wife and playing partner Estelle Collette (creative pseudonym, real name Esther Zychlin). He played the cello and she played the violin. Their creative duet was called "Demarest and Collette".
In 1927, Warner Brothers experiment sound film, a major film company, signed a contract with William Demarest to shoot the film "The Jazz Singer" (the first motion picture with sound). The film premiered on October 6, 1927. William played the drunkard Billings. The role was so insignificant that the name of the actor was not indicated in the credits.
For a long time, the actor got episodic roles.
In 1928, he starred in the film "A Girl in Every Port" directed by Howard Hawkes, the actor's name was not indicated in the credits.
In 1929 and 1931, William appeared in Earl Carroll's musicals The Sketchbook and Vanity.
Since 1935, the actor began working with director Fred McMurray. He starred in the film "Hands on the Table", but his name, as before, was not indicated in the credits. William starred in Forgive My Past (1945) and Distant Horizons (1955), directed by Fred McMurray. These are only the most famous and popular films.
In 1946, Carl William Demarest was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in The Jolson Story. The actor played one of the main roles, his character was named Steve Martin. The actor never received the award.
William collaborated with director Preston Sturges for a long time, who assembled a “stock cast” and filmed it in all of his films. The most famous films: "Lady Eve", "Sullivan Goes", "Miracle at Morgan Creek".
Roles in sitcoms, in which he played the main roles, brought real fame to the actor. In 1959 - 1962, William played the owner of a music company, William Harris in the sitcom Love and Marriage. According to the plot, his hero refuses to arrange rock and roll, despite the fact that it will help save his company from bankruptcy. The sitcom aired for 18 weeks on NBC.
Since 1959, the actor began to receive leading roles. One of his most famous roles is considered to be the role of Police Chief Alois of Santa Rosita in the film "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (1963). The main role of William Demrest is recognized as the role of Uncle Charlie O'Casey in the sitcom "My Three Sons" from 1965 to 1972.
The role of Charlie O'Casey was supposed to be played by William Frawley, but due to illness, the actor refused to participate in the sitcom.
For participation in the sitcom "My Three Sons" in 1968-1969. William Demarest won an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedic Role.
The actor retired at 84 when he starred in the episode "The Gatekeeper's Brief Studio Cameo" in the movie "Yon Tone, the Dog That Saved Hollywood" (1976). This was the last role of the actor, he became seriously ill. On August 8, 1979, a star named William Demarest appeared on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1998, Palme d'Or Star in Palm Springs, California, the Avenue of Stars was dedicated to him.
Actor's marriages
William Demarest has been married twice. In 1917, he married his vaudeville partner Estelle Collette (Esther Zychlin). She was six years older than him. Estelle had a daughter from her first marriage, who was raised by William for a long time. William and Estelle's marriage fell apart in the mid-1930s.
The second wife of the actor was 20 years younger than him, her name was Lucille Thayer. The actor lived with her until his death. He was ill for a long time, Lucille took care of him and only thanks to her the actor lived to 91 years.
