Born Wayne James McMeekan, January 30, 1914, in Traverse City, MI; died of lung cancer, February 9, 1995, in Santa Monica, CA. Actor. Wayne was known forhis skill in bringing to life a versatile assortment of characters throughoutan acting career that spanned almost half century. Born in Michigan, Wayne moved to New York City in 1938, where he got a minor part in the 1939 stage production of The American Way. After serving with the American Field Service ambulance corps in North Africa during World War II, he returned to the New York stage in Broadway productions that included The Teahouse of the August Moon, 1953; Say Darling, 1958; Apollo and Miss Agnes, 1963; and Incident at Vichy, 1964. In 1947, Wayne received the first Antoinette Perry Award for actingwhen he was honored for his performance in Finian's Rainbow. Wayne's film appearances include Portrait of Jennie, 1949; How to Marry a Millionaire, 1953;The Three Faces of Eve, 1957; The Andromeda Strain, 1971; and The Survivalist, 1987. Among his work for television was the starring role in the 1955 series Pearson Norby, as the Mad Hatter in Batman during the 1960s, and as "Digger" Barnes in Dallas. In addition to numerous guest appearances on a variety oftelevision series during the 1960s and 1970s, Wayne was nominated for Emmy Awards for his work on Suspicion and Gunsmoke.
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