Tom Bosley
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Tom Bosley playing the role of Sheriff Amos Tupper on the television series Murder, She Wrote |
Thomas Edward Bosley (born
October 1,
1927) is an
American actor. He was born in
Chicago,
Illinois.
During
World War II, Tom Bosley served in the
U.S. Navy. While attending
DePaul University in Chicago in
1947, he made his stage debut in
Our Town with the Canterbury Players at the
Fine Arts Theatre. He performed at the
Woodstock Opera House in
Woodstock, Illinois in
1949 and
1950 alongside
Paul Newman.
Bosley's breakthrough stage role was
New York's Mayor
Fiorello H. LaGuardia in the long-running
Broadway musical Fiorello! (
1959) for which he won a
Tony Award.
He is best known as
Howard Cunningham,
Richie Cunningham's father, in the long running
sitcom Happy Days. Bosley is also known for Portraying
Sheriff Amos Tupper on
Murder, She Wrote. He also portrayed the titular Father Frank Dowling on the TV
mystery series,
Father Dowling Mysteries.
Bosley has several notable roles in animation, due to his resonant, fatherly yet expressive tone. He is the voice of Harry Boyle in the animated series,
Wait Till Your Father Gets Home.He provided the voice of the title character in the 1980s cartoon
David the Gnome. He voiced the shop owner
Mr. Winkle in the children's
animated Christmas special The Tangerine Bear. He also narrated the movie documentary series
That's Hollywood.
He has endorsed
Glad Trash Bags,
D-Con, the
IQ Computer and
Sonic Drive-Ins, and currently is the spokesman for SMC
Specialty Merchandise Corporation.
In 2004, Bosley guest starred as a toy maker named Ben-Ami on the series finale of the
Christian video series
K10C: Kids' Ten Commandments.
Bosley shared a heartfelt story about his experience with
the Holocaust in the
documentary film Paper Clips. Other films include
The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal.
* In
The Simpsons episode 2F12,
Homie the Clown, Lisa indicates that Homer once attempted to pass himself off as Tom Bosley.
* In the
Family Guy episode "
Road to Europe", Brian and Stewie Griffin find themselves on a train in
Switzerland. Stewie remarks that he sees Tom Bosley. Brian questions what Tom Bosley would be doing on the train, to which Stewie has no response.
* Similarly, in the animated program
The Oblongs the people of the 'Hill' community briefly mention plans for the community, including a 'Tom Bosley Day'.
