Norman McGovern

**Norman Spencer McGovern** (né **Chaplin**; July 7, 1919 - TBA) was an American actor, comedian, singer, and musician best known for his role as Norm Richards, the title role in the 1956-66 NBC sitcom It’s The Norm.

## Early years

Norman Spencer Chaplin was born in Los Angeles, California on July 7, 1919 as the eldest child of entertainers Mildred Harris and Charlie Chaplin. Following their divorce in 1920, his mother obtained sole custody of him.

## Biography

The traumatic circumstances of his birth inspired The Kid.

parents being divorced with Harris having sole custody of him, Norman spent a lot of time with Chaplin, who taught him many of the skills in acting and comedy that he would become known for. Also, his father taught him how to play various instruments such as the cello, the violin, and the piano.

In 1924, his mother married a man named Everett Terrence McGovern and as a result, took his stepfather’s surname. While legally his name was still Chaplin, his mother refused to have any association with him. She later divorced McGovern in 1929 and married football player Bill Fleckenstein in 1934.

Norman was a very shy child and because he barely had any friends, he was often picked on by bullies. As a result, he resorted to comedy as an escape. While visiting his father Charles Chaplin in 1934, he confessed to his father about the bullying he endured in school. As a result of both of his parents’ concern, he was put into homeschool and was taught by a private tutor.

After completing school in 1937, McGovern attended acting classes and greatly improved his ability as an actor. He began his career by taking on guest roles in radio series such as Breakfast In Hollywood.

In May 1942, McGovern was drafted into the United States Army to serve in World War II. He was stationed in Europe and was discharged due to medical reasons in July 1943, a little over a year of service. Afterwards, he briefly quit acting to take care of his ailing mother Mildred, who died in July 1944. Her death left a huge impact on his mental health as he developed depression and made an unsuccessful suicide attempt.

Around the same time, Norman had been dating a woman named Dorothy Andrews, whom he would eventually marry less than a year later. The couple had four children, James (born 1945), Charles and Mildred (born 1946), Nancy (born 1948), and Norman Jr. (born 1950). Despite his attempts to be an outstanding father, he showed a lack of romantic interest in his wife. She filed for divorce in August 1966, a few months after It’s The Norm aired its final episode.

Norman found little success in the television industry at first, with him only playing minor roles in dramas. However after appearing on Texaco Star Theater in 1952, he started to gain recognition as a comedian. For the next few years, he appeared on shows such as The Colgate Comedy Hour, Toast of the Town, and The Jack Benny Program.

In 1955, Norman was in negotiations with NBC for a potential television series. Norman suggested the idea of the series being a sitcom, as he was tired of variety shows. The network agreed and the series, It’s The Norm premiered on January 8, 1956 as a mid-season replacement for the Colgate Variety Hour. Surprisingly despite the network’s for the series, its premiere episode received a viewership of about 12 million, a rarity for a winter replacement. This prompted the network to renew the show for a second season, which premiered on September 25, 1956.

The premise of It’s The Norm revolved around his character Norm Richards trying to balance time between his job as an acting teacher and family. English-American actress Sheila MacRae played his wife, Ann Richards, who was independent for her time.