John McGiver
John Irwin McGiver (November 5, 1913 – September 9, 1975) was an American character actor who made more than a hundred appearances in television and motion pictures over a two-decade span from 1955 to 1975. The owl-faced, portly character actor with his mid-Atlantic accent and precise diction, was often cast as pompous Englishmen and other stuffy, aristocratic and bureaucratic types. He was known for his performances in such films as "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961); "The Manchurian Candidate" (1962); and "Who's Minding the Store?" (1963). He appeared on many television shows and commercials during the  1960s and early 1970s, including the first of a long running popular series of commercials for the American Express charge card ("Do you know me?"). Early life. McGiver was born in Manhattan, New York City, the son of Irish immigrants. He graduated from the Jesuit-run Regis High School in Manhattan in 1932. He earned a B.A. in English from Fordham University in 1938 and master's degrees from Columbia University and Catholic University. He became an English teacher and worked as an actor and director in New York's Irish Repertory Theater. He interrupted those activities and enlisted in  the U.S. Army in 1942 and served as an officer in the U.S. Army's 7th Armored Division in Europe during World War II. Returning to civilian life, he continued to teach English and speech at Christopher Columbus High School in the Bronx and worked occasionally in off-Broadway plays until 1955, when he became a full-time actor. Career. In 1959, McGiver appeared in the episode "The Assassin" of NBC's espionage drama "Five Fingers". In 1962, he appeared as Gramps in the episode "The Seventh Day of Creation" of the NBC medical drama about psychiatry, "The Eleventh Hour . He appeared in the Alfred Hitchcock Presents" episodes ""Six People No Music"" and ""Fatal Figures"", and the "Twilight Zone" episode "Sounds and Silences". In 1971 he guest-starred in "Alias Smith and Jones" (season 1, episode 8, 'A Fistful of Diamonds'). In 1964, he appeared in "Man's Favorite Sport?". Between 1963 and 1964, McGiver appeared in five episodes of "The Patty Duke Show" as J.R. Castle, who was Martin Lane's boss at the fictional newspaper "The Chronicle". In the 1964–1965 television season, McGiver played the widower Walter Burnley, the head of the complaint department of a fictitious Los  Angeles department store in the CBS sitcom "Many Happy Returns". He was also in an episode of "Gilligan's Island" in 1966, "The Man With a Net". He also made one guest appearance on ABC's hit fantasy sitcom "Bewitched" . McGiver later played the role of an unhinged religious fanatic, Mr.O'Daniel, in the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy. Personal life. McGiver was married to Ruth Schmigelsky from 1947 until his death; they had ten children: Brigit, Maria, Terry, Basil, Clare, Oliver, Ian, Clemens, Boris, and Cornelia. Boris, the ninth child in the McGivers' large family, followed in his father's  footsteps, working as a professional actor in films and on television since 1987. Death. McGiver, at age 61, died of a heart attack on September 9, 1975 at his home in West Fulton, New York. His remains were cremated. Stage. Broadway theatre roles included: