Burgess Meredith Biography

Fast Facts

• Was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1987
• Won the Medalla Sitges en Plata de Le award at the 1977 Sitges-Catalonian International Film Festival
• Got his start in acting as a member of Eva Le Gallienne's Civic Repertory Theatre company in 1933
• Worked odd jobs in journalism, retail and on Wall Street before entering acting
• Quote: "I'll just take amusement at being a paradox․"
• Quote: "Like the seasons of the year, life changes frequently and drastically․ You enjoy it or endure it as it comes and goes, as it ebbs and flows․"
• Widely recognized for his distinctively raspy speaking voice
• Reached the rank of captain in the U․S․ Army Air Forces during World War II
• Was blacklisted by Hollywood in the 1950s due to his open opposition to Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist views
• Was the original choice to portray Penguin's father in "Batman Returns," but illness prevented him from taking on the role