Ross Martin Biography

Fast Facts

• Graduated magna cum laude from City College of New York and earned a law degree from George Washington University
• Performed prolifically on the radio in his 20s, using his talent for imitating dialects to play characters of many different ages and ethnic backgrounds
• Director Blake Edwards cast him in a wide variety of roles early in his career
• Would often make his own disguises for his most famous role, Secret Service agent Artemus Gordon in "The Wild Wild West," surprising the rest of the cast with his attire during shooting
• A neighbor once reported a suspicious stranger lurking around his house to the police, but the stranger turned out to be Martin himself, returned home midday to pick up a script while still wearing his costume
• Knew how to speak Yiddish, Polish, Russian, English, French and Spanish
• Was a violin virtuoso, playing solo with his junior symphony orchestra when he was 8 years old