Tom Bosley

Birth Name:

Thomas Edward Bosley

Birth Place:

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Profession

Actor, Soundtrack

Was No․ 9 on TV Guide's 2004 list of the greatest television dads of all time
Worked as a hat checker and a doorman to finance his early forays into acting, which consisted of work in small theaters and television dramas
Many of the roles he played, including his most well-known characters, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia from the musical "Fiorello!" and father Howard Cunningham on the sitcom "Happy Days," exuded paternal authority
When not playing a suburban father, he was sometimes cast as small-time crooks or pathetic losers
Early in his career, while performing in a small play outside of Chicago, he got so nervous that he obsessively read over his lines backstage, lost track of the progress of the play, and entered the stage several minutes early
Joined the navy near the end of World War II, after graduating from high school
Loved baseball so much that he originally wanted to work as a sports announcer

1978Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series:Nominated
1988Razzie Award - Worst Supporting Actor:Nominated

Fast Facts