Tom Poston Biography

Fast Facts

• Along with his second wife, who suffered from the disease, he raised awareness for ALS on a number of telethons
• Left his handprints in front of Hollywood Hills Amphitheater at Walt Disney World's Disney Hollywood Studios theme park
• When he was nine years old, he performed with the Fling Zebleys, an acrobatic troupe
• Played goofy and absent-minded characters, often alongside big-name comedians like Bob Newhart and Robin Williams
• Remembered for playing a "man on the street" interviewee who couldn't remember his own name
• While auditioning for the part of an officer who is stabbed in a duel, he tumbled off of a wall and into the orchestra pit, prompting director Jose Ferrer to praise him for his devotion to realism
• Rose from the rank of Buck Private to Captain during his four years in the Air Corps, and won an Air Medal for his contribution to D-Day, followed by two Oak Leaf Medals