Wendell Corey

Birth Name:

Wendell Reid Corey

Birth Place:

Dracut, Massachusetts, United States

Profession

Actor, Soundtrack

Was the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1961 to 1963
Was a member of the board of directors of the Screen Actors Guild
Was the master of ceremonies at the Republican National Conventions of 1956 and 1960
Made an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination for a contested seat in Congress
Met his future wife Alice Wiley while acting in the Works Progress Administration theater company
Was born to Congregationalist clergyman Milton Rothwell Corey and mother Julia Etta McKenney
Did a number of productions in summer stock early in his career
Caught producer Hal Wallis's eye while playing a hardened newspaperman in "Dream Girl" on Broadway and took Wallis's advice to move to Hollywood
In 1965, he was elected as a councilman in the Santa Monica City Council, a position he held until his death and used to promote parks and recreational areas
Was known for his intensity and his commanding presence as an actor, playing magnetic businessmen, cowboys and gamblers

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