Celebrity Birthday of the Day

Happy Birthday, Herman Munster! 

You know, I hate doing that to Fred Gywnne (the guy who, you know, played Herman Munster). But I just can't help myself. When I think of Fred Gywnne, I think of Herman Munster. I mean, how could you not? 

Sorry, Fred. 

This is perhaps most unfortunate when reflecting on the fact that The Munsters only ran for TWO seasons (frankly, this fact shocked the hell of out of me). Given that Gywnne lived to be 66, this means that his time making The Munsters accounted for only 1.32% of his life. 

Ok, I'm 27 years old. 1.32% of my life accounts for about three and a half months. Thinking back on my life, I calculate this is approximately the amount of time I've spent picking my butt. 

So once again: Sorry, Fred. 

And it's not like Gywnne didn't do anything with the rest of his life. We're talking about a guy who graduated from Harvard and was the president of it's satirical Lampoon magazine (one of those things -- like being drafted in the NFL, I'm sorry I'll never get a chance to do). 

And beyond that, Gywnne served in the US Navy, acted on Broadway, had a recurring role on Car 54, Where Are You? (believe it or not, an actual popular show in the early 60s), The Phil Silvers Show, and acted in a bunch of other shows and movies (the role of the judge in My Cousin Vinny probably being the most famous). He also sang, wrote and painted (though honestly, who doesn't?). 

But The Munsters, yeah. The Munsters live on. Which means, of course, that Fred Gywnne lives on, because as accomplished as he might of been compared to the rest of us insignificant peons, he would still be nothing more than a fond memory to his loved ones if it wasn't for The Munsters (on an audition in 1984 -- 18 years after The Munsters left TV -- for a role on Punky Brewster, an auditioner actually referred to Gwynne as Herman Munster, causing Gwynne to walk out). 

Try as he did, though, Gwynne could never actual bring himself to hate the character, and he died of pancreatic cancer in 1993, shortly after completing work on My Cousin Vinny. 

So yes. The 6'5" Gwynne might have played a simple-minded oaf, but the reality was that he was actually a whip-smart oaf. And whatever sarcastic things you could say about The Munsters (and I could say plenty), there's one indisputable fact: he got to drive the coolest custom car ever featured on a TV show -- The Munster Koach: 

So adios, Fred. I could say a few things about what became of your, you know, career, but I hold back out of respect, and indeed I wish you a safe journey into that (hopefully) Munster-less beyond.