Biography: Esteemed character actor had a pair of the coldest orbs in town and made his living for decades playing dark, callous, shiftless villains, including a vast number of mobsters. Not a well-known name per se, he was nevertheless a reliable and perfectly determined sort for film noir and gangland crime drama with his premature silvery hair, dark thick brows and probing, deep-set eyes, all accentuated ... show all Esteemed character actor had a pair of the coldest orbs in town and made his living for decades playing dark, callous, shiftless villains, including a vast number of mobsters. Not a well-known name per se, he was nevertheless a reliable and perfectly determined sort for film noir and gangland crime drama with his premature silvery hair, dark thick brows and probing, deep-set eyes, all accentuated by a tough and penetrating Brooklynesque accent. Born in New York City on March 13, 1908, Stewart developed an interest for acting in his teens, making his Broadway debut with "Two Seconds" in 1931, following graduation from Columbia University. He had played a few more stage roles in New York when he met and made an impression upon Orson Welles. As a result he became a founding member of the Mercury Theatre and a founding member of AFTRA when it was just a radio union, Stewart's tough, guttural voice became a familiar sound on the 30s airwaves and was a participant in the infamous Welles' broadcast "The War of the Worlds." He married band singer/actress Peg La Centra (1910-1996) in 1939 and over the years they appeared together on many radio programs. She also provided singing voices for such stars as Susan Hayward on celluloid. Welles next put Stewart in films with the classic "The Citizen Kane (1941)" as Raymond, Kane's wily valet and found himself in demand as an untrustworthy character player. He essayed a number of stark, sinister types to perfection, including roles in "Johnny Eager (1942)", "Mr. Lucky (1943)", "Champion (1949)", "Illegal Entry (1949)", "Twelve O'Clock High (1949)", "Carbine Williams (1952)", "Bad and the Beautiful (1952)", and "Kiss Me Deadly (1955)". On TV he became a regular on a couple of short-lived series -- "Top Secret" (1955)" and "Man Who Never Was, The" (1966)". In the 1950s Stewart turned to stage and TV directing as well, helming a number of popular crimers such as "Peter Gunn," "Michael Shayne, "Perry Mason," "It Takes a Thief," "Hawaii 5-0" and "Remington Steele." His voice also fit the bill for cartoons in the 1960s. In 1974 Stewart suffered a heart attack while on location in New Mexico for the movie "Bite the Bullet (1975)", but returned sporadically to films, including the role of impresario Florenz Ziegfeld in "W.C. Fields and Me (1976)". He suffered a second and fatal heart attack in 1986 at age 77. hide |
