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Thomas Edward "Tom" Bosley (born October 1, 1927) is an American actor, best known for his starring and supporting roles on the television shows Happy Days, Murder, She Wrote, and Father Dowling Mysteries, as well as the title role in the Pulitzer Prize winning Fiorello!.
Bosley was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Dora (née Heyman) and Benjamin Bosley.[1] Despite being well known for playing a Catholic priest, and numerous Protestants, Bosley is Jewish.[2] During World War II, Bosley served in the United States Navy. While attending DePaul University, in Chicago, in 1947, he made his stage debut in Our Town with the Canterbury Players at the Fine Arts Theatre. Bosley performed at the Woodstock Opera House in Woodstock, Illinois, in 1949 and 1950 alongside Paul Newman.
Bosley's breakthrough stage role was New York mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia in the long-running Broadway musical Fiorello! in (1959), for which he won a Tony Award.[3] In 1994, he originated the role of Maurice in the Broadway version of Disney's Beauty & the Beast.
His first motion picture role was in 1963, as the would-be suitor of Natalie Wood in Love with the Proper Stranger. Other films include The World of Henry Orient, Divorce American Style and The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal. Bosley shared a heartfelt story about his experience with the Holocaust in the documentary film Paper Clips.
Among his early television appearances was in 1960 on the CBS summer replacement series, Diagnosis: Unknown, with Patrick O'Neal. In 1962, he portrayed Assistant District Attorney Ryan in the episode "The Man Who Wanted to Die" on James Whitmore's ABC legal drama The Law and Mr. Jones.
Bosley's best known role is the character Howard Cunningham, Richie Cunningham's father, in the long-running sitcom Happy Days. Bosley is also known for portraying Sheriff Amos Tupper on Murder, She Wrote. He also portrayed the titular Father Frank Dowling on the TV mystery series, Father Dowling Mysteries. In 2004, Bosley guest starred as a toy maker named Ben-Ami on the series finale of the Christian video series K10C: Kids' Ten Commandments. Among myriad television appearances, one notable early performance was in the "Eyes" segment of the 1969 pilot episode of Rod Serling's Night Gallery, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Joan Crawford.
Also notable as a voice actor due to his resonant, fatherly yet expressive tone, Bosley hosted The General Mills Radio Adventure Theater, a 1977 radio drama series for children. He went on to voice many cartoon characters, including Harry Boyle in the animated series Wait Till Your Father Gets Home. He provided the voice of the title character in the 1980s cartoon The World of David the Gnome and the shop owner Mr. Winkle in the children's Christmas special The Tangerine Bear. He also narrated the movie documentary series That's Hollywood. Additionally, he played the narrator B.A.H. Humbug in the Rankin/Bass animated Christmas special The Stingiest Man In Town. Bosley was also the voice of Mister Geppetto, Pinocchio's 'dad' in Filmation's Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night, released in 1987. Bosley also starred in the 2008 Hallmark Channel television movie Charlie & Me.
In 1984, Bosley guest-hosted the "Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular" with local newscaster Pat Harper.[4]
He has endorsed Glad Trash Bags, D-Con, the IQ Computer and Sonic Drive-Ins, and currently is the spokesman for SMC (Specialty Merchandise Corporation).
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Tom Bosley
Thomas Edward Bosley
1 October 1927, Chicago, Illinois
I want to help people with depression understand that there is hope, so that they can get the help they need to live rich, fulfilling lives.
Tom Bosley
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In Hitchcock’s movie, "Rear Window", Jimmy Stewart plays a character wearing a leg cast from the waist down. In one scene, the cast switches legs, and in another, the signature on the cast is missing.
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Bosley was the host of CBS Radio's "General Mills Radio Adventure Theater" in 1977.
His daughter, Amy Bosley, has given him 3 grandchildren. Amy had guest-starred several times on her father's TV series "Happy Days" (1974).
Howard Cunningham, Bosley's character on "Happy Days" (1974), was ranked #9 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" [20 June 2004 issue].
Won Broadway's 1960 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Musical) for playing the title role of Mayor Fiorello La Guardia in "Fiorello."
Originated the role of Belle's father, Maurice, in the Broadway Production of the Disney musical 'Beauty and the Beast'.
Along with Henry Winkler, he is one of only two actors to appear in every episode of "Happy Days" (1974).
Starred in two different Sitcoms based on "Love, American Style" (1969) sketches. "Wait Till Your Father Gets Home" (1972) and "Happy Days" (1974) Even played the original character in "Love and the Old-Fashioned Father" segment.
Spokesman for SMC (Specialty Merchandise Corporation). Lynda Levine, daughter of SMC founder Abe Levine, is a childhood friend of Amy Bosley. Lynda is Exec-VP of SMC.
“Many people think that depression is something you just have to live with when you get older, but it's not.”
“I want to help people with depression understand that there is hope, so that they can get the help they need to live rich, fulfilling lives.”
“Just like other illnesses, depression can be treated so that people can live happy, active lives.”
“I'm angry, but at the same time, I miss my son. Whether they catch the gentlemen or don't catch him, that doesn't matter to me at this point. It's not going to bring my son back, but I'm just thankful that God gave him to me for 18 years. I just wish it would have been a little longer.”
“There's no regard for human life at all. Our younger generation just has no regard.”
“The individual that did this has to answer to someone much higher than me.”
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