Calvert DeForest

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Calvert DeForest

Calvert DeForest at the 1990 Emmy Awards.
Born Calvert DeForest
July 23, 1921(1921-07-23)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died March 19, 2007 (aged 85)
West Islip, New York, U.S.

Calvert DeForest (July 23, 1921 – March 19, 2007), also known by his character Larry "Bud" Melman, was an American actor and comedian, best known for his appearances on Late Night with David Letterman and the Late Show with David Letterman.

Little has been published about his early life. He was born to Calvert DeForest, M.D., a physician who died in 1949, and Mabelle Taylor. He attended Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn. He worked for many years for the large pharmaceutical company Parke Davis, which was later acquired by Pfizer. He had aspirations of acting but was discouraged by his mother, herself an actress briefly. After her death in 1961, DeForest did some part time backstage work which eventually led to some acting work.

He is credited with four films from 1972 to 1982 and, after his first appearance with David Letterman, appeared in fifteen other films or television shows.[1]

The Associated Press noted: "DeForest's gnomish face was the first to greet viewers when Letterman's NBC show debuted on February 1, 1982, offering a parody of the prologue to the Boris Karloff film Frankenstein. 'It was the greatest thing that had happened in my life,' he once said of his first Letterman appearance."[2]

The Melman character also opened Letterman's first CBS show under his own name, but as essentially the same character, when Letterman moved from NBC to CBS in 1993. The name change was made because the character of "Larry 'Bud' Melman" was considered the intellectual property of NBC, even though David Letterman gave him the name. He continued to appear on Letterman's show until his 81st birthday in 2002 before retiring from acting. DeForest often "drew laughs by his bizarre juxtaposition as a Late Show correspondent at events such as the 1994 Winter Olympics in Norway and the Woodstock anniversary concert that year."[2]

In 1994 he wrote a humor book called Cheap Advice.

DeForest also appeared on the hit album Americana by The Offspring, doing some of the voices that can be heard before and after certain tracks on the album begin playing. In late March 2007, The Offspring posted a 10-minute clip of DeForest recording the voices for their album, which can be found on their official website. It was well known that Calvert lived in the same rent controlled Manhattan apartment for 47 years.

Letterman noted: "Everyone always wondered if Calvert was an actor playing a character, but in reality he was just himself: a genuine, modest and nice man."[2]"To our staff and to our viewers, he was a beloved and valued part of our show, and we will miss him." [3] When asked how he'd like to be remembered, DeForest responded "Just being able to make people laugh and knowing people enjoyed my humor. I also hope I haven't offended anyone through the years." [4]

After years of poor health, DeForest died at a hospital in West Islip, New York, on Long Island, on March 19, 2007.[5] As per his request, no funeral services were held, and press accounts indicate he left no surviving relatives.[2]

[edit] Filmography

[edit] References

  1. ^ Calvert DeForest at the Internet Movie Database
  2. ^ a b c d "Letterman's Larry 'Bud' Melman actor dies", AP, March 21, 2007. 
  3. ^ David Letterman Regular Larry 'Bud' Melman Dies. March 22, 2007.
  4. ^ FADE TO BLACK PRESENTS - Calvert Deforest, a.k.a. Larry Bud Melman.
  5. ^ Letterman sidekick Calvert DeForest dead at 85. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2007-03-21.

[edit] External links

Persondata
NAME DeForest, Calvert
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Melman, Larry "Bud"
SHORT DESCRIPTION American comedian
DATE OF BIRTH July 23, 1921
PLACE OF BIRTH Brooklyn, New York, United States
DATE OF DEATH March 19, 2007
PLACE OF DEATH Babylon, New York, United States