Edward Herrmann

Edward Herrmann
Edward Herrmann in 2009
Born	Edward Kirk Herrmann (1943-07-21) July 21, 1943 Washington, D.C., U.S.A
Occupation	Actor, director, screenwriter
Years active	1971–present

Edward Kirk Herrmann (born July 21, 1943) is an American television and film actor. He is best known for his Emmy-nominated portrayals of Franklin D. Roosevelt on television, and to younger generations for his role as Richard Gilmore in Gilmore Girls, as a ubiquitous narrator for historical programs on the History Channel and PBS productions such as NOVA, and as the spokesman for Dodge automobiles in the 1990s.

Early life

Herrmann was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Jean Eleanor (née O'Connor) and John Anthony Herrmann.^[1] He has German ancestry on his father's side.^[2] Herrmann grew up in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, and graduated from Bucknell University in 1965, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi. He studied acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art on a Fulbright Fellowship.

Career

Herrmann began his career in theatre. One of the first professional productions he appeared in was the U.S. premiere of Michael Weller's Moonchildren at the Arena Stage in Washington D.C. in November 1971. He moved with the show to New York City to make his Broadway debut the following year. Herrmann returned to Broadway in 1976 to portray Frank Gardner in the revival of Mrs. Warren's Profession. For his performance he won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play.

He is known for his portrayal of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the made-for-TV movie, Eleanor and Franklin (1976) and the sequel, Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years (1977) (both of which earned him Best Actor Emmy nominations), as well as in the first feature film adaptation of the Broadway musical Annie (1982). Herrmann portrayed Herman Munster in the Fox telefilm Here Come The Munsters which aired on Halloween 1995.

Herrmann also earned an Emmy in 1999 for his guest appearances on The Practice. He was nominated for a Tony Award for Plenty in 1983 and Emmys in 1986 and 1987 for his guest-starring role as Father Joseph McCabe on St. Elsewhere. Herrmann also played Tobias Beecher's father on the HBOs series Oz. From 2000 to 2007, he portrayed Richard Gilmore on The WB's Gilmore Girls.

Herrmann's film career began in the mid-1970s, playing supporting roles as Robert Redford's partner in The Great Waldo Pepper, a law student in The Paper Chase, the idle, piano-playing Klipspringer in The Great Gatsby and opposite Laurence Olivier in The Betsy (1978). Among Herrmann's better known roles are as the title character in Harry's War (1981), Goldie Hawn's rich husband in Overboard, Reverend Michael Hill in Disney's The North Avenue Irregulars, one of the characters in the film-within-a-film in Woody Allen's The Purple Rose of Cairo, and as Max, the mild-mannered head vampire in the teen vampire film The Lost Boys.

Herrmann is also known for his voluminous voice work for The History Channel and various PBS specials, including hosting a revival of Frank Capra's Why We Fight, and made appearances and done voiceovers in Dodge commercials from 1992 until 2001. His voice work also includes dozens of audio books, for which he's won several Audie awards. He played Gutman in Blackstone Audio's Grammy-nominated dramatization of The Maltese Falcon and played Cauchon in Blackstone's audio version of Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan. After his well-received portrayal of J. Alden Weir in My Dearest Anna at the Wilton Playshop in Wilton, Connecticut, he was a special guest of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square in their Ring Christmas Bells holiday concert in Salt Lake City, Utah, December 11–14, 2008.

Personal life and family

Herrmann has been married twice and has three children. His first marriage to screenwriter Leigh Curran ended in divorce. He has been married to Star Hayner since 1992.^[3] Edward's son Rory Herrmann is now the chef de cuisine at Bouchon Bistro in Beverly Hills, California. The restaurant is chef Thomas Keller's (of French Laundry and Per Se fame) latest venture under the successful Bouchon name.

Herrmann is a well-known automotive enthusiast and restores classic automobiles. He is a regular master of ceremonies for the annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and hosted the television show Automobiles on The History Channel. He has served in various capacities at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. He has owned and restored several classics of his own including a 1932 Packard Light Eight 900 Coupe Roadster Convertible and a 1929 Auburn 8-90 Speedster.

Filmography

References

External links

• Edward Herrmann at the Internet Broadway Database
• Edward Herrmann at the Internet Movie Database
• Golden Voices Herrmann
• Edward Herrmann cast bio on The CW
• Edward Herrmann interviewed for Working in the Theatre: Performance video seminar at American Theatre Wing, April 1998