Biography of actor frank gorshin
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Frank Gorshin was born on April 5, 1933, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to a railroad worker and seamstress. Growing up, Gorshin worked as an usher at the Sheridan Square Theatre where he began to do impressions of his screen idols, including Al Jolson, James Cagney, and Cary Grant. By age 17, Gorshin won a local talent contest and was given a week-long opportunity to perform at Jackie Heller's Carousel nightclub, where Alan King was then headlining. This was Gorshin's first paid job as an entertainer and the true starting point of his career.
After high school, Gorshin stayed in Pennsylvania and attended the Carnegie-Mellon Tech School of Drama. In addition to studying, Gorshin appeared in plays and performed in local nightclubs, furthering his talents.
In 1953, at the age of 19, Gorshin joined the United States Army, serving two years in the Special Services as an entertainer. It was during this time that Gorshin met Maurice Bergman, the person who would later introduce him to his
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Frank Gorshin | |
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Gorshin as the Riddler, from the Batman television series | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Frank John Gorshin, Jr. (1933-04-05)April 5, 1933 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | May 17, 2005(2005-05-17) (aged 72) Burbank, California, U.S. |
| Spouse | Christina Randazzo (1957–2005); his death |
| Children | Mitchell Gorshin |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1953–1955 |
| Unit | Special Services |
Frank John Gorshin, Jr. (April 5, 1933 – May 17, 2005) was an American character actor and comedian. He was perhaps best known as an impressionist, with many guest appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and Tonight Starring Steve Allen. His most famous acting role was as The Riddler in the Batman live-action television series.
Early life[]
Gorshin was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Catholic parents Frances, a seamstress, and Frank
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Frank John Gorshin, Jr. was born on April 5, 1933 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His father was a railroad worker and his mother, Frances (Preseren), was a seamstress. His family was originally from Novo Mesto, Slovenia. While in high school, young Frank worked as an usher at the Sheridan Square Theatre and began doing impressions of some of his screen idols: Al Jolson, James Cagney, Cary Grant and Edward G. Robinson. At age 17, he won a local talent contest. The prize was a one-week engagement at Jackie Heller's Carousel nightclub, where Alan King was headlining. It was young Frank's first paid job as an entertainer and launched his show business career. Frank attended local Catholic schools and, later, Carnegie-Mellon Tech School of Drama. He acted in plays and performed in nightclubs in Pittsburgh in his spare time.
In 1953, at age 19, he was drafted into the United States Army and was posted in Germany. Frank served for two years, 1953-1955, as an entertainer attached t