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Al Lewis

Al Lewis

An American character actor best known for his role as Count Dracula lookalike "Grandpa", opposite Fred Gwynne's and Yvonne De Carlo's characters on the CBS television series The Munsters from 1964 to 1966 and its subsequent film versions. Later in life, he was also a restaurant owner, political candidate, and radio broadcaster. His acting career begins the well-documented portion of his life. He worked in burlesque and vaudeville theaters, then on Broadway in the dramas The Night Circus (1958) and One More River (1960) and as the character Moe Shtarker in the musical comedy Do Re Mi (1962). His earliest television work includes appearances on the Beverly Garland crime drama Decoy and The Phil Silvers Show. From 1959–63, he appeared in four episodes of Naked City. Lewis' first well-known television role was as Officer Leo Schnauser on the NBC sitcom Car 54, Where Are You? from 1961–63, also starring Fred Gwynne (Lewis reprised the role in the 1994 movie of the same name). In the series, Lewis first played Al Spencer the Auto Body Man in two early first-season episodes before landing the more familiar role of Officer Schnauser. But he is best remembered as "Grandpa" on The Munsters, which ran on CBS from 1964–66. In 1967, Lewis played the part of Zalto the wizard in the Lost in Space episode, Rocket to Earth. His first role in a movie was as Machine Gun Manny in Pretty Boy Floyd (1960). He had small roles in The World of Henry Orient (1964), They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969), They Might Be Giants (1971). He appeared as Hanging Judge Harrison in Used Cars (1980) and had a minor role in Married to the Mob (1988). His last film role was in Night Terror (2002). Lewis was a recurring guest on The Howard Stern Show. In 1987, during a "Howard Stern Freedom Rally" against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that was broadcast live, Lewis repeatedly shouted "F*** the FCC!" until Stern was able to take the microphone away from him. Stern and the station were not punished for Lewis' comments. Unlike some actors, Lewis did not mind being typecast. He enjoyed acting out his "Grandpa" character—in the original costume—and got a surprising amount of mileage from such a short-lived role. "Why not?" he said. "It pays the bills." In 1991, he appeared as Grandpa Munster in an episode of Hi Honey, I'm Home on ABC. In 1991, he appeared in a low-budget New Zealand family movie called Grampire (My Grandpa Is a Vampire in the U.S. version), wearing much the same costume as he did in The Munsters. From 1987–89, Lewis hosted Super Scary Saturday on TBS in his Grandpa Munster outfit. This would later be parodied in Gremlins 2: The New Batch with the character of "Grandpa Fred" (Robert Prosky). [Biography from Wikipedia]

Personal information

Birthday

1923-04-30

Birth Place

New York City, New York, USA

Movies and TV shows :

Al Lewis in the Flesh

Al Lewis in the Flesh

1993

0.0

Movie
poster

American Experience

1988

7.5

TV
Auto-Tune the Munsters: A Rock Opera

Auto-Tune the Munsters: A Rock Opera

2015

0.0

Movie
poster

Baseball

1994

7.3

TV
poster

Best of the West

1981

6.0

TV
Black Starlet

Black Starlet

1974

3.2

Movie
Bum Rap

Bum Rap

1988

3.5

Movie
Car 54, Where Are You?

Car 54, Where Are You?

1994

3.4

Movie
poster

Car 54, Where Are You?

1961

7.4

TV
Comic Cabby

Comic Cabby

1987

0.0

Movie
Coney Island

Coney Island

1991

6.0

Movie
Coonskin

Coonskin

1975

6.0

Movie
Death Wish

Death Wish

1974

6.9

Movie
poster

Decoy

1957

6.2

TV
Fast Money

Fast Money

1996

6.0

Movie
Fright House

Fright House

1989

2.0

Movie
poster

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

1964

7.1

TV
Goodbye, America

Goodbye, America

2007

5.8

Movie
Grampa Presents Carnival Of Souls

Grampa Presents Carnival Of Souls

1988

0.0

Movie
Grampa’s Monster Movies

Grampa’s Monster Movies

1988

0.0

Movie
Grampa's More Silly Scaries

Grampa's More Silly Scaries

1989

0.0

Movie
Grampa's Sci-Fi Hits

Grampa's Sci-Fi Hits

1989

0.0

Movie
Grampa's Silly Scaries

Grampa's Silly Scaries

1988

0.0

Movie
poster

Green Acres

1965

7.3

TV
Here Come the Munsters

Here Come the Munsters

1995

5.3

Movie
poster

Here's Lucy

1968

6.9

TV
poster

Hi Honey, I'm Home!

1991

4.0

TV
Howard Stern's U.S. Open Sores

Howard Stern's U.S. Open Sores

1989

0.0

Movie
poster

Lost in Space

1965

7.1

TV
poster

Love, American Style

1969

5.8

TV
Lust of the Vampire

Lust of the Vampire

1957

6.3

Movie
Marineland Carnival: The Munsters Visit Marineland

Marineland Carnival: The Munsters Visit Marineland

1965

0.0

Movie
Married to the Mob

Married to the Mob

1988

5.9

Movie
Midnight Blue, Vol. 3: Celebrities Edition

Midnight Blue, Vol. 3: Celebrities Edition

2006

0.0

Movie
Midnight Blue: Vol. 5: Porn King

Midnight Blue: Vol. 5: Porn King

2006

0.0

Movie
Munster, Go Home!

Munster, Go Home!

1966

6.4

Movie
My Grandpa Is a Vampire

My Grandpa Is a Vampire

1991

5.3

Movie
poster

Naked City

1958

5.3

TV
poster

Night Gallery

1970

7.8

TV
Night Terror

Night Terror

2002

3.0

Movie
Porn King: The Trials Of Al Goldstein

Porn King: The Trials Of Al Goldstein

2005

5.0

Movie
Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy

Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy

2001

6.0

Movie
Pretty Boy Floyd

Pretty Boy Floyd

1960

6.3

Movie
Ramones: Raw

Ramones: Raw

2004

5.4

Movie
Ring of Passion

Ring of Passion

1978

7.0

Movie
poster

Route 66

1960

6.4

TV
Save the Dog!

Save the Dog!

1988

0.0

Movie
South Beach Academy

South Beach Academy

1996

3.1

Movie
poster

Taxi

1978

7.2

TV
The Boatniks

The Boatniks

1970

5.3

Movie
poster

The Merv Griffin Show

1962

5.6

TV
The Mini-Munsters

The Mini-Munsters

1973

0.0

Movie
poster

The Munsters

1964

8.0

TV
The Munsters: America's First Family of Fright

The Munsters: America's First Family of Fright

2004

8.0

Movie
The Munsters' Revenge

The Munsters' Revenge

1981

6.3

Movie
The Night Strangler

The Night Strangler

1973

6.6

Movie
poster

The Phil Silvers Show

1955

6.8

TV
poster

The United States Steel Hour

1953

5.8

TV
The World of Henry Orient

The World of Henry Orient

1964

5.8

Movie
They Might Be Giants

They Might Be Giants

1971

6.9

Movie
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

1969

7.6

Movie
Used Cars

Used Cars

1980

6.4

Movie
White House Madness

White House Madness

1975

0.0

Movie