William Demarest (February 27, 1892 – December 28, 1983) was an American character actor.
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, he was a very prolific film and TV actor, having worked on over 140 films. He worked frequently with director Preston Sturges, becoming part of a "stock" troupe of actors that Sturges repeatedly cast in his films. He started in show business working in vaudeville, then moved on to Broadway. His film career began in 1926 and spanned the decades up to the 1970s. His most famous TV role was in My Three Sons from 1965 to 1972, playing Uncle Charley and replacing William Frawley, whose failing health had made procuring insurance impossible.
Demarest received a single Academy Award nomination, for his supporting role in The Jolson Story, playing Al Jolson's fictional mentor. He had previously shared the screen with the real Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer.
Demarest died in Palm Springs, California and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, William Demarest was a prolific actor in movies and TV, making more than 140 films. Demarest started his acting career in vaudeville and made his way to Broadway. His most famous role was in "My Three Sons" (1960), replacing a very sick William Frawley. Demarest was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting role in the real-life biography, Jolson Story, The (1946). He did not win. This was the first and only time Demarest was nominated for any Academy Award.
