Jack Warden (born John Warden Lebzelter Jr.; September 18, 1920 – July 19, 2006) was an American character actor of film and television whose career spanned across five decades and encompassed a wide variety of dramatic and comedic roles.
Born in Newark, New Jersey and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Warden was a professional boxer in his youth and served in the U.S. Navy for four years, followed by stints in the Merchant Marine and (during World War Two) as an Army paratrooper with the famed 501st Infantry Regiment. Following the war he studied acting on the G.I. Bill, then spent several years performing on the stage and in small television roles before breaking into film.
He was twice nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor—for Shampoo (1975) and Heaven Can Wait (1978)—and won an Emmy Award for his performance in Brian's Song (1971).
Filmography on TV Tropes:
- The Asphalt Jungle (1950) as Bit Role (uncredited)
- Sunset Boulevard (1950) as Party Guest (uncredited)
- From Here to Eternity (1953) as Corporal Buckley
- Edge of the City (1957) as Charlie
- 12 Angry Men (1957) as Juror #7
- Run Silent, Run Deep (1958) as Yeoman 1st Class "Kraut" Mueller
- The Sound and the Fury (1959) as Ben Compson
- Wake Me When It's Over (1960) as Dave "Doc" Farrington
- Donovan's Reef (1963) as Doctor William Dedham
- The Thin Red Line (1964) as First Sergeant Welsh
- Blindfold (1966) as General George Pratt
- Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? (1971) as Dr. Moses
- The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974) as Max
- Billy Two Hats (1974) as Sheriff Henry Gifford
- Shampoo (1975) as Lester Karpf
- All the President's Men (1976) as Harry M. Rosenfeld
- Heaven Can Wait (1978) as Max Corkle
- Death on the Nile (1978) as Doctor Ludwig Bessner
- The Champ (1979) as Jackie
- Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979) as Harold Meredith
- …and Justice for All (1979) as Judge Francis Rayford
- Being There (1979) as President "Bobby" of the United States
- Used Cars (1980) as Roy L. Fuchs/Luke Fuchs
- The Great Muppet Caper (1981) as Mike Tarkenian, the News Editor
- The Verdict (1982) as Mickey Morrissey
- Alice in Wonderland (1985) as Owl
- September (1987) as Lloyd
- The Presidio (1988) as Sergeant Major Ross Maclure
- Problem Child (1990) as "Big" Ben Healy
- Problem Child 2 (1991) as "Big" Ben Healy
- Toys (1992) as Old General Zevo
- Bullets over Broadway (1994) as Julian Marx
- While You Were Sleeping (1995) as Saul
- Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995) as Joe Heff
- Mighty Aphrodite (1995) as Tiresias
- The Island on Bird Street (1997) as Uncle Boruch
- Dirty Work (1998) as "Pops"
- Chairman of the Board (1998) as Armand McMillan
- Bulworth (1998) as Eddie Davers
- A Dog of Flanders (1999) as Jehan Daas
- The Replacements (2000) as Edward O'Neil
- Brian's Song (TV movie, 1971) as George Halas
- Crazy Like a Fox (1984–86) as Harrison "Harry" Fox Sr.
Tropes associated with Jack Warden:
- Boisterous Bruiser: He brought a certain avuncular geniality to many of his performances.
- Evil Sounds Raspy: He occasionally lent his powerful, gravelly voice to villainous roles.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: His screen persona has frequently been described as that of the "likable jerk."
- Large Ham: He was not afraid to ham it up when necessary.
- Mean Character, Nice Actor: Those who knew him have described him as having been much kinder and more sensitive than many of the characters he portrayed onscreen.