Woodrow Parfrey

Woodrow Parfrey
Born	Sydney Woodrow Parfrey October 5, 1922(1922-10-05) New York City USA
Died	July 29, 1984(1984-07-29) (aged 61) Los Angeles, California, USA
Spouse	Rosa Ellovich
Children	Adam Parfrey, Jonathan Parfrey

Woodrow Parfrey (October 5, 1922 – July 29, 1984) was an American film and television actor from the 1950s to the early 1980s. He appeared on Broadway in Advise and Consent (1961).

Biography

Born Sydney Woodrow Parfrey on October 5, 1922, in New York City, he was orphaned as a teenager. He fought at the Battle of the Bulge during World War II and was wounded and captured by the Germans. He married Rosa Ellovich and trained under acting teacher Erwin Piscator at the New School for Social Research.^{[citation needed]}

Career

Woodrow Parfrey received a rare screen credit as a "Special Guest Star" in the "My Friend, My Enemy" episode of Bonanza

Parfrey acted almost entirely on Broadway or regional stage in the late 1940s and 50s, turning to TV and film substantially in the 60s. Though usually a supporting player, he played many focal TV guest-star roles, mainly in the late 60s when fantasy and spy shows relied heavily on distinctive guest players. He appeared five times on The Man From U.N.C.L.E., more than any other guest star except Jill Ireland (who also appeared five times). He is often remembered as "one of TV's great slimeball villains"., He later appeared in the short lived 1979 CBS series Time Express.

Parfrey also scored a few big A-movie parts, most notably as a prisoner in Papillon (1973). Parfrey's frequent association with that film's director, Franklin Schaffner, also included a bit as Maximus, one of the three "See No Evil" orangutan judges in Planet of the Apes (1968). He appeared in small parts in The Outlaw Josey Wales, Bronco Billy, Dirty Harry, and Charley Varrick.

Parfrey died of a heart attack on July 29, 1984, aged 61, in Los Angeles. His son is "underground" publisher Adam Parfrey.

External links

• Woodrow Parfrey at the Internet Movie Database