Tom poston net worth at death

American actor (–)

Tom Poston
Poston in
Born	Thomas Gordon Poston ()October 17, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Died	April 30, () (aged&#;85) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
Occupation	Actor
Years&#;active	–
Spouses	Doris Sward &#; &#; (m.&#;, divorced)&#; Jean Sullivan &#; &#; (m.&#;; div.&#;)&#; Kay Hudson &#; &#; (m.&#;; div.&#;)&#; &#; &#; (m.&#;; died&#;)&#;
Children	3

Thomas Gordon Poston (October 17, – April 30, ) was an American actor, appearing in television roles from the s through the early to mids, reportedly appearing in more sitcoms than any other actor.^[1] In the s, he played George Utley on the CBS sitcom Newhart, receiving three Emmy Award nominations for the role.

In addition he had a number of film roles and appeared frequently on Broadway and television game shows.

Early life

Poston was born on October 17, in Columbus, Ohio, to George and Margaret Poston.^[2] His father was a liquor salesman and dairy chemist.^[3]

After completing high school, Poston attended Bethany College in West Virginia, but did not graduate.

While there, he joined the Sigma Nu fraternity. He joined the United States Army Air Forces in Accepted to officer candidate school and then graduating from flight training, Poston served as a pilot in the European Theater in World War II; his aircraft dropped paratroopers for the Normandy invasion.^[4]

Poston served in North Africa, Italy, France, and England.

After his discharge, he began studying acting in New York City, graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.^[5]

Career

In , as Thomas Poston, he was cast as "Detective" in the film City That Never Sleeps. In , Poston gained recognition as a comedic "Man in the Street" (along with his colleagues Louis Nye, Dayton Allen and Don Knotts) on The Steve Allen Show.

For these performances, Poston won the Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor (Continuing Character) in a Comedy Series. In the fall of , when the Allen program moved west to Los Angeles, Poston remained in New York, appearing frequently on Broadway and television game shows.

His film career was limited, with appearances in films such as William Castle's Zotz! (), The Old Dark House (), Soldier in the Rain (), Cold Turkey (), The Happy Hooker (), Rabbit Test (), Up the Academy () and Carbon Copy ().

He was cast as Michael Carrington's uncle Tom Anderson in Grease 2 (), but his scenes were deleted.

His television career covered the better part of five decades. When Mel Brooks submitted his idea for Get Smart to the ABC network, ABC wanted Poston for the lead role of Maxwell Smart.^[6] When ABC passed on the show, NBC picked it up and the lead went to Don Adams.

Poston, however, made a guest appearance on the show as a KAOS villain.

Tom poston obituary Known mainly for playing the lovable yet clueless handyman George Utley on Newhart, actor Tom Poston made a career out of playing lovable, bumbling idiots. Whether it was the forgetful man on the street or the clown who lived in a closet, Poston found ways to keep the audience laughing. While not one for leading roles, he found continuous work in film, stage, and television. Poston was born in in Columbus, Ohio. He began performing at age nine as an acrobat in a troupe called the Flying Zebleys.

He appeared in Thriller during its second season in The episode, number six, was titled "Masquerade" and starred Elizabeth Montgomery.

In , Poston played the role of the Scarecrow, at The Municipal Opera Association of St. Louis, production of The Wizard of Oz. Lana Cantrell played Dorothy Gale, and Betty Low played the Sorceress of the North, also known as Glinda.

Poston was a recurring guest star on The Bob Newhart Show in the s, playing "The Peeper", a buddy of Bob's since college, whereby he and Bob would try to one-up each other with practical jokes. Poston later played the role of Franklin Delano Bickley on Mork & Mindy.

A longtime friend of Bob Newhart, Poston also played George Utley, a simple country handyman of the Stratford Inn, on Newhart, and appeared with Newhart in Cold Turkey as the town drunk, Edgar Stopworth.

Tom poston biography character He was The husband of actress Suzanne Pleshette, Poston died Monday at his home in Los Angeles after a brief illness, said family representative Tanner Gibson. There was an unbridled joy in Tom. I sat there like a big dope and held my head. Steve thought I was kidding.

He was nominated for an Emmy Award three times for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance on Newhart in , , and He had a third role with Newhart in the short-lived sitcom Bob.

Poston had roles on many other television series: Family Matters, Murphy Brown, Touched by an Angel, Cosby, Malcolm & Eddie, ER, Grace Under Fire, That '70s Show (as Kitty Forman's father, Burt Sigurdson), Will & Grace, and guest starred in an episode of The Simpsons as the Capital City Goofball.

He played dentist/jeweler, Art Hibke, on ABC's Coach, for which he was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in He guest-starred in three episodes of Home Improvement as a surly airport clerk in Alpena, Michigan when Tim and Al get stuck there during a snowstorm on Christmas Eve in the episode "Twas the Flight Before Christmas", again as that character's brother in the episode "The Tool Man Delivers", and again as the third brother in the episode "Thanksgiving".

In , he appeared on The Lone Gunmen episode "The Cap'n Toby Show" and in King of the Hill episode "Now Who's The Dummy?" as Mr. Popper (voice). In , he played the character "Clown" on the brief-lived NBC series Committed and guest-starred on the ABC series 8 Simple Rules as Rory's unlawful friend Jake in the episode "Good Moms Gone Wild".

In , Poston guest-starred on an episode of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, entitled "Ah! Wilderness" as Merle, which was his final role.

Personal life and death

Poston married Doris Sward in ^[7] They later divorced.^[8]

He married Jean Sullivan in They had a daughter, Francesca (born ).

Poston and Sullivan announced their separation in and divorced two years later.^[9][10]

Poston began dating Kay Hudson in the spring of , when she was 17 and he was ^[11] The couple married in They had two children, son Jason (born ) and daughter Hudson (born ). They divorced in but remarried in and remained together until her death at age 54 in from ALS.^[2]

In , Poston married actress Suzanne Pleshette, who played the wife of Newhart's character Bob Hartley on The Bob Newhart Show.

It was his fourth marriage and her third.^[12] Pleshette and Poston had dated briefly in and got back together in ^[5]

Following a brief illness, Poston died of respiratory failure on April 30, , in Los Angeles, California, at the age of ^[5] He pre-deceased Pleshette by nine months.

Although he was not Jewish, he is interred in the Jewish Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery alongside Pleshette, who was Jewish.^[13]

Filmography

Films

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
	Tom Corbett, Space Cadet	The Alkarian	Episode: "The Mystery of Alkar"
–	Lights Out	Sir John	2 episodes
	Studio One in Hollywood	Sentry / Alec Gordon
	Kukla, Fran and Ollie	Himself	Episode: "Ollie produces 'E Grilch Ge Dunk Dunk'"
	Hawkins Falls: A Television Novel	Toby Winfield	Unknown episodes
	Goodyear Playhouse	Currently Unknown	Episode: "Tangled Web"
	Playwrights '56	Fletcher	Episode: "You Sometimes Get Rich"
	Robert Montgomery Presents	Currently Unknown	Episode: "Who?"
–	The Phil Silvers Show	Guard House Lieutenant / The Lieutenant	2 episodes
–	The Steve Allen Plymouth Show	Comedian / Guest / Himself	44 episodes
	The United States Steel Hour	Chester	Episode: "The Change in Chester"
	The Steve Allen Show	Comedian	Episode: "#"
	The Christmas Tree	Tom	Television film
–	What's My Line?	Himself / Mystery Guest / Panelist	10 episodes
	The Ed Sullivan Show	Lieutenant Ferguson Howard	Episode: "#"
–	Split Personality (Game Show)	Himself / Host	Studio: NBC Studio 8H, New York City, NY
–	To Tell the Truth	Himself / Panelist	episodes
	The Tempest	Trinculo	Television film
	Play of the Week	Supervisor	Episode: "The Enchanted"
	Thriller	Charlie Denham	Episode: "Masquerade"
–	Match Game	Himself / Team Captain	35 episodes
	Missing Links	Himself / Panelist	27 episodes
	The Defenders	Sheldon Lowell	2 episodes
	Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre	Janitor / Lieutenant Courtney	Episode: "Double Jeopardy"
	Gentle Ben	Joe Cardigan	Episode: "Trophy Bear"
	The Good Guys	Julian Brent	Episode: "The World's Second Greatest Lover"
	Get Smart	Doctor Zharko	Episode: "Shock It to Me"
	Bobby Parker and Company	His Psychiatrist	Television film
	Harry and Maggie	Arlo Wilson	Television Short
–	On the Rocks	Mister Sullivan	13 episodes
–	The Bob Newhart Show	Cliff Murdock	5 episodes
	Alice	Jerry Dittmeyer	Episode: "Vera's Mortician"
–	Match Game	Himself / Panelist	10 episodes
	All's Fair	Harold Banks	Episode: "Save the Yak"
	The Magnificent Magical Magnet of Santa Mesa	William Bensinger	Television film
–	We've Got Each Other	Damon Jerome	13 episodes
–	The Love Boat	Tom Poston / Daniel Baker / Mickey O'Day	3 episodes
	A Guide to the Married Woman	Marty Gibson	Television Film
	Flying High	Zarky	Episode: "The Vanishing Point"
	Fame	Car Salesman	Television Film
	$weepstake$	Leeds	Episode: "Dewey and Harold and Sarah and Maggie"
	CHiPs	Bill Conner	Episode: "Quarantine"
	Beane's of Boston	Mister Frank Beane	Pilot Episode
–	The Hollywood Squares (Daytime)	Center Square / Himself / Panelist	21 episodes
–	Mork & Mindy	Franklin Bickley	54 episodes
	Good Time Harry	Ben Younger	Episode: "Ben Younger"
	The Girl, the Gold Watch & Dynamite	Omar Krepps	Television film
–	Password Plus	Celebrity Contestant / Himself	11 episodes
	King's Crossing	Brian Gunshore	Episode: "The Home Front"
	I've Had It Up to Here	Currently Unknown	Television film
–	Newhart	George Utley	episodes
–	Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour	Himself / Panelist	24 episodes
–	Body Language	Himself	15 episodes
–	Super Password	Celebrity Contestant / Himself	70 episodes
	Hotel	Tommy Rooney	Episode: "Pathways"
	Crazy Like a Fox	Currently Unknown	Episode: "A Fox at the Races"
	Fresno	Doctor Parseghian	Miniseries 4 episodes
	D.C. Follies	Tom Poston	Episode: "Pilot"
	Save the Dog!	Currently Unknown	Television film
	St. Kay hudson and tom poston Tom poston movies Kay hudson actress Elsewhere	Jim Morrison	Episode: "The Abby Singer Show"
	A Quiet Little Neighborhood, a Perfect Little Murder	Don Corman	Television film
	The Simpsons	Capital City Goofball	Voice Episode: "Dancin' Homer"
–	Good Grief	Ringo Prowley	13 episodes
–	Coach	Dr. Art Hibke / Art Hibke	4 episodes
	Harry and the Hendersons	Currently Unknown	Episode: "Harry and the Homeless Man"
–	Bob	Jerry Fleisher	4 episodes
	Dream On	Sidney 'Uncle Bouncy' Barish	Episode: "Oral Sex, Lies and Videotape"
	Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman	Mysterious 'Dead Man'	Episode: "Halloween"
	Big Daddy's Barbecue	Virgil	Television Film
–	Family Matters	Mr. Looney	3 episodes
–	Murphy Brown	Old Man Swenson	2 episodes
	Aaahh!!! Real Monsters	Ralph / Burly Man	Voices Episode: "Eau de Krumm/O'Lucky Monster"
–	Home Improvement	Ted / Ned / Fred (The No-Servicemen)	3 episodes
–	Grace Under Fire	Floyd Norton	32 episodes
	The Larry Sanders Show	Tom Poston	Episode: "My Name Is Asher Kingsley"
	George and Leo	Traffic Cop	Episode: "The Pilot Episode"
	Sabrina the Teenage Witch	Mortgage Banker	Episode: "Witch Trash"
	Just Shoot Me!	Herb	Episode: "Jack's Old Partner"
	Touched by an Angel	Ed Yablonsky	Episode: "Cry and You Cry Alone"
	Suddenly Susan	Mr. Vance	Episode: "Sleeping with the Enemy"
	Maggie Winters	Lester Mulford	Episode: "Mama's Got a Brand New Bag"
	Rugrats	Roy	Voice Episode: "Baking Dil/Hair!"
	Contempt of Court	Coroner	Television Film
	Cosby	Tim	2 episodes
	Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show	Uncle Cosmo	Episode: "Honey, It's the Ghostest with the Mostest"
	Diagnosis: Murder	Tom Porter	Episode: "The Roast"
–	Malcolm & Eddie	Garth Dubin	2 episodes
	Dharma & Greg	Dr. Gillespie	Episode: "The Spy Who Said He Loved Me"
	Normal, Ohio	Stanley	Episode: "Just Another Normal Christmas"
	The Drew Carey Show	Roscoe Harvey	Episode: "Oswald's Dad Returns"
	King of the Hill	Mr. Popper	Voice Episode: "Now Who's the Dummy?"
	ER	Earl	2 episodes
	The Lone Gunmen	Captain Toby / Fred Tabalowski	Episode: "The 'Cap'n Toby' Show"
	The Ellen Show	Joe	Episode: "Joe"
	Apple Valley Knights	Justice Knight Sr.	Unknown episodes
	Becker	Joe Willakie	Episode: "Talking Points"
	Will & Grace	Norman	Episode: "Went to a Garden Potty"
	Liberty's Kids: Est.	Samuel Adams	Voice 5 episodes
–	That '70s Show	Burt Sigurdson	3 episodes
	Good Morning, Miami	Lenny	2 episodes
	8 Simple Rules	Jake	Episode: "Good Moms Gone Wild"
	Committed	Clown	13 episodes
	The Suite Life of Zack & Cody	Merle	Episode: "Ah! Wilderness!" Final television appearance

References

External links