Hume Cronyn was a Canadian actor whose career lasted over 60 years. This is much longer than most actors; in fact this is much longer than most famous actors we know today. Hume is best known from his role in the 1985 film Cocoon, but he also has a very long TV resume.
Early Life:
Hume Blake Cronyn was born in Ontario Canada on July the 18th 1911. His parents had four other children and because their father was a businessman and a member of parliament for London they lived a pretty comfortable life. During his early life Hume attended Elmwood School and then McGill University in Montreal. While at the university his family encouraged him to study law, but he did not want to do this; after a few months of studying law he changed his major to drama. This was a very smart move because I am sure if he had stuck with law he would not be remembered at all.
TV Career:
Unlike many television stars of his time Hume's acting career started on the big screen. This was very unusual because during that time leaving from the big screen to the small screen was counted as a demotion, today many actors realize that playing on TV shows may boost their career even more than playing in movies because unlike movies; TV shows last pretty long. Hume's first big TV break came when he landed the role of Dr. Violent on Suspense. This was a show featuring live plays, of course this was very demanding on the actors but Hume Cronyn was able to showcase his acting talent on there. After staring on that show Hume went on to star in the movie Coccoon and Cocoon: The Return, this is what most people remember him for. The last work he completed before his death in 2003 was A Separate Peace, this movie was released on television in 2004 and although it was nominated for 3 awards it only won one; The WGA Award for Children's Script. This is probably because the movie/show received mixed reviews from viewers and critics, but overall it was a pretty decent movie.
Other achievements:
During his career Hume Cronyn received 11 nominations and 6 awards. His list of awards includes Emmy Awards, ACE Awards, WGA Awards, and a Humanitas Prize. Throughout his life Hume exemplified what it means to be a great actor, father, and husband. By the time he died he had eight grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and had been married three times. His last wife was Susan Cooper who he married on July 20th 1996; they were together until his death on June 15th 2003. I am sure if he were still around he would have collected a lot more awards because he was truly a great actor. If you would like to checkout any of his work head over to IMDB; here will you will find a full line up of all the movies, TV shows, and plays he has ever worked on.
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