Fred Grossinger (January 1, 1936 – November 21, 1995), better known as Fred Holliday, was an American stage, film, and television actor.[1] He starred in more than one thousand television commercials from the late 1950s through the 1980s.

Fred Grossinger
Publicity Photo of Fred Grossinger
Born(1936-01-01)January 1, 1936
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedNovember 21, 1995(1995-11-21) (aged 59)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting placeMount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery
Other namesFred Holliday
OccupationActor
Years active1958–1995
Spouses
  • Judy Kapler
  • Nancy King
Children1 daughter

Career

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From the late 1950s to the mid 1990s, Holliday also made guest appearances on more than one hundred and fifty television shows, including Gunsmoke, Ben Casey, Gomer Pyle: USMC, Dragnet, That Girl, The Mod Squad, Nanny and the Professor, Dan August, Ironside, Lassie, Mission:Impossible, Adam-12, The F.B.I., McCloud, Columbo, Eight is Enough, Lou Grant, The Love Boat, Galactica 1980, The Facts of Life, Falcon Crest, Dynasty, Gimme a Break!, Riptide, Matlock, Knots Landing, Jake and the Fatman and Empty Nest.[2] He was one of the Mighty Carson Art Players on NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for twelve years,[3] performed in the daytime dramas as Ron Wyche in Days of Our Lives,[4] as the manager at the Capwell Hotel in Santa Barbara,[5] in nighttime dramas such as John Atherton in Dallas[6] and was host of a short-lived daytime show, The Girl in My Life, on ABC between 1973 and 1974.[7]

His movie credits include A Patch of Blue (1965), Airport (1970), Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970), First Family (1980), Edge of the Axe (1988), and Lobster Man from Mars (1989).[4] Holliday appeared in more than fifty Broadway and regional theater productions.[2]

Professionally, Holliday served on the local board of directors of the Los Angeles chapter of AFTRA for ten years, as well as serving on the national board of AFTRA.[8]

He was also active in the Screen Actors Guild.[9]

Holliday was married to Judy Kapler. He had one daughter, Debra Jeanne (Grossinger) Rouse, from his first marriage to Nancy King.[2]

Death

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Holliday died in Los Angeles on November 21, 1995, at the age of 59. The cause of death was a heart attack.[2]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1958 Wind Across the Everglades Slow Boy Uncredited
1963 The Prize Swedish Officer (Nudist Meeting) Uncredited
1964 The New Interns Intern Uncredited
1965 A Patch of Blue Man Uncredited
1967 A Guide for the Married Man Party Guest #6
1970 Airport Chester Jennings - Passenger Uncredited
1970 Colossus: The Forbin Project Military Computer Entry - Missile Launch Uncredited
1972 Lapin 360
1980 First Family U. N. Official #1
1988 Edge of the Axe Frank McIntosh
1989 Lobster Man from Mars Colonel Ankrum

References

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  1. ^ Palmer, Ann (June 20, 2014). Letters to the Dead: Things I Wish I'd Said. CCB Publishing. ISBN 9781771431262 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b c d Weiskind, Ron (November 29, 1995) "Fred Holliday: Actor who feasted on commercials" Pittsburgh Post-Gazette page B-6
  3. ^ ""The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" TV Shows Guide". Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved February 26, 2007.
  4. ^ a b Fred Holliday (I) at IMDb
  5. ^ "Santa Barbara Characters". www.cybercom.net.
  6. ^ "Dallas Cast Deaths". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved February 26, 2007.
  7. ^ "Girl in My Life" (1973) at IMDb
  8. ^ "Obituaries: Fred Holliday" Daily Variety November 29, 1995
  9. ^ Robb, David (1993) "Top SAG race a 5-way heat" The Hollywood Reporter September 16, 1993
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