---
name: "Del Close"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/del-close"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "9 March 1934"
died: "4 March 1999"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 82
updated: "2026-09-16T21:20:20.344737+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Del Close

Actor. Born 9 March 1934 in Manhattan, Kansas, USA. Died 4 March 1999.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 9 March 1934, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
- **Died:** 4 March 1999
- **Active:** 1973–1987

## Biography

Del Close (9 March 1934 – 4 March 1999) was an American actor, writer and teacher. He appeared in films including *Ferris Bueller's Day Off* (1986) as an English teacher, *The Untouchables* (1987), *American Graffiti* (1973) and *A League of Their Own* (1992).

Close was a key figure in modern improvisational theatre. He co-founded the ImprovOlympic (later iO Theater) in Chicago with Charna Halpern and developed the long-form structure known as the Harold. He coached numerous comedians associated with *Saturday Night Live* and Second City.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, ioimprov.com, themoviedb.org.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *The Untouchables* (1987), Fi1m 81, as Alderman — [page](https://film.one/film/the-untouchables.md)
- *Ferris Bueller's Day Off* (1986), Fi1m 81, as English Teacher — [page](https://film.one/film/ferris-buellers-day-off.md)
- *American Graffiti* (1973), Fi1m 84, as Man at Bar (Guy) — [page](https://film.one/film/american-graffiti.md)

## Also known for

- *The Blob* (1988), Reverend Meeker
- *Thief* (1981), Mechanic #1
- *Get Smart* (1965), Minelli
- *Next of Kin* (1989), Frank
- *Fat Man and Little Boy* (1989), Dr. Kenneth Whiteside
- *The Public Eye* (1992), H.R. Rineman
- *Beware! The Blob* (1972), Hobo Wearing eyepatch
- *The Big Town* (1987), Deacon Daniels

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/del-close