---
name: "Fred Gwynne"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/fred-gwynne"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "10 July 1926"
died: "2 July 1993"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-20T06:46:38.165049+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."
---

# Fred Gwynne

Actor. Born 10 July 1926 in New York City, New York, USA. Died 2 July 1993.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 10 July 1926, New York City, New York, USA
- **Died:** 2 July 1993
- **Also known as:** Frederick Hubbard Gwynne
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 2: 1 acting, 1 other
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 89 (1), 1980s 70 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Gwynne, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q222833, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001304/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/56266

## Streaming the US now

- **Hulu:** [*Fatal Attraction*](https://film.one/film/fatal-attraction.md) (70)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Fred Gwynne, also credited as Frederick Hubbard Gwynne, was an American actor. Born in New York City, he studied at Harvard University after serving in the US Navy during the Second World War. He began his career on Broadway in 1952 with *Mrs. McThing* and appeared in numerous stage productions, later winning an Obie Award for *Grand Magic* (1979).

Gwynne gained prominence on television as Francis Muldoon in *Car 54, Where Are You?* (1961–63) and as Herman Munster in *The Munsters* (1964–66). His film roles include an uncredited part in *On the Waterfront* (1954), Frenchy Demange in *The Cotton Club* (1984), Arthur in *Fatal Attraction* (1987), Jud Crandall in *Pet Sematary* (1989) and Judge Chamberlain Haller in *My Cousin Vinny* (1992). He also wrote and illustrated children’s books. Gwynne died in Taneytown, Maryland, in 1993.

*Sources: imdb.com, britannica.com, en.wikipedia.org, nytimes.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

### Performed in (1) — the average rests on these

- *Fatal Attraction* (1987), Fi1m 70, as Arthur — [page](https://film.one/film/fatal-attraction.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *On the Waterfront* (1954), Fi1m 89, as Slim (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/on-the-waterfront.md)

## Complete filmography (53)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Auto-Tune the Munsters: A Rock Opera* (2015), as Herman Munster (archive footage)
- *Waking Sleeping Beauty* (2009), as Herman Munster (archive footage)
- *The Munsters: Family Portrait* (2008), as Herman Munster
- *Al Lewis: Forever Grandpa* (2000), as Herman Munster (archive footage)
- *Lincoln* (1992), as Edwin Stanton (voice)
- *My Cousin Vinny* (1992), as Judge Chamberlain Haller
- *Shadows and Fog* (1991), as Hacker's Follower
- *Earthday Birthday* (1990), as Fred the Moose (voice)
- *Murder in Black and White* (1990), as Brannigan
- *Pet Sematary* (1989), as Jud Crandall
- *Disorganized Crime* (1989), as Max Green
- *Ironweed* (1987), as Oscar Reo
- *The Ten-Year Lunch* (1987), as George S. Kaufman (voice)
- *Fatal Attraction* (1987), as Arthur — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/fatal-attraction.md)
- *The Secret of My Success* (1987), as Donald Davenport
- *Murder by the Book* (1987), as Victor Greville
- *The Christmas Star* (1986), as Waters
- *The Boy Who Could Fly* (1986), as Uncle Hugo
- *Vanishing Act* (1986), as Father Macklin
- *Off Beat* (1986), as The Commissioner
- *Kane & Abel* (1985), series, as Davis LeRoy
- *Water* (1985), as Spender
- *The Cotton Club* (1984), as Frenchy Demange
- *The Mysterious Stranger* (1982), as Balthasar Hoffman
- *Any Friend of Nicholas Nickleby Is a Friend of Mine* (1982), as Charles Dickens
- *American Playhouse* (1982), series, as Charles Dickens
- *So Fine* (1981), as Chairman Lincoln
- *The Munsters' Revenge* (1981), as Herman Munster
- *The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg* (1980), as Rev. Burgess
- *Simon* (1980), as Maj. Gen. Korey
- *Luna* (1979), as Douglas Winter
- *Sanctuary of Fear* (1979), as Judge Potter
- *Captains Courageous* (1977), as Long Jack
- *Bound for Freedom* (1976), Actor
- *Harvey* (1972), as Cab Driver
- *Dames at Sea* (1971), as Hennesy
- *Paradise Lost* (1971), as Mr. Pike
- *Great Performances* (1971), series, as Pike
- *The Littlest Angel* (1969), as Patience, the Guardian Angel
- *Arsenic and Old Lace* (1969), as Jonathan Brewster
- *Antkeeper* (1966), as Narrator
- *Munster, Go Home!* (1966), as Herman Munster
- *Salute to Stan Laurel* (1965), as Herman Munster
- *Marineland Carnival: The Munsters Visit Marineland* (1965), as Herman Munster
- *The Munsters* (1964), series, as Herman Munster
- *Car 54, Where Are You?* (1961), series, as Francis Muldoon
- *Suspicion* (1957), series, as Hughie
- *The Phil Silvers Show* (1955), series, Actor
- *On the Waterfront* (1954), as Slim (uncredited) — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/film/on-the-waterfront.md)
- *You Are There* (1953), series, Actor
- *Escape From Limbo* (1953), as Tallow Pot Thompson
- *Hallmark Hall of Fame* (1951), series, as Cab Driver
- *Studio One* (1948), series, as Little Dude

## Gallery

- ![Fred Gwynne](https://film.one/media/person/386852/gallery-7714d99d5e8c.jpg) Fred Gwynne — NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Fred_Gwynne.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Photo of Fred Gwynne and Joe E. Ross as Muldoon and Toody from "Car 54, Where Are You?".](https://film.one/media/person/386852/gallery-f21fa8ef90fa.jpg) Photo of Fred Gwynne and Joe E. Ross as Muldoon and Toody from "Car 54, Where Are You?". — NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Fred_Gwynne_Joe_E._Ross_Car_54_Where_Are_You_1962.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Photo of Joe E. Ross and Fred Gwynne from the television program Car 54, Where Are You?. (1965)](https://film.one/media/person/386852/gallery-bc5e83c3b9f6.jpg) Photo of Joe E. Ross and Fred Gwynne from the television program Car 54, Where Are You?. (1965) — GAC-General Artists Corporation (management).  Ross' management used the photo for his publicity., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Joe_E._Ross_Fred_Gwynne_Car_54_1965.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Photo of Fred Gwynne as Officer Muldoon and Joe E. Ross as Officer Toody from the television program Car 54, Where Are You?. (1961)](https://film.one/media/person/386852/gallery-38689b3f45b7.jpg) Photo of Fred Gwynne as Officer Muldoon and Joe E. Ross as Officer Toody from the television program Car 54, Where Are You?. (1961) — NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Fred_Gwynne_Joe_E._Ross_Car_54_Where_Are_You_1961.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Fred Gwynne](https://film.one/media/person/386852/gallery-e5fe642a19ec.jpg) Fred Gwynne — Image via TMDB
- ![Fred Gwynne](https://film.one/media/person/386852/gallery-10e4a838beed.jpg) Fred Gwynne — Image via TMDB
- ![Photo of Fred Gwynne (Herman Munster) and Yvonne DeCarlo as his wife, Lily, from the television program The Munsters. (1964)](https://film.one/media/person/386852/gallery-4447428425c1.jpg) Photo of Fred Gwynne (Herman Munster) and Yvonne DeCarlo as his wife, Lily, from the television program The Munsters. (1964) — CBS Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Fred_Gwynne_Yvonne_DeCarlo_The_Munsters_1964.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Photo of Lily and Herman Munster. (1964)](https://film.one/media/person/386852/gallery-4b500f59f7e0.jpg) Photo of Lily and Herman Munster. (1964) — CBS Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Lily_and_Herman_Munster_1964.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)

---
© 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/fred-gwynne