Biography
John Abbott (born John Albert Chamberlain Kefford) was an English character actor. He made his professional stage debut in 1933 in a revival of Dryden's Aureng-zebe with Sybil Thorndike and later joined the Old Vic Company, appearing in Shakespearean roles including Claudius in a production of Hamlet at Elsinore with Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh.
He made his film debut in 1937 and appeared in numerous films over the following decades, including Mrs. Miniver (1942), Jane Eyre (1943), Gigi (1958) and The Jungle Book (1967) as the voice of Akela. His television work included guest roles in Bewitched, Get Smart and Star Trek (1966) as Ayelborne. He also appeared on Broadway in He Who Gets Slapped (1946), Montserrat and The Waltz of the Toreadors.
