Tony-Winning Actor George S. Irving Has Died
(© Tristan Fuge)
Tony-winning character actor George S. Irving, a Broadway mainstay, died December 26 at the age of 94.
Born on November 1, 1922, in Springfield, Massachusetts, to Abraham and Rebecca Shelasky, Irving made his Broadway debut in the chorus of the original 1943 production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! He went on to appear in a myriad of Broadway shows including the original productions of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1949), Can-Can (1953), Bells Are Ringing (1956), Irma La Douce (1960), and many more.
In 1973, he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for playing the role of Madame Lucy in the revival of the musical Irene. Irving's final Broadway appearance came in 1983, when he received a Tony nomination for playing the role of Sir John Tremayne in the original musical Me and My Girl.
Irving's notable screen roles included sitcoms like The Patty Duke Show and All in the Family. Among his most memorable television and film accomplishments was providing the voice for the character of Heat Miser in 1974's Christmas stop-motion animated television special The Year Without a Santa Claus.
Irving married dancer and actress Maria Karnilova in 1948. The two were together until her death in 2001. Irving is survived by a son, Alexander, and a daughter, Katherine, as well as three grandchildren.
