Why ‘One Day at a Time’s Pat Harrington Jr. Was an Unsung Hero of Hollywood

If you’re of a certain age (my age, to be exact), you probably remember Pat Harrington Jr. best as Dwayne Schneider, the lovable but cheesy building superintendent from One Day at a Time. If you ask me, Schneider was the glue that held that show together. Even though he wasn’t actually part of the Romano family, he was around so much that he kind of felt like family.

That was the magic of Pat. He could walk into a scene, deliver a one-liner, and suddenly, the whole dynamic just clicked. But that character was just the tip of the iceberg for Pat, who had been a well-known comedic character actor in Hollywood long before One Day at a Time. He started out in the fifties appearing on variety shows like The Steve Allen Show, and let me tell you, this guy was funny, like “steal the show with one look” kind of funny.

Everett Collection

And let’s not forget his vocal work. I personally enjoyed him as The Atom and Green Arrow’s sidekick, Speedy, on The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure during the late sixties. He was also the voice of The Inspector in a series of cartoons based on the character from the Pink Panther movies that began airing roughly around the same time period.

Pat was also in a ton of commercials. I recall one from 1979 featuring the Vlasic Stork. When you’re done reading this article, head on over to YouTube and watch it here. If you listen closely to the Stork’s voice, I bet you’ll recognize it.

Pat also had this knack for showing up in smaller, lesser-known roles and just stealing the whole dang movie. Take The President’s Analyst, for example. It’s a super weird satirical spy comedy starring James Coburn from the sixties. Pat’s only in a few scenes, but he’s so good, you can’t forget him. That is the mark of a great character actor: they don’t need the spotlight; they just need a chance to shine and, boom, they are unforgettable.

Everett Collection

But let’s get back to Schneider. This character was just so wonderful because he became part of pop culture. Schneider was the guy you called when your sink was broken, your love life was a mess, or you just needed someone to talk to. He was the “everyman,” the friend, the comedic relief, and Pat played him to perfection. When it all comes down to it, I think we all wish we had a Schneider in our lives. Someone who shows up with a toolbox and a joke, ready to make everything just a little bit better.

The mid-eighties were a bit of a low point for Pat as his 30-year marriage ended. He had raised four kids with his wife Marjorie, including a pro tennis player, Mike Harrington, and the breakup just had to be devastating for everyone involved. Pat would eventually marry again 16 years later, after One Day at a Time ended.

TV Land/courtesy Everett Collection

Over the years, Pat also appeared on a couple of Valerie Bertinelli television shows. In 1990, he appeared in her sitcom Sydney, and in 2012 he appeared in his final acting role in Hot in Cleveland.

Pat passed away in 2016. He had been struggling with Alzheimer’s Disease and all of the not-so-fun things that come along with that. About three weeks before his death, he’d fallen and, as a result, had a brain hemorrhage which had landed him in the hospital.

At the time of his death, Yahoo! Entertainment quoted Valerie Bertinelli as saying what I believe many of us all think, “He always made me laugh.”

End of the day, despite winning both an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award, big-time fame still eluded this guy. And as such, like I said in the title of this article, he truly was an unsung hero. Why? Because he made every project he touched just a little bit brighter, a little funnier, and a whole lot more memorable.

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