Remembering Fred Gwynne, Herman Munster From ‘The Munsters’

American actor and children's book author Fred Gwynne (as Herman Munster) poses in costume on the set of the CBS television situation comedy 'The Munsters,' 1965. — CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images

What To Know

Fred Gwynne, best known as Herman Munster, had a diverse background including military service, Harvard education, and early work as an artist and copywriter.
Despite being typecast after The Munsters, Gwynne found success on stage and as a character actor.
Beyond acting, Gwynne was also a talented author and illustrator of children’s books.

When The Munsters premiered on CBS in 1964, it gave viewers one of television’s strangest sitcom families. The series followed Herman Munster, played by Fred Gwynne; his wife, Lily Munster, played by Yvonne De Carlo; Grandpa, played by Al Lewis; son Eddie Munster, played by Butch Patrick; and niece Marilyn Munster, first played by Beverley Owen and later by Pat Priest. They looked like monsters, but they lived like a regular suburban family. Gwynne played Herman, the father with a Frankenstein-like physique and a gentle soul. He made Herman one of the most beloved sitcom dads of the 1960s.

Gwynne was born Frederick Hubbard Gwynne on July 10, 1926, in New York City. His life before television was much more interesting than you may realize. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, then went on to Harvard, where he became involved with the Harvard Lampoon, sang with the Harvard Krokodiloes, and performed with Hasty Pudding Theatricals.

Before Hollywood, Gwynne was also an artist. His mother, Dorothy, had worked as an illustrator, and Gwynne had artistic talent of his own. After college, he worked as a copywriter and commercial artist before his acting career fully took hold. He later used those skills in a second career as a children’s book author and illustrator.

THE MUNSTERS, Yvonne De Carlo, Fred Gwynne, 1964-66.

TV Guide/Courtesy Everett Collection

Gwynne’s first Broadway role came in Mrs. McThing, which starred Helen Hayes and opened in 1952. He later appeared in productions including Irma La Douce, Here’s Love, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, A Texas Trilogy, and Whodunnit. He preferred stage work and spent much of his career returning to theater, even after television made him famous. His early screen work included an uncredited role in On the Waterfront in 1954. But his first big television success came with Car 54, Where Are You?, which aired from 1961 to 1963. Gwynne played Officer Francis Muldoon opposite Joe E. Ross as Officer Gunther Toody. The show only ran for two seasons, but it became a cult favorite and paired Gwynne with Al Lewis before they reunited on The Munsters.

Gwynne’s height, deep voice, and expressive face made him a natural fit for the role of Herman Munster, but the makeup and costume were not easy to work with. He had to perform under heavy padding, makeup and platform boots, but he didn’t let it deter him from giving a strong performance. After The Munsters ended in 1966, Gwynne struggled with typecasting. Herman had made him famous, but it also made it harder for some audiences and casting directors to see him as anything other than that. Gwynne stayed busy, appearing in dozens of episodes of CBS Radio Mystery Theater, returning to Broadway in A Texas Trilogy and later starring as an investigative reporter on the short-lived series Jake’s M.O. In 1984, he reportedly walked away from an audition for Punky Brewster after being recognized as Herman Munster rather than by his own name.

Paramount/Everett Collection

Gwynne eventually built a strong second act as a character actor. He appeared in films including The Cotton Club, The Secret of My Success, Fatal Attraction, Ironweed, and Pet Sematary. For many younger fans, his Pet Sematary role was their first real introduction to him outside of Herman Munster. His final film role became one of his most memorable. Other recognize him from his performance in My Cousin Vinny, in which Gwynne played Judge Chamberlain Haller opposite Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei. His dry delivery helped make the 1992 comedy a classic.

20th Century Fox/Everett Collection

Away from acting, Gwynne wrote and illustrated children’s books, including The King Who Rained, A Chocolate Moose for Dinner, and A Little Pigeon Toad. Many of the books played with words that children misunderstand, turning phrases into funny literal images. Gwynne married Jean Reynard in 1952, and they had five children before divorcing in 1980. He married Deborah Flater in 1988. In his later years, he lived more quietly in Maryland.

Fred Gwynne died on July 2, 1993, at his home in Taneytown, Maryland, from pancreatic cancer. He was 66 years old. For some viewers, Gwynne will always be Herman Munster, but he was a Navy veteran, Harvard performer, Broadway actor, sitcom star, film character actor, painter, and children’s book author.