Jump to content

Larry D. Mann

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Larry D. Mann
Mann in a promotional picture for Black Eye (1974)
Born(1922-12-18)18 December 1922
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died6 January 2014(2014-01-06) (aged 91)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
EducationVaughan Road Academy
OccupationsActor, broadcaster
Years active1949–1991
SpouseGloria (Kochberg) Mann (m. 1946; died 2017)
ChildrenDanny Mann (voice actor; born 1951)
RelativesPaul Mann (brother) (1913–1985)

Larry D. Mann (18 December 1922 – 6 January 2014) was an Canadian actor and broadcaster. He is best known as "The Boss" in a series of Bell Canada television commercials in the 1980s and voicing Yukon Cornelius in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Life and career

[edit]

Larry D. Mann was born in Toronto, Ontario, on 18 December 1922. Before his acting career, he was a disc jockey on 1050 CHUM radio in Toronto in 1949,[1] and attended school there at Vaughan Road Academy.[2]

Mann voiced the character of Yukon Cornelius in the classic Rankin-Bass Christmas special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. He also provided voices for characters in several other Rankin-Bass television series and specials.

Mann's film career spanned four decades. He came to the attention of CBC audiences in 1953 when he kidded around with the puppet Uncle Chichimus on the show Let's See. According to a CBC Archives article, Mann got the job when his friend, actor Don Harron, pointed him out to producer Norman Jewison. Mann also appeared in more than 20 movies, including In the Heat of the Night, Bullitt, and The Sting.

Mann's many television credits include Get Smart; Gunsmoke; The Man From U.N.C.L.E.; Bewitched; Hogan's Heroes; Honey West; The Green Hornet; Green Acres; Columbo; Quincy, M.E. and Hill Street Blues.[3] He also played the title role in a series of Bell Canada TV commercials called "The Boss" for ten years beginning in 1981.[3]

His last role was on Homefront in 1991.[3]

His brother Paul Mann was an actor and drama instructor, who appeared in the films America America and Fiddler on the Roof.[4] His son, Danny Mann, also entered the entertainment industry as a voice actor.

Death

[edit]

Mann died of natural causes at age 91 on 6 January 2014 in Los Angeles.[5]

Personal life

[edit]

Mann was born Leibish Libman in Toronto, Ontario. A dual citizen of Canada and the United States, he was a veteran of World War II, serving four years in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).[6] His military service included participation in the Battle of Normandy as well as the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.[6]

On September 1, 1946, Mann married Gloria Kochberg Mann. The couple remained married for 67 years until his death in January 2014, and together they had four children.[7] One of their sons, Danny (born 1951) is a voice actor. Danny is best known for voicing Ferdinand the Indian Runner duck in the live action/animated hybrid film Babe and its sequel Babe: Pig in the City.[8][9][10]

Mann's older brother, Paul Mann (1913–1985), was an distinguished theatre and film actor and drama instructor who founded Paul Mann's Actors Workshop in New York. Paul also appeared as a character actor in prominent feature films such as America America and the 1971 cinematic adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof.

Filmography

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Dulmage, Bill (April 2009). "Radio Station History: CHUM-AM". Canadian Communications Foundation. Archived from the original on 24 April 2005. Retrieved 6 April 2009.
  2. ↑ "Hall of Fame - Vaughan Road Alumni". Vaughan Road Collegiate Alumni Association. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 "Larry D. Mann, veteran actor, dies at 91". CBC News. CBC/Radio-Canada. 6 January 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  4. ↑ "Larry Mann, Voice in 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,' Dies at 91". Variety.com. Penske Business Media, LLC. Associated Press. 6 January 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  5. ↑ ""Rudolph" Voice Actor Larry D. Mann Dies at 91". ABC News. Abc.go.com. Associated Press. 7 January 2014. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  6. 1 2 Barris, Ted (29 January 2015). "Liberation not a moment too soon". Ted Barris. Retrieved 10 September 2026.
  7. ↑ "PASSINGS: Larry D. Mann, Dennis Johnson". Los Angeles Times. 6 January 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2026.
  8. ↑ Holden, Stephen (4 August 1995). "Babe". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  9. ↑ Savlov, Marc (27 November 1998). "Babe: Pig in the City Movie Review". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
  10. ↑ Holden, Stephen (August 4, 1995). "FILM REVIEW; A Feisty Pig With Aspirations Beyond the Sty". The New York Times. Retrieved October 2, 2026.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Larry_D._Mann&oldid=1378642893"