Lloyd Bochner
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Lloyd Bochner (July 29, 1924 - October 29, 2005), born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) was a Jewish Canadian leading man, usually playing the role of cool, suave, rich men.
At age 11, Bochner began his acting career on Ontario radio programs. He went on to garner two Liberty Awards, the highest acting honor in Canada, for his work in Canadian film and theater. In 1951 he moved to New York City and appeared in early television series such as One Man's Family and Kraft Television Theatre. In 1960, Hollywood called with a starring role in the series Hong Kong. A few years later he appeared in one of his most famous roles, that of the scientist attempting to decipher an alien text in the classic 1962 Twilight Zone episode "To Serve Man," a part he himself spoofed years later in the comedy The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear. Over the years Bochner continued to portray a variety of roles in television and film, from a warlock on Bewitched to a homosexual doctor coming out at middle age in the 1977 TV-movie Terraces, to Pia Zadora's abusive screenwriter husband in the camp classic film The Lonely Lady. His son Paul said he "almost always played a suave, handsome, wealthy villain."
A typical and very famous Bochner role was that of the scheming 'Cecil Colby' on Dynasty (TV series), in part due to his notorious death scene (he died of a heart attack while having sex with Alexis Carrington). A few years later, Bochner planned to star as C.C. Capwell on the daytime drama Santa Barbara (TV series), but a heart attack caused his departure from the series. Bochner continued to appear in television series for the next few decades, doing frequent voiceover work for the animated cartoon version of Batman. In 1998 Bochner co-founded the Committee to End Violence, a panel designed to study the impact violent images had on culture. He was also active in Association of Canadian Radio and Television Artists and was an licensed amateur radio operator.
He left behind 3 children - actor Hart Bochner (who also did voices for Batman) as well as a son, Paul, and a daughter, Johanna Courtleigh. He is also survived by his wife of many years, Ruth Bochner.
He died on October 29, 2005, of cancer at the age of 81 at home in Santa Monica, California.
Selected Filmography
- Harlow (1965)
- Sylvia (1965)
- Point Blank (1967)
- Ulzana's Raid (1972)
- The Man in the Glass Booth (1975)
He joined the Stratford Festival of Canada in its first season in 1953 and spent six years there, playing Horatio in "Hamlet," Orsino in "Twelfth Night" and Duke Vincentio in "Measure for Measure," opposite James Mason.
