Veteran actor Arnold Stang has died at the age of 91. Although probably not a name well known to many, his face is probably familiar to you. Stang died Sunday of pneumonia at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Massachusetts, said his wife of 60 years, JoAnne.
Arnold Stang is not to be confused with Arnold Strong, the first stage name taken by action star, governor, and bodybuilding Arnold Schwarzenneger when he came to the U.S. Rather than beefy roles, Stang specialized in playing the goofy comic relief.
He played alongside Milton Berle on radio and television in the 1950s. He also appeared on classic shows such as Steve Allen and Red Skelton. Arnold Stang also starred in a dramatic roler as Frank Sinatra's sidekick Sparrow in the 1955 movie "The Man with the Golden Arm." His wife said this dramatic turn was one of his favorites.
Arnold Stang was also a member of the ensemble cast of the comedy "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" in 1963. He also had a long, long career in voice acting, appearing in many animated films and shows. They include Top Cat (as the bossy Top Cat himself), Courage the Cowardly Dog, though many of his earlier voice roles were uncredited.
On notable turn for Arnold Stang was his role as Chunky chocolate spokesman in the 1950s. He would deliver the tagline: "Chunky! What a chunk o' chocolate!"
In a New York Times interview, Arnold Stang's wife, JoAnne Stang, acknowledged that he loved voice work, but not just cartoons. "He loved the cartoons, and he liked doing commercials, too. But most of all, he loved radio. It offered him such a span of roles."
In addition to his wife, Arnold Stang is survived by son David and daughter Deborah as well as two granddaughters. Funeral services have been confirmed to be private.
Written by Michael Santo
HULIQ.com
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