Jack Warden
Warden in the 1950s
Born: John Warden Lebzelter Jr.; September 18, 1920; Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Died: July 19, 2006 (aged 85); New York City, U.S.
Jack Warden (born
John Warden Lebzelter Jr.; September 18, 1920 July 19, 2006) was an American character actor of film and television. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Shampoo (1975) and
Heaven Can Wait (1978). He received a BAFTA nomination for
Shampoo, and won an Emmy for his performance in
Brian's Song (1971).
Early life
Warden was born in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Laura M. (née Costello) and John Warden Lebzelter, who was an engineer and technician.
He was of Pennsylvania Dutch (German) and Irish ancestry. Raised in Louisville, Kentucky, he was expelled from high school for fighting and eventually fought as a professional boxer under the name Johnny Costello. He fought in 13 bouts as a welterweight, but earned little money.
Military service
Warden worked as a nightclub bouncer, tugboat deckhand, and lifeguard, before joining the United States Navy in 1938. He was stationed for three years in China with the Yangtze Patrol.
He joined the United States Merchant Marine in 1941, but he quickly tired of the long convoy runs.
In 1942, he moved to the United States Army, where he served as a paratrooper in the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, with the 101st Airborne Division in World War II.
In 1944, on the eve of the D-Day invasion (in which many of his friends died), Warden, then a staff sergeant, shattered his leg when he landed in a tree during a night-time practice jump in England. He spent almost eight months in the hospital recuperating, during which time he read a Clifford Odets play and decided to become an actor. Notably, Warden later portrayed a paratrooper from the 101st's rivalsthe 82nd Airborne Divisionin That Kind of Woman.
After leaving the army, he moved to New York City and studied acting on the G.I. Bill.
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