Charles Douville Coburn (June 19, 1877 – August 30, 1961) was an American film and theater actor.
Coburn was born in Savannah, Georgia, the son of Scots-Irish Americans Emma Louise Sprigman and Moses Douville Coburn. He started out doing odd jobs at the local theater, handing out programs, ushering, or being the doorman. By the age of 17 or 18, he was the theater manager. He later moved on to acting and made his debut on Broadway in 1901. Coburn ...
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Charles Douville Coburn (June 19, 1877 – August 30, 1961) was an American film and theater actor.
Coburn was born in Savannah, Georgia, the son of Scots-Irish Americans Emma Louise Sprigman and Moses Douville Coburn. He started out doing odd jobs at the local theater, handing out programs, ushering, or being the doorman. By the age of 17 or 18, he was the theater manager. He later moved on to acting and made his debut on Broadway in 1901. Coburn formed an acting company with Ivah Wills in 1905. They married in 1906. In addition to managing the company, the couple performed frequently on Broadway.
After his wife's death in 1937, Coburn relocated to Los Angeles, California and began acting in films. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a retired millionaire playing Cupid in The More the Merrier in 1943. He was also nominated for The Devil and Miss Jones in 1941 and The Green Years in 1946. Other notable film credits include Of Human Hearts (1938), The Lady...
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