Richard Crenna

Richard Crenna
Crenna in 1961
Born(1926-11-30)November 30, 1926
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedJanuary 17, 2003(2003-01-17) (aged 76)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Southern California (BA)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • producer
Years active1937–2003
Spouses
Joan Grisham
(m. 1950; div. 1955)
Penni Sweeney
(m. 1959)
Children3 (including Richard Anthony Crenna)
Military career
AllegianceUnited States
BranchUnited States Army
Service years1945–1946
RankCorporal
ConflictsWorld War II
AwardsAmerican Campaign Medal
Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal
European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal

Richard Donald Crenna (November 30, 1926 – January 17, 2003) was an American actor and television director.

Crenna starred in such motion pictures as Made in Paris (1966), Marooned (1969), Breakheart Pass (1975), The Evil (1978), The Flamingo Kid (1984), Summer Rental (1985) and Sabrina (1995). His first success came on radio in 1948 as high school student Walter Denton co-starring with Eve Arden and Gale Gordon in the series Our Miss Brooks. Crenna continued with the comedy in its 1952 move into television. He also starred as Luke McCoy in the television series The Real McCoys (1957–1963). In 1985, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for his portrayal of the title role in The Rape of Richard Beck (1985). He gained further notoriety for his role as Colonel Samuel Richard "Sam" Trautman in the first three Rambo films (1982–1988).