Veteran Character Actor Paul Stewart Dies at 77

Paul Stewart, a veteran character actor who played in several stage, radio, television and film classics, including Orson Welles’ “Mercury Theater on the Air,” died Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He was 77.

Stewart, a longtime resident of Hollywood, had been suffering from a lengthy illness, according to a friend, actor Bert Freed.

Born in New York City, Stewart began his stage career there as a teen-ager. In 1938, he joined with Welles, actor-producer John Houseman and writer Howard Koch as associate producer of the notorious Mercury Theater production of “War of the Worlds.”

Welles became a household name as a result. But the “Martian invasion” also served as a powerful professional credit for Stewart, who ultimately played in or directed some 5,000 radio and television shows and had a role in more than 50 films.

Film Debut in ‘Citizen Kane’

Stewart, a founder of the American Federation of Radio Artists, and Welles became friends and, in 1941, he made his screen debut in Welles’ movie classic, “Citizen Kane,” playing the role of Charles Foster Kane’s valet.

Respected in the acting profession as an actor’s actor, Stewart became sought after as someone who had “that big town look”--a guy with a lot of angles to his profile who could project a cold-blooded look and who was cast as the shifty crook in “The Window,” the harassed medic in “Twelve O’Clock High,” or the fight manager in “Champion.”

But Stewart was always the first to say that “people know my face but not my name.”

Stewart and his wife, known professionally as Peg LaCentra, a popular vocalist who sang for a time with Artie Shaw’s band, were married in 1939. The two were on radio together a good deal, notably as members of the original daily “March of Time” program.

Dreamed of Starring Roles

With his meteoric career start, Stewart once reminisced that, with his tough good looks, he had ideas of becoming another Gable, Bogart or Cagney.

“I thought I’d have a chance,” he said. “But I came along on the cusp of that trend. It was going out of fashion and I got stuck as a heavy. I played subtle heavies, assistant heavies, stylish, rich heavies.”

In the 1950s, Stewart began directing for television, but also continued working as an actor, in television, film and on the stage.

His television directing and acting credits included “The Defenders,” some of the “Twilight Zone” productions, “Hawaiian Eye,” “Streets of San Francisco” and “Cannon.”

On the screen, he had roles in a number of films, including “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” “In Cold Blood” and “Revenge of the Pink Panther.”

His last stage performance was in “Mr. Roberts,” in the role of Doc opposite Henry Fonda.

Stewart was on the board of the Screen Actors Guild, a member of the Directors Guild of America and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

He is survived by his wife. Funeral arrangements were incomplete.

In lieu of flowers, his wife requested that contributions be made to the Actors Fund of America.