Drummond Erskine
Encyclopedia
Drummond Erskine was an American
character actor
. He appeared in more than 75 films during his decades long acting career, which spanned over 50 years.
Erskine became known in his later life for a series of cameo
appearances on various television shows, including a running gag
on The Late Show with David Letterman in which he parodied an aging Regis Philbin
beginning in 2008.
. He attended private schools before enrolling at the University of Virginia
.
Erskine left college at the beginning of World War II
in order to enlist in the United States Army
. He volunteered to serve in the Army's first airborne unit beginning in 1942. He was trained in the proper ways to jump and operate a glider
at Fort Benning, Georgia. Erskine served in the Army as a trainer with the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment
, the same regiment
which would later be the subject of Band of Brothers, a History Channel documentary
. The 506th Regiment was based in Currahee Mountain, Georgia
, during the war.
He suffered a broken hip in a maneuver jump accident in Tennessee
and was told that he wouldn't be able to jump again. Erskine was able to recover and rejoin his Regiment in the European theater. Erskine participated in some of the largest battles of World War II, including the Battle of the Bulge
.
Erskine left the U.S. Army after the end of World War II as a lieutenant colonel
.
in both the United States
and Liberia
following the end of the war. He simultaneously pursued his acting
career while continuing to work for Firestone.
Erskine ultimately appeared in more than 75 films during his career, as well as many television and stage productions, over more than 50 years. Erskine once barely lost a role in a play to actor Charlton Heston
, reportedly due to the dramatic way Heston descended a flight of stairs during casting
. "He wouldn't just walk down the stairs - he'd leap," Erskine later remarked in an interview with Newsday
.
He was often cast as Abraham Lincoln
due to his "chiseled features", including a one-time appearance on the Alcoa Show during the 1950s.
Erskine again became known to viewers in 2008 when he appeared as an aging Regis Philbin
on The Late Show with David Letterman.
Erskine had also worked for Guidepost magazine, an interfaith publication started by Norman Vincent Peale.
, at the time.
Erskine was survived by his sister, Alison Farrar, of Lyme, New Hampshire
, as well as three generations of nieces and nephews, who called him "Uncle Drummy." His memorial service was held at St. John's Episcopal Church in Cold Spring Harbor, New York.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
. He appeared in more than 75 films during his decades long acting career, which spanned over 50 years.
Erskine became known in his later life for a series of cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
appearances on various television shows, including a running gag
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
on The Late Show with David Letterman in which he parodied an aging Regis Philbin
Regis Philbin
Regis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
beginning in 2008.
Early life
Erskine was born James Drummond Erskine III in 1919 in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. He attended private schools before enrolling at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
.
Erskine left college at the beginning of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in order to enlist in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He volunteered to serve in the Army's first airborne unit beginning in 1942. He was trained in the proper ways to jump and operate a glider
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
at Fort Benning, Georgia. Erskine served in the Army as a trainer with the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment
506th Parachute Infantry Regiment
The 506th Infantry Regiment is a unit assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division. During World War II, the unit was designated the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment ....
, the same regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
which would later be the subject of Band of Brothers, a History Channel documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
. The 506th Regiment was based in Currahee Mountain, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, during the war.
He suffered a broken hip in a maneuver jump accident in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and was told that he wouldn't be able to jump again. Erskine was able to recover and rejoin his Regiment in the European theater. Erskine participated in some of the largest battles of World War II, including the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
.
Erskine left the U.S. Army after the end of World War II as a lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
.
Career
Erskine worked for the Firestone Tire and Rubber CompanyFirestone Tire and Rubber Company
The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company is an American tire company founded by Harvey Firestone in 1900 to supply pneumatic tires for wagons, buggies, and other forms of wheeled transportation common in the era. Firestone soon saw the huge potential for marketing tires for automobiles. The company...
in both the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
following the end of the war. He simultaneously pursued his acting
Acting
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
career while continuing to work for Firestone.
Erskine ultimately appeared in more than 75 films during his career, as well as many television and stage productions, over more than 50 years. Erskine once barely lost a role in a play to actor Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
, reportedly due to the dramatic way Heston descended a flight of stairs during casting
Casting
In metalworking, casting involves pouring liquid metal into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowing it to cool and solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or broken out of the mold to complete the process...
. "He wouldn't just walk down the stairs - he'd leap," Erskine later remarked in an interview with Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
.
He was often cast as Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
due to his "chiseled features", including a one-time appearance on the Alcoa Show during the 1950s.
Erskine again became known to viewers in 2008 when he appeared as an aging Regis Philbin
Regis Philbin
Regis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
on The Late Show with David Letterman.
Erskine had also worked for Guidepost magazine, an interfaith publication started by Norman Vincent Peale.
Death
Drummond Erskine died on March 21, 2009, at the age of 89. He was a resident of Cold Spring Harbor, New YorkCold Spring Harbor, New York
Cold Spring Harbor is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 4,975.Cold Spring Harbor is in the Town of Huntington.-History:...
, at the time.
Erskine was survived by his sister, Alison Farrar, of Lyme, New Hampshire
Lyme, New Hampshire
Lyme is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,716 at the 2010 census. Lyme is home to the Chaffee Natural Area. The Dartmouth Skiway is in the eastern part of town, near the village of Lyme Center...
, as well as three generations of nieces and nephews, who called him "Uncle Drummy." His memorial service was held at St. John's Episcopal Church in Cold Spring Harbor, New York.