Earl Hindman
Encyclopedia
Earl John Hindman was an American
actor
, best-known for his role as the kindly neighbor (whose lower face was always hidden from sight from the television viewer) Wilson W. Wilson Jr. on the television sitcom
Home Improvement (1991–1999).
Long before this role, however, he played bad guys in two 1970s thrillers
, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and The Parallax View
.
Hindman's most famous and enduring pre-Home Improvement role was as Bob Reid in Ryan's Hope
. He played the role in 459 episodes during the years 1975-1989. Ex-police officer Bob Reid was everybody's best friend who never got the girl, and was the long-suffering brother of the soap's serial bride Delia Reid Ryan Ryan Coleridge. Hindman's wife Molly McGreevey was also on the soap 1977-1981 as Polly Longworth, best friend to media tycoon Rae Woodard.
, the son of Eula and Burl Latney Hindman, who worked in the oil pipeline business. He studied acting at the University of Arizona
.
On May 21, 1976, Hindman married Molly McGreevey
, with whom he later acted on Ryan's Hope
. McGreevey later became an Episcopal priest.
A long time smoker, Hindman became ill in 2003 and died of lung cancer
on December 29, 2003 in Stamford, Connecticut
. In addition to his wife, he was survived by a sister, Mrs. Anna Dean Shields and a brother, Ray Hindman.
His interment was in Stamford's Roxbury Cemetery.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, best-known for his role as the kindly neighbor (whose lower face was always hidden from sight from the television viewer) Wilson W. Wilson Jr. on the television sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
Home Improvement (1991–1999).
Long before this role, however, he played bad guys in two 1970s thrillers
1970s in film
The decade of the 1970s in film involved many significant films.----Contents1 World cinema2 Hollywood3 List of films: # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z.4 Events-World cinema:...
, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and The Parallax View
The Parallax View
The Parallax View is a 1974 American thriller film directed by Alan J. Pakula and starring Warren Beatty, Paula Prentiss, Hume Cronyn and William Daniels. The film was adapted by David Giler, Lorenzo Semple Jr and an uncredited Robert Towne from the 1970 novel by Loren Singer...
.
Hindman's most famous and enduring pre-Home Improvement role was as Bob Reid in Ryan's Hope
Ryan's Hope
Ryan's Hope is an American soap opera, revolving around 13 years of trials and tribulations within a large Irish American family in the Riverside district of New York City. It aired from July 7, 1975 to January 13, 1989 on ABC...
. He played the role in 459 episodes during the years 1975-1989. Ex-police officer Bob Reid was everybody's best friend who never got the girl, and was the long-suffering brother of the soap's serial bride Delia Reid Ryan Ryan Coleridge. Hindman's wife Molly McGreevey was also on the soap 1977-1981 as Polly Longworth, best friend to media tycoon Rae Woodard.
Personal life and death
Hindman was born in Bisbee, ArizonaBisbee, Arizona
Bisbee is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, 82 miles southeast of Tucson. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 6,177...
, the son of Eula and Burl Latney Hindman, who worked in the oil pipeline business. He studied acting at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
.
On May 21, 1976, Hindman married Molly McGreevey
Molly McGreevey
Molly McGreevey is an American actress, who played Polly Longworth on the daytime television soap opera Ryan's Hope.- Biography :...
, with whom he later acted on Ryan's Hope
Ryan's Hope
Ryan's Hope is an American soap opera, revolving around 13 years of trials and tribulations within a large Irish American family in the Riverside district of New York City. It aired from July 7, 1975 to January 13, 1989 on ABC...
. McGreevey later became an Episcopal priest.
A long time smoker, Hindman became ill in 2003 and died of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
on December 29, 2003 in Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
. In addition to his wife, he was survived by a sister, Mrs. Anna Dean Shields and a brother, Ray Hindman.
His interment was in Stamford's Roxbury Cemetery.