Jan Merlin
Encyclopedia
Jan Merlin is an American
character actor
, screen writer, and author.
USA
, during the Second World War
he enlisted in the US Navy to serve on three successive ships in the North Atlantic and Pacific Fleets, accumulating ten battle stars before entering Japan
's Inland Sea with the first group of
Occupation Forces. Upon returning to civilian life, the former torpedoman worked in summer stock beginning in 1946, and enrolled in the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater, making his Broadway debut in Mister Roberts
starring Henry Fonda
, in 1949. His professional career as an actor spans more than five decades, and has included performances in stage plays on and off Broadway, radio dramas, several hundreds of live and filmed episodes of TV series, and more than thirty feature motion pictures made in the US and abroad. His most recent performances were in live radio dramas broadcast in June, 2010. In his film and TV work, Merlin was frequently cast as the heavy
, and consequently his character very often died onscreen. His best-known TV work was as co-star on Tom Corbett, Space Cadet
in the part of Cadet Roger Manning (1950–1953), and as co-star in the ABC
western series, The Rough Riders
, as Lieutenant Colin Kirby (1959).
As an author, Merlin received an Emmy in 1975 for his scripting of the NBC Daytime
soap opera
Another World
. He was nominated again in 1976. His first novel was published in 1982. He currently has a number of novels in print, including Gunbearer, Part I, Gunbearer, Part II, Ainoko, Gypsies Don't Lie, Crackpots and Shooting Montezuma. He has also published several works of fiction and non-fiction with co-author William Russo, including The Paid Companion of J. Wilkes Booth, Troubles in a Golden Eye, MGM Makes Boys' Town, and Hanging with Billy Budd.
In 2009 he received a Golden Halo Award, for his work as actor and writer, from the Southern California Motion Picture Council. Merlin has one child, by his first wife, a son, Peter William Merlin, born in 1964.
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...
, screen writer, and author.
Career
Born and raised in New YorkNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, during the Second World War
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...
he enlisted in the US Navy to serve on three successive ships in the North Atlantic and Pacific Fleets, accumulating ten battle stars before entering Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
's Inland Sea with the first group of
Occupation Forces. Upon returning to civilian life, the former torpedoman worked in summer stock beginning in 1946, and enrolled in the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater, making his Broadway debut in Mister Roberts
Mister Roberts
Mister Roberts is a 1946 novel written by Thomas Heggen.-Plot:The title character, a Lieutenant Junior Grade naval officer, defends his crew against the petty tyranny of the ship's commanding officer during World War II...
starring Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
, in 1949. His professional career as an actor spans more than five decades, and has included performances in stage plays on and off Broadway, radio dramas, several hundreds of live and filmed episodes of TV series, and more than thirty feature motion pictures made in the US and abroad. His most recent performances were in live radio dramas broadcast in June, 2010. In his film and TV work, Merlin was frequently cast as the heavy
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
, and consequently his character very often died onscreen. His best-known TV work was as co-star on Tom Corbett, Space Cadet
Tom Corbett, Space Cadet
Tom Corbett is the main character in a series of Tom Corbett — Space Cadet stories that were depicted in television, radio, books, comic books, comic strips, coloring books, punch-out books and View-Master reels in the 1950s....
in the part of Cadet Roger Manning (1950–1953), and as co-star in the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
western series, The Rough Riders
The Rough Riders (TV series)
The Rough Riders is an American Western television series set in the West after the American Civil War. It aired on ABC for the 1958-1959 television season...
, as Lieutenant Colin Kirby (1959).
As an author, Merlin received an Emmy in 1975 for his scripting of the NBC Daytime
NBC Daytime
NBC Daytime is the schedule for the NBC television network's daytime television programming which consists of morning news program Today and soap opera Days of our Lives...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Another World
Another World (TV series)
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
. He was nominated again in 1976. His first novel was published in 1982. He currently has a number of novels in print, including Gunbearer, Part I, Gunbearer, Part II, Ainoko, Gypsies Don't Lie, Crackpots and Shooting Montezuma. He has also published several works of fiction and non-fiction with co-author William Russo, including The Paid Companion of J. Wilkes Booth, Troubles in a Golden Eye, MGM Makes Boys' Town, and Hanging with Billy Budd.
In 2009 he received a Golden Halo Award, for his work as actor and writer, from the Southern California Motion Picture Council. Merlin has one child, by his first wife, a son, Peter William Merlin, born in 1964.