Actor and director Sam Wanamaker was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants, Molly (Babell) and Maurice Wattenmaker, a tailor. He studied at Drake University, IA, then trained at Goodman Theatre, Chicago, worked with summer stock companies in Chicago as an actor and director, and made his London debut in 1952.
A brawny, firm-jawed, sandy-haired player of 60s and 70s primetime TV, Frank Converse seemed to be one of those handsome tough-guy action figures that could go by the wayside after the demise of their famous series. Instead, this stage-trained actor persevered as a well-respected, all-purpose character actor in a career that has now passed its fourth decade.
