Lorne Greene Bio, Family, Education, Wife, Death, Net Worth

A late evergreen actor, Lorne Greene was a Canadian-born actor, radio personality, and singer. his notable roles were ‘Ben Cartwright’ in ‘Western Bonanza’ and as ‘Commander Adama’ in the sci-fi TV series ‘Battlestar Galactica’ as well as ‘Galactica 1980’.

In addition, he had also worked in several Canadian television shows, including his nature documentary series ‘Greene’s New Wilderness’. The actor has also starred in numerous Canadian and American commercials. Before his death, during his lifetime, he had married twice and had three children. Scroll below to learn more about the late actor in detail.

LORNE GREENE: BIOGRAPHY, FAMILY, EDUCATION

The actor was born on February 12, 1915 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada as Lyon Himan Green. He was born to the parents of Russian Jewish immigrant Daniel Green, a shoemaker. But no information is available about his mother or siblings.

In view of his education, he was a graduate of Queen’s University in Kingston in chemical engineering. While in college, he had worked for the University’s Drama Guild broadcast on the college radio station ‘CFRC’. After graduating, he worked as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation rather than pursue a career in chemical engineering. Additionally, he was also a flight officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II. In addition, the CBC broadcast dubbed him “The Voice of Canada.” However, in 1939 many listeners were renamed “The Voice of Doom”. Ever since he delegated the task of reading the dreaded list of soldiers killed in the war.

LORNE GREENE: CAREER, ACHIEVEMENTS IN LIFE AND NET WORTH

Before making his acting debut in Hollywood, he started his career in broadcasting. During his CBC television career, he narrated many documentary films including 1941’s ‘Churchill’s Island’ and 1944’s ‘Flight 6’. After that, in 1953, he had worked in the title role of the hour-long adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello. Then he made his first appearance on the big screen with the role of ‘Saint Peter’ in ‘The Silver Chalice’. Since then, he has appeared in several films and television series.

Greene’s first television role was as “Patriarch Ben ‘Pa’ Cartwright” on the western series “Bonanza” with Pernell Roberts . The series was initially a western filmed in color and broadcast from 1959 to 1973. Like Cartwright, Greene had recorded many country-western-folk songs. In 1964, his spoken word ballad, ‘Ringo’ went to number one on the music charts.

After ‘Bonanza’ was canceled in 1973, he joined the cast of the ABC crime drama ‘Griff’ as ‘Ben Murphy’. After that, he hosted the syndicated nature documentary series “Last of the Wild,” which aired from 1974 to 1975. Throughout the year in the 1970s, he became the food critic Alpo dog commercial, Beef Chunks.

Additionally, he has appeared as a guest on a variety of series including “Omnibus”, “Justice”, “Climax!”, “Studio 57”, “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”, “Suspicion”, “Vega$” and “ Highway to Paradise’. He was also given the role of “Battalion Commander Joe Rorchek” in twelve episodes of “Code Red.” Additionally, he had hosted Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for nearly a decade on NBC with Betty White. He is also known as the founder of the Academy of Radio Arts in Toronto, which was originally a “Lorne Greene School of Broadcasting”.

Coming to his net worth, the actor had made a good income from his career before his demise. As a popular actor and broadcaster, he had amassed a net worth of around $10 million. Additionally, he had earned income from his singing career and appeared in a number of commercials.

LORNE GREENE: PERSONAL LIFE AND WIFE

As for his personal life, however, it’s been 32 years since the actor passed away. But during his lifetime he had been married twice and divorced. He had married his first wife in 1938, however, according to some reports, 1940. The couple had been together for around twenty years and ended their relationship in 1960. Together they had produced twins in 1945; Charles Greene and Belinda Susan Bennett.

At the time of his death he was with his second wife Nancy Deale. Greene and Deale married in 1961. There is not much information about his second wife. Nancy therefore prefers to lead a quiet life away from the media. Together, the couple gave birth to a daughter, Gillian Dania Greene. His daughter Gillian is a producer and director, worked in such film as “Murder of Cat”, “Fanboy” and “Battlestar Galactica”.

LORNE GREENE: DEATH

After a successful career and personal life, the actor left the world at the age of seventy-two. He died of pneumonia following ulcer surgery on September 11, 1987 in Santa Monica, California. After his death, he had his funeral service and was interred at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City.

The same year of his death, he received an “Earle Gray Lifetime Achievement Award” at the Canadian Gemini Awards. Additionally, the actor has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1559 N. Vine Street.