Barnard Hughes

• Birth Name — Bernard Aloysius Kiernan Hughes • Born — 16 July 1915 • Birthplace — Bedford Hills, New York, U.S. • Died — 11 July 2006 • Place of death — New York City, U.S. • Children — 2, including Douglas • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1939–2000

Bernard Aloysius Kiernan Hughes was born in Bedford Hills, New York, on July 16, 1915, the son of Irish immigrants Marcella (née Kiernan) and Owen Hughes. He attended La Salle Academy and Manhattan College in New York City, during which time he worked a series of odd jobs, including a stint as a dockworker and as a salesman at Macy's. He joined the U.S. Army during World War II.

• Illustration — Hughes (seated in front) with the cast of Doc in 1975 Hughes, as he revealed on The Dick Cavett Show, was inspired to become an actor after seeing English actor Dennis King's Broadway run as Richard II in the play Richard of Bordeaux. He asked for his first name to be spelled "Barnard" instead of "Bernard" in his professional credits after a numerologist told him it would help his acting career. He auditioned for New York's Shakespeare Fellowship repertory company on the advice of a friend, and performed with them for two years. Hughes had over 400 stage roles. He won the 1978 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play for his performance as the title character in Hugh Leonard's Da. In 1988, he reprised the role for the film adaptation Da. He appeared in the film adaptation of Hamlet (1964) and in such films as Midnight Cowboy (1969), Where's Poppa? (1970), Cold Turkey (1971) The Hospital (1971), Tron (1982), Maxie (1985), The Lost Boys (1987), Doc Hollywood (1991), and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993). He also played the old man who gave a ride to Felix and Oscar in The Odd Couple II (1998) and was featured in The Fantasticks (1995). Hughes appeared on TV in such series as Naked City, The Secret Storm, Dark Shadows, Love Story, Blossom, and Homicide: Life on the Street. In 1973, he had a notable recurring role on All in the Family as a Roman Catholic priest, Father John Majeski, doing battle with Archie Bunker, and won an Emmy for his portrayal of a senile judge on Lou Grant. Hughes made three appearances in The Bob Newhart Show as the father of Dr. Robert Hartley. He was the central character in three sitcoms: Doc, in which he played a physician; Mr. Merlin, in which he played Merlin, a magician mentoring a 20th-century teenager; and The Cavanaughs, co-starring Christine Ebersole, in which he played the family patriarch (Art Carney played his brother, and Glynis Johns made guest appearances). Hughes sang "Danny Boy" in one episode of the latter series. He also made a memorable appearance as The King (with Jim Dale as The Duke) in the PBS mini-series Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Hughes also made recurring appearances on daytime dramas including Guiding Light, The Secret Storm and As the World Turns as well as a brief appearance as a private investigator in an early episode of Dark Shadows. He also did many voice-overs for various television commercials including Kix cereal.

Hughes married actress Helen Stenborg on April 19, 1950, and they remained married until his death in July 2006. They had a son named Doug, who became a theater director, and a daughter. Hughes died of natural causes in New York City on July 11, 2006, aged 90. He is interred at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration in Manhattan, where his wife Helen was also interred after her death in 2011.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1954 — Playgirl — Durkin — Uncredited • 1961 — The Young Doctors — Dr. Kent O'Donnell • 1964 — Hamlet — Marcellus / Priest • 1966 — Dark Shadows — Stuart Bronson — Gothic Soap Opera • 1967 — The Borgia Stick — Doctor Helm — TV movie • 1969 — Midnight Cowboy — Towny • 1970 — Where's Poppa? — Colonel Warren J. Hendricks • 1971 — Dr. Cook's Garden — Elias Hart — TV movie • Cold Turkey — Dr. Proctor • The Pursuit of Happiness — Judge Vogel • The Hospital — Edmund Drummond — Also made an uncredited appearance as Dr. Mallory • All in the Family — Father Majeski — TV series • 1972 — Rage — Dr. Spencer • Deadhead Miles — Old Man — Uncredited • 1973 — Sisters — Arthur McLennen • 1975 — Doc — Dr. Joe "Doc" Bogert — TV series • The UFO Incident — Dr. Benjamin Simon — TV movie • 1977 — Hawaii Five-O — Clinton Palmer — TV series • Oh, God! — Judge Baker • 1979 — Sanctuary of Fear — Father Brown — TV movie, pilot for unmade series with Kay Lenz • 1981 — First Monday in October — Chief Justice James Jefferson Crawford • Mr. Merlin — Merlin — TV series • 1982 — Tron — Dr. Walter Gibbs/Dumont • Best Friends — Tim McCullen • 1985 — Maxie — Bishop Campbell • 1986 — Where Are the Children? — Jonathan Knowles • 1987 — The Lost Boys — Grandpa • A Hobo's Christmas — Chance Grover • 1988 — Da — Nick Tynan • 1989 — Day One — Secretary of War Henry Stimson • 1991 — Doc Hollywood — Aurelius Edsel Hogue, M.D. • 1991–1994 — Blossom — Buzz Richman — TV series, 52 episodes • 1993 — Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit — Father Maurice • 1994 — Trick of the Eye — Harry Pitt — TV movie • 1995 — The Fantasticks — Henry Albertson • 1998 — The Odd Couple II — Beaumont • 1999 — Cradle Will Rock — Frank Marvel

• "Osgood Meeker" in the Broadway production of Noël Coward's Waiting in the Wings, directed by Michael Langham (this was Barnard Hughes' last stage role) • "Old Man" in the Broadway production of Prelude to a Kiss, directed by Norman René • Polonius to Stacy Keach's Hamlet • Marcellus in Richard Burton's 1964 Hamlet • Dogberry in the New York Shakespeare Festival production of Much Ado About Nothing • Harry Hope in the 1985 Broadway revival of The Iceman Cometh directed by José Quintero • Uncle Vanya (directed by Mike Nichols) • A Doll's House • Hogan's Goat (Off-Broadway) • Three Sisters • The Devil's Disciple • Translations • "Lynn Belvedere" in the Tenthouse Theatre in the Round production of Gwen Davenport's "Belvedere" August 9–14, 1948.