Donald Buka

• Name — Donald Buka • Born — 17 August 1920 • Birthplace — Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. • Died — 21 July 2009 • Place of death — Reading, Massachusetts, U.S. • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1943–1987 • Spouse — Irene Maskell Mitchell (1968-1968) (divorced) Joy Weber (1972-?) (1 child) Suzanne Sinaiko (1993-1998) (her death) • Children — 1

Buka was born on August 17, 1920, in Cleveland, Ohio. When he was 17 years old, he went to Pittsburgh to study at Carnegie Tech.

While he was at Carnegie Tech, aged 17, Buka read a scene for Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne in an otherwise-empty theater. They invited him to join their company immediately, and he accepted. He toured with them for three years. Buka had worked on a film for Howard Hughes for three days when Hughes offered him a seven-year contract and told the screenwriter to expand Buka's part for the scenes that had not yet been filmed. Buka agreed to the contract with the stipulation that he be allowed to act on stage during the nine months of the traditional theatrical season each year. After some early experience in the theater, he got his start in mass media by appearing on the CBS radio program Let's Pretend. He appeared in episodes of Dragnet, Ironside, Perry Mason and The High Chaparral. Buka's Broadway debut came in Twelfth Night (1940). He concluded his Broadway career in Design for Living (1984).

Buka died on July 21, 2009, in Reading, Massachusetts.

Donald Buka Television credits • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1960 — Alfred Hitchcock Presents — Mental Patient at the door — Episode: "The Cuckoo Clock" (S5.E27) • 1964 — Perry Mason — Clark — 1 episode • 1967 — Ironside — Vincent Longo — 1 episode • 1971 — A Memory of Two Mondays — Mr. Eagle — TV play. PBS • 1986 — The Equalizer — Ben Carrigan — Episode: "The Line"