Alan Young

1919-11-19 · North Shields, Tyne-and-Wear, Northumberland, England, UK

Alan Young (born Angus Young; November 19, 1919 – May 19, 2016) was an English-Canadian-American actor, comedian, radio and television host, whom TV Guide called "the Charlie Chaplin of television". Young was born in North Shields, Northumberland, England, to Scottish parents. He suffered from severe asthma as a child, which kept him bedridden for long periods of time. During this time, he developed a love of radio, and began performing on local radio stations in his teens. In 1941, Young moved to the United States, where he continued his radio career. He also began appearing in television shows, and in 1950, he won an Emmy Award for Best Actor for his role in the sitcom The Alan Young Show. Young's most famous role was as Wilbur Post in the television comedy Mister Ed (1961–1966). The show was about a man who could talk to his talking horse, and it was a huge success, running for five seasons. Young's performance in the show earned him another Emmy Award nomination. After Mister Ed, Young continued to work in television and film. He also provided the voice of Scrooge McDuck for Disney from 1974 until his death in 2016. Young was a versatile actor who was equally adept at comedy and drama. He was also a talented musician, and released several albums of music. Young was married three times and had four children. He died in 2016 at the age of 96.