Lonny Chapman was a highly recognizable actor who appeared in over 30 films and 300 TV programs throughout his five-decade-long career. Despite his prolific work in both film and television, he is best remembered for his passion for theater, which remained his first love.
Born on October 1, 1920, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Lonny grew up in Joplin, Missouri. His interest in acting began at a young age, and he went on to attend the University of Oklahoma on a track scholarship. However, his college studies were interrupted by the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and he joined the Marines the very next day. He saw action in the South Pacific, including Guadalcanal, and contracted malaria, which would plague him for the rest of his life.
After the war, Lonny returned to college and graduated with a BFA in Drama in 1947. He then moved to New York City, where he began his acting career, appearing in productions such as "Mister Roberts" and "The Closing Door." He also established strong ties with the prestigious Group Theatre and Actors Studio, where he forged lifelong friendships with directors and actors such as Mark Rydell, Martin Landau, and Pat Hingle.
Arguably, the peak of Lonny's early stage career occurred in 1950, when he co-starred in the award-winning drama "Come Back, Little Sheba." He continued to solidify his reputation on Broadway with productions such as "The Chase," "Whistler's Grandmother," and "The Traveling Lady."
In the late 1950s, Lonny began to show promise as a mover and shaker in the theater. He and co-founder Curt Conway devoted their summer seasons to the Cecilwood Theatre in Fishkill, New York, where he directed over 80 productions and performed in nearly thirty. Those up-and-comers who received their Equity union card under his guidance included Barbra Streisand, Dustin Hoffman, and Robert Duvall.
In the 1960s, Lonny migrated to Los Angeles to pursue film and TV roles. He helped form the West branch of the Actors Studio and appeared in a number of westerns, crimers, and small-town dramas. He provided stark authenticity to a number of roles, including the concerned diner operator in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" and the chauvinistic boss in the down-home drama "Norma Rae."
In 1973, Lonny formed the Group Repertory Theatre and served as its first and only artistic director until his death. Under his strong leadership, the non-profit organization staged over 350 productions, 45 of which were world premieres of original works. Sean Penn and Jennifer Tilly are former members of the company.
Quite visible on TV, Lonny appeared to good advantage in prime-time programming, headlining one TV series that never got firmly off the ground and co-starring with William Shatner and Jessica Walter in the "Law and Order" precursor "For the People." He also appeared in a number of topnotch crime shows, including "Perry Mason," "The Defenders," and "Ironside."
A modest, down-to-earth kind of guy with a generous heart and spirit who preferred not to call attention to himself, Lonny was a sturdy film and TV presence over the years, playing a hefty number of heroes, villains, boss types, and confidantes. Although he worked consistently throughout the years, he never found the one role that might have moved him up the pecking order and propel him to the very top of the character echelon.
The last few years of his life were marred by failing health, and he had to be placed in a Sherman Oaks care facility. He died there of complications from pneumonia and heart disease a little more than a week after his 87th birthday, on October 12, 2007. He was survived by his steadfast wife of nearly 65 years, the former Erma Dean Gibbons, and their son Wyley Dean.
