Owen Bush, a renowned character actor, was born on November 10, 1921, in Savannah, Missouri. His journey in acting began in high school, when he discovered his passion for the craft while auditioning for a school play, which conveniently replaced a dull study hall session.
In the late 1940s, Bush started his career as a radio announcer, and later, in the early 1950s, he transitioned to sportscasting at WDAF-TV in Kansas City. Like many television announcers in Kansas City at that time, Bush also frequently acted in industrial films produced by the Calvin Company of Kansas City.
It was during his time at the Calvin Company that Bush met the young director Robert Altman, who admired his comedic acting style and cast him in numerous short industrial "docu-dramas" as well as a minor role in Altman's first feature film, "The Delinquents," shot in Kansas City in 1956.
In 1959, Altman, who had by then become a busy director of episodic TV in Hollywood, convinced Bush to take a leave of absence from WDAF-TV and relocate to California to play a regular role in a short-lived syndicated TV series Altman was producing, titled "The Troubleshooters." Although the show did not gain traction, Bush's friendship with William Frawley, whom he met during the making of an industrial film in Kansas City, helped him secure a spot as a popular radio personality in Los Angeles and a prolific character actor in movies and TV.
Throughout the 1960s, Bush appeared in numerous episodes of TV series such as "The Whirlybirds," "Maverick," "Peter Gunn," "Bus Stop," and "Bonanza," as well as in episodes of "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Gunsmoke," and in the film "Valley of the Dolls." Bush continued to work steadily throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, with recent appearances in the movie "Best Laid Plans" and a recurring role on the TV soap opera "Passions."
One of the most recognizable character actors, Owen Bush passed away on June 12, 2001, in Los Angeles, at the age of 79, leaving behind a legacy of memorable performances on screen.
