Mike Kellin

Mike Kellin
Kellin in an episode of One Step Beyond (1960)
Born	Myron Kellin (1922-04-26)April 26, 1922 Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Died	August 26, 1983(1983-08-26) (aged 61) Nyack, New York, U.S.
Resting place	Emanuel Synagogue Cemetery, Wethersfield, Connecticut
Education	Boston University Trinity College, Connecticut (BA) Yale University (MFA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1949–1982
Spouse(s)	Nina Caiserman Kellin ​ ​ (m. 1951; died 1963)​ Sally Moffat ​ ​ (m. 1966)​
Children	1
Relatives	Sylvia Field (mother-in-law)
Awards	See below
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Navy
Rank	Lieutenant commander
Conflicts	World War II

Myron "Mike" Kellin (April 26, 1922 – August 26, 1983) was an American stage and screen actor. He won an Obie Award for his performance in the original Off-Broadway run of American Buffalo, and was nominated for a Tony Award for the Broadway musical Pipe Dream. He was also known for his starring role as Chief Petty Officer Willie Miller on the 1960s television sitcom The Wackiest Ship in the Army.

Early life and education

Kellin was born in Hartford, Connecticut. He was the son of Sophia and Samuel Kellin, Russian-Jewish immigrants. His younger sister, Shirley Ann Kellin (born August 14, 1927), died in the 1944 Hartford circus fire. He was educated at Boston University and Trinity College.

Kellin served with the Navy as a lieutenant commander during World War II, and after the war, studied acting and playwriting at the Yale School of Drama.

Career

Kellin made his Broadway debut in 1949 in At War with the Army and repeated his role in the 1950 film version with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. He worked in some 50 plays and won an Obie Award for his work in American Buffalo. He and earned a Tony nomination in 1955 for his acting in the musical Pipe Dream.

In 1956, he contributed the song "Preserven El Parque Elysian" to a rally in support of Elysian Park. Pete Seeger recorded this song in 1965 for this album God Bless the Grass.

Kellin appeared in both the film version of The Wackiest Ship in the Army and the television series based on the film.

In 1966, Kellin appeared in "The Deadly Games of Gamma 6" episode on Lost in Space as Myko. Later he starred on the TV Western series Gunsmoke. He also appeared in "The Thirty Fathom Grave" episode of The Twilight Zone and as a Southerner in The Alfred Hitchcock Hour episode "Night of the Owl."

Personal life

Kellin married Nina Caiserman in 1952. The couple adopted a daughter before Nina's death in 1963. In 1966, Kellin married actress Sally Moffat, daughter of actress Sylvia Field.

Kellin was an advocate for prisoners' rights. Between 1968 and 1973, he was appointed to the Rockland County Legislature's Blue Ribbon Commission on Criminal Justice. He was also active in the Fortune Society.

Stage credits (partial)

Film credits

Television credits

He was very active in television and was a regular on:

• Combat! (1965) Episode "Losers Cry Deal"

He also appeared in made-for-TV movies, including:

He guest starred on the following:

Discography

• Tevya and His Daughters, Columbia Masterworks OL 5225 (1957)
• And the Testimony's Still Coming, Verve Forecast FTS-3028 (1967)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mike Kellin.

• Mike Kellin at IMDb
• Mike Kellin at the Internet Broadway Database
• Mike Kellin at the Internet Off-Broadway Database (archived)
• Mike Kellin papers, 1946-1983, held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
• Mike Kellin at Find a Grave