Arch Johnson
Encyclopedia
Archibald "Arch" Winchester Johnson (14 March 1922 – 9 October 1997) was an American actor
appearing on Broadway
and in over 100 television shows.
Johnson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
, in 1922. A stage actor as well as a prolific television character actor
, he was in the original production of West Side Story
on Broadway and the revival of that show in the 1980s on Broadway as well. He was the only actor from the original stage version who returned for the revival and he toured Europe with the show. He was in the original version of Other People's Money
on Broadway and originated the Role of "Jorge" that Gregory Peck
played in the film version. His first love was theatre, where he started, and he came back to it at the end of his career before retiring in the late 1990s. He died in October 1997 from cancer
. He was survived by five children: Jennifer, Jessica, Joseph, Archie Jr. and LouAnn and seven grandchildren: Nicholas, Dominic, Brian, Bradley, Sharon, Nancy and Christi. He also had six great-grandchildren.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
appearing on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and in over 100 television shows.
Johnson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, in 1922. A stage actor as well as a prolific television character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
, he was in the original production of West Side Story
West Side Story
West Side Story is an American musical with a script by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins...
on Broadway and the revival of that show in the 1980s on Broadway as well. He was the only actor from the original stage version who returned for the revival and he toured Europe with the show. He was in the original version of Other People's Money
Other People's Money
Other People's Money is a 1991 drama/romantic comedy film starring Danny DeVito, Penelope Ann Miller and Gregory Peck. It is based on the play of the same name by Jerry Sterner. The director was Norman Jewison and the screenplay was credited to Alvin Sargent.-Plot:Corporate raider Lawrence...
on Broadway and originated the Role of "Jorge" that Gregory Peck
Gregory Peck
Eldred Gregory Peck was an American actor.One of 20th Century Fox's most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1960s, Peck continued to play important roles well into the 1980s. His notable performances include that of Atticus Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he won an...
played in the film version. His first love was theatre, where he started, and he came back to it at the end of his career before retiring in the late 1990s. He died in October 1997 from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. He was survived by five children: Jennifer, Jessica, Joseph, Archie Jr. and LouAnn and seven grandchildren: Nicholas, Dominic, Brian, Bradley, Sharon, Nancy and Christi. He also had six great-grandchildren.