Dan Duryea (January 23, 1907 – June 7, 1968) was an American actor in film, stage and television. Known for portraying a vast range of character roles as a villain, he nonetheless had a long career in a wide variety of leading and secondary roles.

Biography

Duryea was quite different from the unsavoury characters he often portrayed. He was married for 35 years to his wife, Helen, until her death in January 1967. The couple had two sons: Peter (who worked for a time as an actor), and Richard, a talent agent. At home, Duryea lived a quiet life at his house in the San Fernando Valley, devoting himself to gardening, boating and community activities that included, at various times, active membership in the local parent-teacher association and Scout Master of a Boy Scout troop.

On June 7, 1968, Duryea died of cancer at the age of 61. The New York Times tellingly noted the passing of a "heel with sex appeal". His remains are interred in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

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