Ralph Bellamy Biography

Fast Facts

• At 16 years old, ran away from home to join an acting troupe performing Shakespeare's plays
• Founded a repertory troupe called the Ralph Bellamy Players in 1927
• Made his Broadway debut in Town Boy in 1929
• Was a founder and board member of the Screen Actors Guild, as well as the president of the Actors' Equity for 12 years
• Wrote an autobiography called When the Smoke Hits the Fan (1979)
• After reading a film script in which a character was described as "charming but dull—a typical Ralph Bellamy type," Bellamy said, "I promptly packed my bags and headed for New York to find a part with guts
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