photo: http://www.mymovies.it/filmclub/attori/6177.jpg
Biography
Thomas Edward Bosley (born October 1, 1927) is a Jewish-American actor. The 1930 census of New Trier, Cook County, IL shows Tom as age 2 1/2 with his parents Benjamin and Dora.
Bosley was born in Chicago, Illinois and during World War II he served in the U.S. Navy. While attending DePaul University in Chicago in 1947, he made his stage debut in Our Town with the Canterbury Players at the Fine Arts Theatre.
He performed at the Woodstock Opera House in Woodstock, Illinois in 1949 and 1950 alongside Paul Newman.
His breakthrough stage part was as New York's Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia in the long-running Broadway musical Fiorello! (1959) for which he won a Tony Award.
He is best known as Ritchie Cunningham's father, Howard in the long running sitcom Happy Days, he is also known for Portraying Sheriff Amos Tupper on Murder, She Wrote but he also portrayed the titular Father Frank Dowling on the TV mystery series, Father Dowling Mysteries, as well as the voice of Harry Boyle in the animated series, Wait Till Your Father Gets Home.
He has also done voice over work, including the shop owner, Mr. Winkle in The Tangerine Bear children's Christmas cartoon special, and has endorsed Hefty brand garbage bags and currently is the spokesman for SMC Specialty Merchandise Corporation.
Other films include The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal.
Pop Culture
In the Family Guy episode Road to Europe, Brian and Stewie Griffin find themselves on a train in Switzerland. Stewie remarks that he sees Tom Bosley. Brian questions what Tom Bosley would be doing on the train, to which Stewie has no response.
Tom Bosley was also the voiceover in the 1980s cartoon David the Gnome.
