J. Carrol Naish (January 21, 1896 – January 24, 1973) was a legendary American character actor, a true “man of a thousand faces” celebrated for his incredible versatility and his uncanny ability to portray a vast array of nationalities and ethnicities.
In a film career of over 200 roles, Naish was a master of transformation. He received two Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor for his powerful performances as an Italian soldier in Sahara (1943) and a proud Mexican-American father in A Medal for Benny (1945), for which he won a Golden Globe. He is also beloved by horror fans for his sympathetic portrayal of a hunchbacked assistant in House of Frankenstein (1944).
Despite his film success, Naish’s greatest fame came on the radio in the title role of the hit comedy series Life with Luigi, which in 1950 surpassed even Bob Hope in the ratings. Ironically, despite being of Irish descent, he almost never played an Irishman, instead becoming Hollywood’s go-to actor for virtually any other nationality, cementing his legacy as one of the most skilled and adaptable performers of his generation.
