Dick Wilson biography

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Dick Wilson (born Riccardo DiGuglielmo; July 30, 1916 – November 19, 2007), was a British-born American character actor who played the role of finicky grocery store manager Mr. (George) Whipple in over 500 Charmin toilet paper television commercials (1965–1989, 1999). In appreciation for his performance of the recognizable character, Procter & Gamble famously provided Wilson with a free lifetime supply of Charmin

Biography
Dick Wilson was born in England to an Italian father, Aldo DiGuglielmo, and an English mother, Victoria Wiilson. His father performed in vaudeville; his mother was a singer. In late 1916, his father moved the family to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada where he spent his childhood. Not wanting to be typecast as an Italian, he anglicized his first name and used his mother's maiden name as a last name when performing (DiGuglielmo and Wilson are also etymologically similar names).

Wilson graduated from the Ontario College of Art & Design and then became a comic dancer in vaudeville. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force early in World War II and served as a fighter pilot against the German Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain in 1940. After the war, he moved to the United States, becoming an American citizen in 1954.

Wilson made numerous appearances as several characters on the television sitcom Bewitched (usually as the drunk) and McHale's Navy, sometimes a neighbor or other stock character (various episodes between #33 and #247). He played a similar character in Disney's The World's Greatest Athlete in 1973.

On his 80th birthday, when asked about his experiences in World War II, Wilson refused to discuss them, saying, "I lost too many good wing men."

Death
Wilson died at the Motion Picture and Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, United States. Wilson was survived by his wife Meg, daughters Wendy and actress Melanie Wilson of the ABC sitcom Perfect Strangers, and five grandchildren. He was Buried at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles.

Filmography
Square One TV - Grocer (1987)
Mathnet - Grocer (1987)
Get Out of My Room (1985)
The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981) - Store Manager
Quincy, M.E. - Car salesman (1980)
Better Late Than Never (1979) (TV)
Presenting Susan Anton (1979) TV Series - Regular
Alice (1979)
The Pirate (1978) (TV) - Drunk
Fantasy Island - Minister (1978)
Tabitha - Mr. Green (1977)
Maude - Man (1975-1976)
The Bob Newhart Show - Man (1973-1975)
Disneyland - Mr. Hodges (1974)
The Whiz Kid and the Mystery at Riverton (1974) (TV) - Mr. Hodges
Adam-12 - Louis Nelson (1973)
Love Thy Neighbor' (1973)
The World's Greatest Athlete (1973) - Drunk in bar
Bewitched - Drunk (1965-1972)
Getting Away from It All (1972) (TV) - Kirk Lecount
McMillan & Wife - Simon Mehlin (1972)
Love, American Style - Mr. Hutton (segment Love and the Bashful Groom ) (1971)
Nanny and the Professor (1971)
Marcus Welby, M.D. - Health Faddist (1971)
Hogan's Heroes - Captain Gruber (1966-1971)
The Partridge Family - Cowboy (1971)
The Good Guys - Ira (1969)
Bracken's World - Harry (1969)
I Dream of Jeannie - Dockweiler (1966-1969)
The Queen and I - Man (1969)
Mayberry R.F.D. - Ralph Carr (1968)
Get Smart - Creevley (1966-1968)
The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968) - Black Eagle (Indian chief)
Stay Away, Joe (1968) - Car salesman
The Flying Nun - Joe (1967)
Petticoat Junction - Airline Clerk (1967)
Caprice (1967) - Headwaiter
That Girl - Clerk (1967)
Occasional Wife - Waiter (1967)
The Hero (1966)
 The Jean Arthur Show - Angelo Liguori (1966)
My Mother the Car - Jenkins (1966)
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966) - Bandmaster
Our Man Flint (1966) - Supervisor of conditioning
McHale's Navy (1962) TV Series - Dino Baroni (1965-1966)
The Munsters - Al (1965)
Gidget - Mr. Lefferts (1965)
The Loner - Bartender (1965)
The Fugitive - Berger (1965)
John Goldfarb, Please Come Home (1965) (as Richard Wilson) - Frobish (Whitepaper's assistant)
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - Clerk #3 (1964)
My Favorite Martian - Charlie (1963-1964)
My Living Doll - Salesman (1964)
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1964)
What a Way to Go! (1964) - Driscoll
The Great Adventure (1964)
The Twilight Zone - Clock Mover (1959-1963)
Glynis - Danny (1963)
Ben Casey - Jake Martin (1963)
Diary of a Madman (1963) - Martin
Perry Mason - Prisoner (1963)
The Virginian - Bartender (1962)
Our Man Higgins - Fletcher (1962)
Checkmate - Clerk (1962)
The Bob Cummings Show (1961)
The Lawless Years - Charley (1959-1961)
The Deputy' (1961)
Bat Masterson - Tobias Tinker (1961)
The Millionaire - Sullvian (1960)
Maverick - Crenshaw (1960)
M Squad - Max (1958-1960)
The Untouchables - Sheriff Wilson (1959)
The Texan - Norm Seevey (1958)
Wagon Train - Bartender (1958)
Sergeant Preston of the Yukon - Beaver Louie (1956-1958)
Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre - Alex (1958)
The Tattered Dress (1957) - First Jury Foreman
The Adventures of Jim Bowie - Woodsman (1956)

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