John Irwin McGiver came to acting relatively late in life. He held a B.A. and Masters degrees in English from Fordham, Columbia and Catholic Universities and spent his early years teaching drama and speech at Christopher Columbus High School in the Bronx. He had an early flirt with the acting profession in 1938 as actor/director for the Irish Repertory Theatre but found his weekly income of $26.42 insufficient to live on. He enlisted the next year and saw action during World War II, fighting with the U.S. 7th Armored Division in Europe .
Was a teacher in the New York City public school system before becoming an actor. Left behind ten children at the time of his death.
Initiated the "Do You Know Me" commercials for American Express
Father of actor Boris McGiver.
His parents were Irish immigrants.
Enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army on 9 January 1942 during World War II.
He was nominated for the 1974 Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Guest Artist for his performance in "Da" at the Ivanhoe Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.
Ex-father-in-law of Deborah Hecht.
