Wendell Corey was a hard-working American character actor who appeared in numerous movies and television productions in the 1940s, '50s and '60s. Born on March 20, 1914 in Dracut, Massachusetts, in the northeastern part of the Commonwealth near the New Hampshire border, Corey was the son of a Congregationalist clergyman. After receiving his education, Corey began his acting career in summer stock. During the Depression he worked with the Federal Theater Project, part of the Works Progress Administration that had been created by President 'Franklin D. Roosevelt' , who was then a Democrat, the Republican Corey was interested in politics. He was elected to membership on the board of directors of the Screen Actors Guild and served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1961 to 1963. As a Republican, he was elected to the City Council in Santa Monica, California, in 1965. He made a bid for the Republican nomination to contest a seat in Congress in 1966, but was defeated in the primary. Corey was still serving on the Santa Monica City Council when he died on November 8, 1968 at the Motion Picture & Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. He was 54 years old.
Son of actor Milton R. Corey Sr..
President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1961 to 1963
Father of Jonathan Corey and Robin Corey , who appeared as his children in The File on Thelma Jordon .
Had four children: son Jonathan, and daughters Robin, Jennifer and Bonnie Alice.
Career was acutely damaged by his problems with alcohol.
Father: Milton R. Corey; Mother: Julia N. Wiley.
He was due to play Gen. William Quantrell in Red Mountain but had to drop out due to illness and was replaced by John Ireland.
