Conrad Bain

Conrad Bain nació en Lethbridge , Alberta, hijo de Jean Agnes (de soltera Young) y Stafford Harrison Bain, quien era mayorista. Era gemelo idéntico del actor Bonar Bain . ^{[ 1 ] [ 2 ]} Su primera aparición en una obra de teatro fue en su último año de secundaria, lo que despertó su interés por el teatro. ^{[ 3 ]}

Conrad estudió en la Escuela de Bellas Artes de Banff antes de servir en el Ejército canadiense durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial . ^{[ 4 ]} Bain se naturalizó ciudadano de los Estados Unidos en 1946. ^{[ 4 ] [ 3 ]} En 1948, se graduó de la Academia Estadounidense de Artes Dramáticas en Nueva York; uno de sus compañeros de clase fue el comediante Don Rickles . ^{[ 5 ]}

Después de una temporada en el Festival de Stratford en Canadá, Bain tuvo más éxito como actor de teatro en la reposición de 1956 de The Iceman Cometh de Eugene O'Neill . ^{[ 4 ]} El crítico del New York Times señaló que su papel fue "especialmente bien interpretado". ^{[ 6 ]} Actuó en Candide en el Martin Beck Theatre de 1956 a 1957. ^{[ 4 ]} En 1961, actuó en Advise and Consent . ^{[ 3 ]} Actuó en Hogan's Goat en 1965, The Kitchen en 1966 y Scuba Duba en 1967. ^{[ 7 ]} En 1970, actuó en la producción original Off Broadway de Steambath . ^{[ 7 ]} En 1971, actuó en An Enemy of the People y en 1973, actuó en Uncle Vanya . ^{[ 3 ]}

Bain also found work on television; in 1966 he appeared in the cult supernatural soap opera Dark Shadows as the town innkeeper, Mr. Wells, during seasons 1 and 2, before his character was killed.^[7]

In 1962, Bain was one of the principal organizers of the Actors Federal Credit Union, inspired by an actor who could not obtain credit at a local department store.^[8][9] Bain served as the credit union's first president.^[7]

In 1970, Bain appeared in the film Lovers and Other Strangers and in 1971, he appeared in Woody Allen's Bananas.

He was cast by producer Norman Lear^[3] as Dr. Arthur Harmon, Bea Arthur's title character's conservative nemesis, who married her best friend, Vivian, in Maude (1972–1978).^[2][5][10]

Based on his success in Maude,^[5] Bain was cast in Diff'rent Strokes (1978–1986) as Park Avenue millionaire Phillip Drummond, who adopted two African-American orphaned boys from Harlem, Willis and Arnold, to live with him and his daughter, Kimberly, and housekeeper, Mrs. Garrett.^[4] In 1979, he played Phillip Drummond in an episode of The Facts of Life.^[4] In 1996, Bain reprised his role of Phillip Drummond alongside Gary Coleman as Arnold Jackson on the series finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.^[4] Producer Norman Lear later praised Bain's understated comic skill, telling he had "a very rare comedic spine" and could be both a straight man and quietly funny.^[10]

In 1987, Bain starred in Mr. President, a political sitcom.^[5] In 1991 and 1992, he performed in On Borrowed Time, his last Broadway theatre production.^[5][3]

Bain died from a stroke on January 14, 2013, in Livermore, California, at the age of 89.^[11] His body was cremated.