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Norman Lloyd Dies: ‘St. Elsewhere’ Actor Who Worked With Welles, Hitchcock & Chaplin Was 106

Norman Lloyd, the Emmy-nominated veteran actor, producer and director whose career ranged from Orson Welles’ Mercury Theatre, Alfred Hitchcock’s Saboteur and acting with Charlie Chaplin in Limelight to St. Elsewhere, Dead Poets Society and The Practice, died May 10 in his sleep at his Los Angeles home. He was 106. A family friend confirmed the news to Deadline.

During one of the famous Lloyd birthday celebrations, Karl Malden said, “Norman Lloyd is the history of our business.”

Blessed with a commanding voice, Lloyd’s acting career dates back to Orson Welles’ Mercury Theatre troupe, of which he was the last surviving member. He was part of its first production — 1937 a modern-dress adaptation of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar on Broadway titled Caesar.

https://deadline.com/tag/norman-lloyd/

Lloyd was a victim of the Hollywood blacklist and didn't have a film role for over 20 years. However, his friendship with Alfred Hitchcock kept him employed. He directed numerous episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and the Hitchcock hour (and occasionally acted in them as well) and helped produce both series as well.

When I went to Universal Studios in Orlando, they had a Hitchcock exhibit and one of the features was a video that showed how Hitch filmed the scene in Saboteur where Lloyd "fell" from the Statue of Liberty (actually a giant replica of the statue's torch). The effect was very good for 1942.

Lloyd was a terrific character actor giving great performances in his 90s. RIP.

Keith Olbermann on Twitter:

It is anything but an important consideration but it suddenly strikes me that with the passing of my dear friend Norman Lloyd - who was AT Game 1 of the 1926 World Series - we may not have anybody left who actually SAW Babe Ruth play in a World Series game.