Orson Bean is an American film, television, and stage actor. He appeared frequently on televised game shows in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, but is probably perhaps best known as cynical shop keeper Loren Bray on the hit show "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman"
Orson was born Dallas Frederick Burrows on July 22, 1928 in Burlington,Vermont. He was an amateur magician throughout high school, graduated in 1946, and did a Tour in Japan with the Army soon after. After the war Orson took his comedy act to nightclubs and eventually theaters in New York. He made his Broadway debut on April 30th, 1954. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s Orson made guest appearances on many television shows, but was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studios in the 1950s for his outspokenly liberal political views. Finally he was able to overcome the blacklist by playing the main characters Bilbo and Frodo Baggins in the 1977 and 1980 Rankin/Bass animated adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" and "The Return of the King". Orson then went on to become a "guest star" actor because of his appearances on shows such as "One Life to Live", "The Love Boat", and "The Facts of Life". Orson has been Married three times, to Jacqueline De Sibour (1956 - 1962), Caroline Maxwell (1965 - 1981), and finally to actress Alley Mills since 1993. He continues to maintain his role as a "guest star" actor by appearing in "Will and Grace" in 2001, "7th Heaven" in 2003, "Two and a Half Men" in 2005, "Commander in Chief" in 2006, and more recently in a 2007 episode of "How I Met Your Mother".
Orson was born Dallas Frederick Burrows on July 22, 1928 in Burlington,Vermont. He was an amateur magician throughout high school, graduated in 1946, and did a Tour in Japan with the Army soon after. After the war Orson took his comedy act to nightclubs and eventually theaters in New York. He made his Broadway debut on April 30th, 1954. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s Orson made guest appearances on many television shows, but was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studios in the 1950s for his outspokenly liberal political views. Finally he was able to overcome the blacklist by playing the main characters Bilbo and Frodo Baggins in the 1977 and 1980 Rankin/Bass animated adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" and "The Return of the King". Orson then went on to become a "guest star" actor because of his appearances on shows such as "One Life to Live", "The Love Boat", and "The Facts of Life". Orson has been Married three times, to Jacqueline De Sibour (1956 - 1962), Caroline Maxwell (1965 - 1981), and finally to actress Alley Mills since 1993. He continues to maintain his role as a "guest star" actor by appearing in "Will and Grace" in 2001, "7th Heaven" in 2003, "Two and a Half Men" in 2005, "Commander in Chief" in 2006, and more recently in a 2007 episode of "How I Met Your Mother".
