Conrad Bain

Early life

Conrad Bain was born in Lethbridge, Alberta, the son of Jean Agnes (née Young) and Stafford Harrison Bain, who was a wholesaler. He was an identical twin with actor Bonar Bain.^[1][2] He first appeared in a play in his senior year of high school, which sparked his interest in theatre.^[3]

Conrad studied at the Banff School of Fine Arts before serving in the Canadian Army during World War II.^[4] Bain became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1946.^[4][3] In 1948, he graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York; one of his classmates was comedian Don Rickles.^[5]

Career

After a stint at the Stratford Festival in Canada, Bain had further success as a stage actor in the 1956 revival of Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh.^[4] The New York Times reviewer noted that his role was "especially well acted."^[6] He performed in Candide at the Martin Beck Theatre from 1956 to 1957.^[4] In 1961, he performed in Advise and Consent.^[3] He performed in Hogan's Goat in 1965, The Kitchen in 1966, and Scuba Duba in 1967.^[7] In 1970, he performed in the original Off Broadway run of Steambath.^[7] In 1971, he performed in An Enemy of the People and in 1973, he performed in 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]

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]

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]

Death

Bain died from a stroke on January 14, 2013, in Livermore, California, at the age of 89.^[10] His body was cremated.

Film

Television