Larry D. Mann

Larry D. Mann was born in Toronto, Ontario, on 18 December 1922. Before his acting career, he was a disc jockey on 1050 CHUM radio in Toronto in 1949,^[1] and attended school there at Vaughan Road Academy.^[2]

Mann voiced the character of Yukon Cornelius in the classic Rankin-Bass Christmas special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. He also provided voices for characters in several other Rankin-Bass television series and specials.

Mann's film career spanned four decades. He came to the attention of CBC audiences in 1953 when he kidded around with the puppet Uncle Chichimus on the show Let's See. According to a CBC Archives article, Mann got the job when his friend, actor Don Harron, pointed him out to producer Norman Jewison. Mann also appeared in more than 20 movies, including In the Heat of the Night, Bullitt, and The Sting.

Mann's many television credits include Get Smart; Gunsmoke; The Man From U.N.C.L.E.; Bewitched; Hogan's Heroes; Honey West; The Green Hornet; Green Acres; Columbo; Quincy, M.E. and Hill Street Blues.^[3] He also played the title role in a series of Bell Canada TV commercials called "The Boss" for ten years beginning in 1981.^[3]

His last role was on Homefront in 1991.^[3]

His brother was actor Paul Mann, who appeared in the films America America and Fiddler on the Roof.^[4]

Mann died of natural causes at age 91 on 6 January 2014 in Los Angeles.^[5]