Roman Bohnen

He was one of the original members of the Group Theatre (1931-40), the acting ensemble that brought the Konstantin Stanislavski system to the Broadway theater, changing the style of American acting. A few of its members became Hollywood stars--Franchot Tone and John Garfield--but, on the dissolution of the company, many of its members found work as well-paid character actors in Hollywood films. Bohnen was also one of the founders of the Actors Lab in Los Angeles, the place where Marilyn Monroe first studied acting seriously.

Roman Bohnen, known as "Bud" to his family and friends was not only an excellent film actor but also a stage actor of note. As a member of the prestigious Group Theatre from 1934-40, he appeared in such classic productions as "Waiting for Lefty", "Golden Boy", "Awake and Sing" and "The Gentle People". He left for Hollywood in the late '30s to pursue a film career mainly as an effort to earn money for his family and ailing wife, Hilda.

In film, he is perhaps best known for his performances as Candy in Of Mice and Men (1939) with Burgess Meredith and Lon Chaney Jr..

In Hollywood, particularly during the 1940s, character actor Bohnen often played men much older than his true age, due to his prematurely wizened features. He was a key stock actor for director Lewis Milestone, who cast him in four films: Of Mice and Men (1939), Edge of Darkness (1943), The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946), and Arch of Triumph (1948).

Was just 7 years older than Dana Andrews, who played his son in The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946).

Bohnen was blacklisted in 1949 during the "Red Scare"; some claim this contributed to his fatal heart attack that year.