Character Actor H.M. Wynant

As one of the last prolific character actors who launched their film and television careers in the 1950s – and subsequently spanning eight decades with hundreds of roles – it’s no surprise that H.M. Wynant didn’t have instant recall when interviewed by author Steven Peros for his new book, “H.M. Wynant – You Must Believe!”

“I was kind of amazed – he wanted to do a book about me?” said Wynant from his home in Los Angeles. “But Steven did his research and dropped clues about my previous roles and all of a sudden a lot of the past came back, which was kind of wonderful. I would film a television episode over a few days, then literally forget about it – just erase it – and move on to the next project. So there are some shows I just don’t have any memory about.”

Nevertheless, the book is full of entertaining anecdotes shared with the author.

“It’s basically an authorized biography with HM contributing quotes as well as photos from his personal collection,” explained Peros from Los Angeles, who’s also a playwright, screenwriter, and director (see www.stevenperos.com). “I’ve known HM for 30 years since I cast him in a play. He appeared in so many iconic TV shows just in the 1960s.”

A sampling of Wynant’s credits for that decade includes “Batman,” “Perry Mason,” “Get Smart,” “Mission: Impossible,” “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” “Ironside,” and westerns such as “Wagon Train,” “Cheyenne,” “Tales of Wells Fargo,” “The Wild Wild West,” and “The Virginian.”

“I did everything that was available then, and think I did some of my best work during that period,” said Wynant. “It was my favorite decade.”

For many series, Wynant appeared in multiple episodes, usually portraying different characters, including 10 episodes of Perry Mason where he was cast as a “prosecutor, defendant, murder victim, witness, and murderer.”

“He’s the only actor in the history of that long-running show to play such a variety of characters in different episodes,” said Peros.

It’s a testament to Wynant’s talent and commitment to his craft that he could quickly adapt to new characters as a supporting actor. While he also worked in movies with classic film legends including Katharine Hepburn,  Laurence Olivier, Clark Gable, and Rod Steiger, Wynant was satisfied to be largely cast in supporting roles.

“I never wanted to be the big star, but did consider myself a good actor and just as important to the story as anyone,” he said.

He took the lead role in one of the most beloved series of the era, “The Twilight Zone.” The 1960 episode, “The Howling Man,” is often listed among fan favorites.

Wynant’s character is coerced into releasing a man imprisoned in a monastery who turns out to be the devil. Speaking anxiously to the camera during the opening scene, his character warns them “You must believe,” a phrase lifted for Peros’s book title. Wynant laughed heartily when asked why the episode is still rated so favorably with Twilight Zone fans.

“Honestly, I really don’t know,” he admitted. “But it was beautifully written, beautifully directed and, of course, beautifully cast! They were all good episodes – it was a tremendous show.”

Born in Detroit in 1927 as Hyman Weiner, and later going by Haim, he was a poor student and hung out in a pool room as an underage teen.

“When the cops raided the place, I would be hidden in the toilet,” recalled Wynant. “One day I picked up a Shakespeare book and for some reason developed an affinity for it.”

Wanting to act, dance, and play music – he played the trumpet in the symphony orchestra in Detroit – at age 19, a one-way train ticket took Wynant to New York. Focusing on acting, numerous theatrical and early East Coast live television roles followed, before he headed west in 1956 to Hollywood. After a name change to H.M. Wynant and his first appearance in film (“Run of the Arrow”) the following year, Wynant never looked back.

With television exploding in popularity in the ’50s, Wynant was quick to recognize its value for an actor, even though major movie stars initially scoffed at the new mass media format.

“I didn’t look down on television at all,” he said. “I accepted it, loved it, and it’s been good to me. I accomplished everything I wanted and have no regrets. But after eight decades, I do miss acting a lot.”

Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala., and has written features, columns, and interviews for numerous magazines and newspapers, including many in the Boomer nostalgia and humor departments. See www.getnickt.org