Trivia

Although not widely known, he had a glass eye, having lost the real one to cancer.

He met wife Jessica Tandy in 1940 and they married in 1942.

During the shooting of There Was a Crooked Man... (1970) Cronyn was diagnosed with optic cancer which required the removal of an eye. Although this news upset director Joseph L. Mankiewicz very much, Cronyn was more than willing to work longer hours to complete his scenes and make him available for the necessary surgery.

Was once a boxer who was nominated for the Canadian Olympic boxing team.

1990: He and wife Jessica Tandy were both honored with the American National Medal of the Arts from the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington DC.

At time of death had eight grandchildren and five great-granchildren.

He and wife Jessica Tandy partnered on screen in 13 movies between 1944 and 1994, usually playing a couple: La séptima cruz (1944), Tentaciones de otoño (1944), Los verdes años (1946), The Moon and Sixpence (1959), Honky Tonk Freeway (1981), El mundo según Garp (1982), Cocoon (1985), Milagro en la calle 8 (1987), Foxfire (1987), Cocoon: El regreso (1988), The Story Lady (1991), To Dance with the White Dog (1993) and Camilla (1994).

His father, Hume Blake Cronyn, has an observatory dedicated to him in the University of Western Ontario. The refractor telescope was the largest ever built in the western hemisphere at the time.

Appeared as Sosigenes in Cleopatra (1963), One film critic's witty appraisal of this mammoth, megastar, megabuck, four-hour production was, "I never miss a Hume Cronyn movie."

Became a US citizen late in life.

7/11/88: He was awarded the O.C. (Officer of the Order of Canada) for his services to drama.

In 1946 Elia Kazan, looking for an actress to play Blanche Dubois in his upcoming Broadway production of "Streetcar Named Desire", saw a Los Angeles production of Tennessee Williams' earlier play "Portrait of a Madonna" in which Cronyn directed his wife Jessica Tandy. He was so impressed by her performance that he offered her the role.

His mother was an heiress of the Labatt Brewing Company. Hume's maternal great-grandfather John Kinder Labatt had founded it, and Hume's maternal grandfather John Labatt later assumed control of the company.

Won two Tony Awards: in 1964, as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic) for playing Polonius in Shakespeare/s "Hamlet," and, in 1994, a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement that was shared with his wife, Jessica Tandy. And he was nominated six other times: as Best Actor (Dramatic), in 1961 for: Big Fish, Little Fish" and in 1967 for Edward Albee's "A Delicate Balance;" as Best Actor (Play), in 1978 for "The Gin Game" and in 1986 for "The Petition;" as Producer (Dramatic), in 1965 as co-producer of Best Play nominee "Slow Dance on the Killing Ground;" and as co-producer in 1978 of Best Play nominee "The Gin Game.".

Won a Tony Award in 1964 for his performance as Polonius in the Richard Burton Broadway production of "Hamlet", which was recorded live on stage in a process known as Electronovision, and shown in movie theaters the same year (Hamlet (1964)).

Son: Christopher Cronyn, daughter: Tandy Cronyn. Granddaughter: Katherine Cronyn.

Inducted to Canada's Walk of Fame in 1999.

Starred (with wife Jessica Tandy) as Ben Marriott on NBC Radio's "The Marriage" (1953-1954).

1932: Member of the Kappa Alpha Society at the McGill University.

He married his third wife Susan Cooper, at 85, a woman who had served as writer in Foxfire (1987), a movie where he had starred with his previous, late wife, Jessica Tandy.

1972: Won an 1972-1973 Obie for Distinguished Performance for "Krapp's Last Tape".

Attended Ridley College, St. Catharines, Ontario

The original screenplay of El medallón (1946), called "What Nancy Wanted", was written by Norma Barzman, who was married to writer Ben Barzman, who was blacklisted during the McCarthy "Red Scare" period of the 1940s and 1950s. She sold the script to Cronyn, who planned to direct the film with wife Jessica Tandy starring. Cronyn then sold the script to RKO, which assigned Sheridan Gibney to rewrite it.

He was awarded the 1971 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Performance for his performance in the play, "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial," at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

Acted with the Montreal repertory Company while still a student at McGill.

Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume 7, 2003-2005, pages 112-114. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2007.

Stepchildren: Jonathan Grant and Kate Glennon.

Hume and wife Jessica Tandy are one of several sets of spouses who have both won Tony Awards. Hume was nominated 7 times, winning in 1964 for "Hamlet"(Featured Actor in a Play). Jessica was nominated 5 times and won 3: in 1948 for "A Streetcar Named Desire"; in 1978 for "The Gin Game"; and in 1983 for "Foxfire". All of her wins were for Lead Actress in a Play. Hume and Jessica were nominated in their respective categories for the same production twice: for "Foxfire" and "The Petition"(1986).

He was awarded the 1985 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Performance in Leading Role for the play, "Foxfire" at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

He was nominated for a 1978 Antoinette Perry (Tony) Award for Best Actor in a Play for "The Gin Game" on Broadway in New York City.

First cousin, once removed, of actor Graham Jarvis. Their shared ancestors were John Labatt and Catherine Matilda Biddulph, who were Hume's maternal grandparents and Graham's maternal great-grandparents.

Cousin of producer Robert Whitehead.

Alumnus of the AADA (American Academy of Dramatic Arts), Class of 1934.

Body Cremated and Ashes given to family or friend.