Biografía

Is a critically acclaimed artist; has had many gallery showings. His paintings are represented in galleries across the country and held in many corporate and private collections.

During the 1980s and '90s, he lived on 16th Street, just south of Montana Avenue, in Santa Monica. This writer lived a few doors away, and often saw him out for a walk on Montana. He was entirely approachable, very friendly, and always willing to chat, especially about Dobie Gillis.

His maternal grandfather, Louis Henry Ostertag, was a US Navy seaman on Commodore George Dewey's USS Olympia, and present at the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898, for which he was awarded the "Dewey Medal" by Act of Congress. Per the 1940 Census, Dwayne and his family were living with his grandparents at 950 Kenmore St., in Los Angeles.

Attended and graduated from Cathedral High School in Los Angeles, California (1952).

Passed away on January 9, 2022, to what would've been his The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959) co-star Bob Denver's 87th birthday.

[on his best-known character]: Dobie was so well written and so ahead of its time. The spinning frames, the short clipped scenes, the rapid-fire delivery - it was the MTV of its time. Breaking the fourth wall and having Dobie talk to the audience was ground-breaking.

[on Dobie Gillis as the "original yuppie"]: His only ambition was to have a girlfriend, a car and money. He represents the morality of the 50's.

[on Warren Beatty]: Warren Beatty has always acted like a Movie Star even when no one knew who he was. I think that he denies being on the show because he didn't want anyone to think he began on television, If he ever decides to run for President of the United States, that would be interesting. In a Dobie episode, we ran against one another for class president -- I don't remember now who won!

[on his on- and off-screen chemistry with Robert Cummings, who played Bob Collins]: I loved Bob, he was wonderful, he took me aside, and he said, "You know, Chuck" [he always called me Chuck], I don't think he knew my name. But anyway, he called me Chuck, and he said, "You have a wonderful opportunity here to go to school, and learn comedy from me." But he was right, "You're getting paid to go to school, on comedy." And you know, we had run-ins every year.

[on Robert Cummings]: I was very green and I learned a great deal from him. He was like a mentor. He taught me everything and a lot of people say, "I acted like him," which I probably did because he was telling me how to do it, and I was kind of imitating somewhat. But no, I learned a great deal and I probably never gotten Dobie without Cummings. He was a very talented man, a big star, a big movie star!