Veteran actor Orson Bean, 91, killed after being clipped by a vehicle and hit by another as he jaywalked
Actor Orson Bean, best known for being a panelist on various versions of 'To Tell The Truth' program, died on February 7 in Los Angeles. Police told the press that Bean was allegedly jaywalking when he was clipped by one vehicle and then struck by another oncoming car that night and died at the scene. He was 91 years old and is survived by his third wife, actress Alley Mills.
Police were called around 7:35 pm about the accident on the 700 Block of Venice Boulevard, between Shell Avenue and Pisani Place in LA. According to reports, both drivers remained at the scene and were cooperative with the police. Investigations are on about whether or not the collision was criminal or an accident. The accident site was located right in front of the Pacific Resident Theatre, where both Bean and his wife, Allie Mills, were company members. According to witnesses, Mills was at the scene when Bean was hit
Just before his death, he and Mills had acted in the play 'Bad Habits', which concluded its run on January 26, at the Ruskin Group Theatre in Santa Monica. Bean was well-known for his film roles like those in 'Being John Malkovich' and 'Miracle on 34th Street' as well as such television shows like 'Modern Family,' 'The Bold and the Beautiful,' and 'Desperate Housewives'.
He was born Dallas Frederick Burrows on July 22, 1928, in Burlington, Vermont. He married Mills in 1993. Bean was previously married to first wife, Jacqueline de Sibour, whose stage name was Rain Winslow, from 1956 to 1962. They had one child together named Michele. He then tied the knot with fashion designer Carolyn Maxwell in 1965, with whom he had three children: Max, Susannah, and Ezekiel. They divorced in 1981.
Bean, with over 100 appearances in TV shows and films, had also served in the US Army. He was part of the forces in occupied Japan from 1946 to 1947. After this, Bean started touring comedy clubs in New York City, which paved the way for a career in theater. He received a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for 'Subways Are for Sleeping'.
Between the 1950s and 1980s, he guest-starred on TV series such as 'The Twilight Zone', 'One Life to Live', 'The Facts of Life', and 'Murder, She Wrote'. His latest TV appearances include the final season of Netflix’s 'Grace and Frankie', NBC’s 'Superstore', and ABC’s 'Modern Family'.