Wayne, David

Wayne, David [né Wayne James McMeekan] (1914–95), character actor. The versatile performer was born in Traverse City, Michigan, and made his first professional appearance in Cleveland in a 1936 revival of As You Like It. Wayne played in several major Broadway and touring productions before scoring a huge success as the leprechaun Og in Finian's Rainbow (1947), followed by such memorable performances as the roustabout Ensign Pulver in Mister Roberts (1948), the wily Sakini in The Teahouse of the August Moon (1953), the eccentric Uncle Daniel in The Ponder Heart (1956), the unctuous Mr. Finnegan in The Loud Red Patrick (1956), the temperamental Jack Jordan in Say, Darling (1958), the hypochondriacal George Kimball in Send Me No Flowers (1960), and Private Meek in Too True to Be Good (1963). In 1964 Wayne joined the Lincoln Center Repertory Company and appeared in important roles in After the Fall, Marco Millions, But for Whom Charlie, and Incident at Vichy. His last major Broadway appearance was as the bon vivant Granpère in The Happy Time (1968).