Who Is John Dehner? Age, Biography and Wiki
John Dehner was born on November 23, 1915, and had a prolific career in entertainment until his passing in 1992. By 2025, he would have turned 110 years old, marking a significant milestone in the celebration of his contributions to cinema and television. Known for his distinctive voice and impressive range, Dehner made a name for himself in various roles across multiple genres.
| Occupation | Musicians |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | November 23, 1915 |
| Age | 76 Years |
| Birth Place | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Sagittarius |
| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 4 February, 1992 |
| Died Place | Santa Barbara, California, U.S. |
Popularity
John Dehner's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
During his active years, John Dehner stood approximately 6 feet tall and had a sturdy build that complemented both leading and character roles. His exact weight fluctuated throughout his career, but he was generally depicted as a physically imposing figure in various productions. Unfortunately, detailed measurements such as chest or waist sizes are not widely available.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
While John Dehner was known primarily for his professional endeavors, his personal life included a couple of significant relationships. He was married to actress and writer Joan Dehner, and they shared a life together filled with creativity and artistic pursuits. Although there isn't extensive public information about his personal relationships, Dehner maintained a level of privacy regarding his family affairs.
Born in 1915 in New York City on Staten Island, John Dehner was the middle child of three children of Ella Susana (née Dehner) and Ralph LeRoy Forkum.
Dehner's father was an accomplished artist who was widely recognized in the United States as a landscape painter, illustrator, and a specialist in painting "highly realistic" backgrounds for stage productions and later for animated features and shorts. Dehner's mother was a gifted musician with artistic talents as well.
Prior to the 1920s, Ella Forkum even collaborated with her husband on art projects and in some instances was co-credited for helping him to compose content for his drawings and paintings widely used in newspaper and magazine advertising.
One example is a full-page advertisement in the March 18, 1917, issue of the Washington, D.C., newspaper Evening Star. That ad is for Djer-Kiss, a very exclusive line of French perfumes and soaps. It depicts a highly stylized, fairytale-like scene of young women bathing beneath a waterfall.
The artwork itself bears the attribution to both of Dehner's parents, to "R.L. + E.D. Forkum".
Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his passing in 1992, John Dehner's estimated net worth was around $1 million. This figure reflected his successful acting career spanning over four decades, as well as his work in voice acting and radio. In today's terms, accounting for inflation and posthumous recognition, this amount could be considered significantly higher.
Career, Business and Investments
Dehner's career began in radio during the 1940s before transitioning into film and television. He gained fame for his roles in popular TV shows like “Gunsmoke,” where he portrayed various characters throughout the series. His film credits include classic titles such as “The Man Called Shenandoah” and “The Great Race.” In addition to acting, Dehner was known for his work as a voice actor, lending his distinctive voice to numerous animated projects and commercials.
John Dehner also had interests in business and investments, particularly in real estate, which allowed him to create a stable financial foundation beyond his Hollywood endeavors.
He continued to work as a voice actor in film, such as narrating the film The Hallelujah Trail. Earlier in his career, Dehner also worked briefly for Walt Disney Studios, serving as an assistant animator from 1940 to March 1941 at the company's facilities in Burbank, California.
He appeared in Columbo episodes "Swan Song" (1974) with Johnny Cash, and as Commodore Otis Swanson in "Last Salute to the Commodore" (1976). He appeared in a two-part episode of Mission: Impossible.
Social Network
John Dehner was relatively private regarding his social life. However, his legacy continues through various social media channels, fan pages, and online communities. Today, his work is celebrated on platforms such as IMDb, Instagram, and Facebook, where fans share classic scenes and discuss his lasting impact on the acting world.
By 1966, Dehner's success in films had been almost exclusively in supporting roles, so in an effort to obtain more leading parts, he decided to establish that year his own production company. Motion Picture Exhibitor reports in its July 6, 1966, issue that Dehner had recently formed "J. D.
Productions", an enterprise with "one of its primary functions" being to purchase story ideas and scripts to develop into projects in which Dehner "would star in the film versions".
To what extent Dehner's company developed projects or directed him to parts in future screen productions is unknown, but Dehner continued to act in films for the next 20 years, although not in roles for which he received top billing. His first feature after the establishment of J. D.
Productions is the crime drama Stiletto (1969) starring Alex Cord, Britt Ekland, and Patrick O'Neal. Dehner once again plays in a supporting role but on the "right side" of the law, portraying a district attorney.
Education
John Dehner pursued his education in fine arts and theater, which laid the groundwork for his future in acting. Though details about his formal education are limited, his early exposure to the arts significantly influenced his career trajectory and skill development as a performer.
One of the notable stage productions in which Dehner was cast in New York is The Bridal Crown (1901) by Swedish playwright August Strindberg. Premiering on Broadway at the Vanderbilt Theatre on February 5, 1938, the play was presented under the auspices of the Experimental Theatre of Manhattan.
Brooks Atkinson, then a critic for The New York Times, reviewed the stage work by "The New York Players", whom he characterized as "serious-minded" and composed of "young people with a passion for the theatre and in most cases slim pocketbooks".
While citing "Dehner Forkum" among the principal actors and serving in the role of "Mats", Atkinson deemed the troupe's overall effort to be only "a respectable student performance".
