Hiram Sherman: Movies & Filmography

Hiram Sherman (February 11, 1908 – April 11, 1989) was an American actor whose career spanned over five decades in theatre, film, and television. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Sherman was the son of Clifford Leon Sherman, who worked in the art department of The Boston Globe. He made his Broadway debut as a playwright in 1934 with the short-lived comedy Too Much Party, directed by William Friedlander, which opened at the Theatre Masque on March 5, 1934, and closed after only eight performances; this would prove to be his sole attempt at writing for the stage. Two years later, he made his Broadway acting debut in the Federal Theatre Project's production of Horse Eats Hat, and in 1937 he played Junior Mister in the original groundbreaking production of Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock.

Throughout his prolific career, Sherman became a fixture of the New York stage with notable theatre credits including the inaugural Mercury Theatre productions of Caesar (1937) and The Shoemaker's Holiday (1938), as well as Very Warm for May, Cyrano de Bergerac, and Boyd's Daughter, which he also directed. He appeared in long-running hits such as Mary, Mary and 3 for Tonight, and won the prestigious Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical twice—first for Two's Company and again for How Now, Dow Jones. Sherman expanded his career internationally, debuting on the London stage in 1949 in Brigadoon, and later playing Matthew Cuthbert in the British premiere of Anne of Green Gables. On television, he portrayed Simon Ward on The Tammy Grimes Show and appeared in acclaimed anthology series including Kraft Television Theatre, Studio One, The Alcoa Hour, and Hallmark Hall of Fame. Sherman also made his film debut in One Third of a Nation (1939) and went on to appear in feature films such as The Solid Gold Cadillac, Mary, Mary (in which he reprised his stage role), and Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad. He died of a stroke in Springfield, Illinois, on April 11, 1989, at the age of 81.