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| {{Cast Data | | {{derivative2| |
| | image = Promo - Lorne Greene.jpg | | INTERWIKI=Wikipedia| |
| | image2 = AdamaLL1.jpg
| | TITLE=Lorne Greene| |
| | image3 = Adama80.jpg | | TITLE_TEXT=Lorne Green at Wikipedia| |
| | character= [[Adama (TOS)|Commander Adama]] from ''[[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Battlestar Galactica]],''<br />[[Adama (1980)|Commander Adama]] from ''[[Galactica 1980]]''
| | LICENSE=GNU FDL}} |
| | series=TOS
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| | series 2=1980
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| | born_month= 02
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| | born_day= 12
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| | born_year= 1915
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| | death_month= 09
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| | death_day= 11
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| | death_year= 1987
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| | nationality= CA | |
| | imdb= 0001296
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| | sortkey=Greene, Lorne
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| }} | |
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| '''Lorne Hyman Greene'''<ref group="footnotes" name="ancestry_greene_social_security">{{cite_web|url=http://search.ancestrylibrary.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=CAdeath1940&h=2844603&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=wWD1&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&rhSource=60901|title=Lorne Hyman Greene per Social Security records|publisher=Ancestry.com|accessdate=13 June 2019}}</ref>, [[w:Order of Canada|OC]] (born '''Lyon Himan Green'''<ref group="footnotes" name="bennett_biography_greene_birth_name">{{cite book|last=Bennett|first=Linda Greene|title=My Father's Voice: The Biography of Lorne Greene|publisher=iUniverse, Inc.|date=November 1, 2004|edition=Paperback|page=254|isbn=978-0-595-33283-0}}</ref> ; February 12, 1915—September 11, 1987) was a Canadian actor best known for playing signature roles on the television shows ''Bonanza'' and the original ''[[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Battlestar Galactica]]''. | | '''Lorne Greene''' ([[Wikipedia:February 12|February 12]], [[Wikipedia:1915|1915]]–[[Wikipedia:September 11|September 11]], [[Wikipedia:1987|1987]]) was a [[Wikipedia:Canada|Canadian]] [[Wikipedia:actor|actor]] best known for two iconic roles on [[Wikipedia:United States|American]] [[Wikipedia:television|television]]. |
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| ==Early Life==
| | Greene was born in [[Wikipedia:Ottawa, Ontario|Ottawa]], [[Wikipedia:Ontario|Ontario]] and began acting while attending [[Wikipedia:Queen's University, Kingston|Queen's University]] in [[Wikipedia:Kingston, Ontario|Kingston]]. He gave up on a career in [[Wikipedia:chemical engineering|chemical engineering]] and, upon graduation, found a job as a [[Wikipedia:radio|radio]] [[Wikipedia:broadcaster|broadcaster]] for the [[Wikipedia:Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] (CBC). He was assigned as the principal [[Wikipedia:newscaster|newsreader]] on the CBC National News. The CBC gave him the [[Wikipedia:nickname|nickname]] "The Voice of Canada"; however, his role in delivering distressing war news in sonorous tones following Canada's entry into [[Wikipedia:World War II|World War II]] in [[Wikipedia:1939|1939]] caused many listeners to call him "The Voice of Doom". |
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| Lorne Greene was born in [[wikipedia:Toronto|Toronto]], [[wikipedia: Ontario|Ontario]] [[wikipedia:Canada|Canada]] to immigrant parents. He was the second child born to Daniel and Dora Greene, though sadly his older brother died in infancy. He went to high school at Lisgar Collegiate Institute and while there was cast in the play ''Les Deux Sourds'' as one of the deaf characters that shouts throughout the play.
| | The first of his American television roles was as family [[Wikipedia:patriarch|patriarch]] [[Wikipedia:Ben Cartwright|Ben Cartwright]] on the long-running [[Wikipedia:TV Western|western]] [[Wikipedia:television series|series]] ''[[Wikipedia:Bonanza|Bonanza]]'' ([[Wikipedia:1959|1959]]–[[Wikipedia:1973|1973]]), making Greene a household name. He garnered the role after having turned in a highly-regarded performance as [[Wikipedia:Big Brother (1984)|Big Brother]] in a production of ''[[Wikipedia:Nineteen Eighty-Four|Nineteen Eighty-Four]]'' for the [[Wikipedia:Columbia Broadcasting System|Columbia Broadcasting System]] (CBS). |
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| He attended Queen's College in Kingston Ontario as a chemical engineering major, though his growing love for acting caused him to eventually change his major to free his time for drama projects. The college had no drama department, only a drama guild which Greene was highly active in. He graduated in 1937 and moved to [[wikipedia: New York City|New York City]] to continue honing his craft.
| | Greene's next best-known role was [[Adama (TOS)|Commander Adama]] (another patriarchal figure) in the [[Wikipedia:science fiction|science fiction]] [[Wikipedia:film|film]] and series ''[[Battlestar Galactica (1978)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' ([[Wikipedia:1978|1978]]–[[Wikipedia:1979|1979]]). The part of leader of the surviving remnant of humanity seemed particularly well suited to Greene; he carried the role with a gravity not often found in television [[Wikipedia:acting|acting]]. |
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| =="The Voice of Canada"==
| | He returned to the role of Commander Adama in the [[spin-off]], ''[[Galactica 1980]]'', which only lasted for seven episodes. |
| After a short stint in the [[wikipedia:Royal Canadian Air Force|Royal Canadian Air Force]], Greene returned to Canada and, due to a lack of acting jobs, found a job as a radio announcer for the [[wikipedia:Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] (CBC), due to his deep, booming voice. He was notably the only Canadian to ever win NBC's top radio broadcasting award. During World War II, he was given two nicknames: "The Voice of Canada" due to his popularity and recognizable voice, and also "The Voice of Doom," because of his voice and the bad news from the front that he delivered through the radio.
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| Additionally, Greene is credited for the invention of the "backwards clock"—a stopwatch that ran backwards from 60 minutes to 0 minutes—that allowed him to know exactly how much time he had remaining, and so he would be able to end his radio broadcasts.<ref group="production" name="bassom_sswa_backwards_clock_invention">{{cite book/sswa|57}}</ref> This invention lead to an invitation to demonstrate the device to a New York-based [[w:NBC|NBC]] executive, which later lead to a run-in with ''[[w:Studio One|Studio One]]'' producer [[w:Fletcher Markle|Fletcher Markle]] and work on the aforementioned show that lead to his next stage in his career.<ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary_greene_career_path">{{cite_news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-09-12-me-1780-story.html#:~:text=TV%20Role%20Lasted%2014%20Seasons%2C%20Made%20Him%20a%20Household%20Name|title=TV Role Lasted 14 Seasons, Made Him a Household Name : Lorne Greene, 72, 'Bonanza' Star, Dies|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=12 September 1987|accessdate=12 June 2019}}</ref>
| | In [[Wikipedia:1964|1964]], Greene had a [[Wikipedia:Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1964 (USA)|No. 1]] [[Wikipedia:Single (music)|single]] on the music charts with his hit [[Wikipedia:ballad|ballad]], "Ringo." He was also known as the host and [[Wikipedia:narrator|narrator]] of the [[Wikipedia:Wildlife|nature]] series, ''[[Wikipedia:Lorne Greene's New Wilderness|Lorne Greene's New Wilderness]]''. He also appeared in the [[Wikipedia:HBO|HBO]] [[Wikipedia:spoof|spoof]] [[Wikipedia:Documentary film|documentary]] ''[[Wikipedia:The Canadian Conspiracy|The Canadian Conspiracy]]'', about the supposed subversion of the United States by Canadian-born media personalities. For nearly a decade, Greene co-hosted the [[Wikipedia:Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade|Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade]] on [[Wikipedia:NBC|NBC]]. He is also fondly remembered as the founder of [[Wikipedia:Toronto|Toronto]]'s Academy of Radio Arts which had been founded as the Lorne Greene School of Broadcasting. |
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| ==Television fame and ''Bonanza''==
| | Greene died in [[Wikipedia:1987|1987]] in [[Wikipedia:Santa Monica, California|Santa Monica]], [[Wikipedia:California|California]] of [[Wikipedia:pneumonia|pneumonia]] and was interred at [[Wikipedia:Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery|Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery]], [[Wikipedia:Culver City, California|Culver City]], [[Wikipedia:California|California]]. Only weeks before his death, he had been signed to appear in a revival of ''Bonanza''. |
| Greene moved back to New York in 1953 to continue his acting career, and landed several roles on Broadway before breaking into films with 1954's [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047494/ ''The Silver Chalice'']. | |
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| He appeared in movies and television shows throughout the 1950s. An appearance on the television show ''[[wikipedia:Wagon Train|Wagon Train]]'' caught the attention of the producer of a show called ''[[wikipedia: Bonanza|Bonanza]]''. His performance in ''Wagon Train'' and his subsequent performance as Big Brother in a CBS production of [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0712166/ ''1984''] resulted in his being offered the part of Ben Cartwright, a part which became his most recognizable role. The show ran from 1959-1973. | | He was married twice, to Rita Hands ([[Wikipedia:1938|1938]]–[[Wikipedia:1960|1960]], divorced) and to Nancy Deale ([[Wikipedia:1961|1961]]–[[Wikipedia:1987|1987]], Greene's death). He has two children by Rita Hands, Belinda Susan Bennet (née Greene) and Charles Greene, and child by Nancy Deale, Gillian Greene. |
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| == ''Battlestar Galactica'' ==
| | Lorne Greene has a Star on the [[Wikipedia:Hollywood Walk of Fame|Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at 1559 N. Vine Street. |
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| After ''Bonanza'', Greene appeared in several television programs, most notably as Commander {{TOS|Adama}} in [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|the original ''Battlestar Galactica'']] and its short-lived spinoff series, ''[[Galactica 1980]]''.
| | == See also == |
| | | * [[Wikipedia:Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |
| According to [[Glen A. Larson]], casting Greene in ''Galactica'' was something "everyone could agree on rather easily," after deciding that the show's core should be family based and that "a certain amount of warmth" was desired for the patriarchal role.<ref group="production" name="bassom_sswa_larson_casting_greene">{{cite book/sswa|56}}</ref> Greene agreed to the role, noting that his first reaction to the first science fiction story he'd ever work on was "wild," but then noting his concern that "how in heaven's name are they going to bring it off?"<ref group="commentary" name="bassom_sswa_greene_reaction_scifi">{{cite book/sswa|59}}</ref>
| | * [[Wikipedia:Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood|Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood]] |
| | | * [[Dirk Benedict]] |
| Greene's patriarchal nature was both on- and off-celluloid, for the crew gravitated towards Greene to keep the actors "chill" during the chaotic, long hours of production. According to [[Herbert Jefferson Jr.]] ({{TOS|Boomer}}), "He was Poppa. I'm sure anyone who worked on the original show has a great admiration for Lorne Greene; he was sort of like an adopted uncle to you."<ref group="commentary" name="bassom_sswa_jefferson_greene_poppa">{{cite book/sswa|60}}</ref>
| | * [[Wikipedia:Michael Landon|Michael Landon]] |
| | | * [[Richard Hatch]] |
| During production, Greene would have an on-going chess game with Jefferson, with a board set up on an [[w:apple box|apple box]] located on the set: "I'd make one move, and maybe sometime during the day he'd come by and make his move. And the crew knew you were never to touch that board. We would leave the board sitting there all night and we'd come back and all the pieces were there."<ref group="commentary" name="bassom_sswa_jefferson_chess_game">{{cite book/sswa|60}}</ref>
| | * [[Wikipedia:Western movie|Western movie]] |
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| Greene would also interact with the creatives and crew on the show, including writers. While filming "[[Fire In Space]]," Greene was introduced to story editors [[Jim Carlson]] and [[Terrence McDonnell]], to which Greene made a particular point: "You don't have to give me every line, but what I do has to be imporrrrrtant." (And it was this long dragged-out "impporrrrrtant.") Following this conversation, both Carlson and McDonnell would take steps to avoid Greene on set. This eventually did not work when Greene made himself welcome to their writing office and spoke at length for hours, which McDonnell recounted as particularly inconvenient due to the fact that they were under a severely truncated timeline to write "[[Murder on the Rising Star|Murder on the ''Rising Star'']]."<ref group="production" name="bassom_sswa_greene_writers_important">{{cite book/sswa|58}}</ref>
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| ===''Galactica 1980''===
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| Greene reprised his role as Commander Adama in ''[[Galactica 1980]]'', where his character served as the elder statesman guiding the new generation of Colonial Warriors.<ref group="commentary" name="willson_starlog34_galactica1980_cast_demographics">{{cite_web|url=https://archive.org/details/starlog_magazine-034/page/20/mode/1up#:~:text=They%20have%20Lorne%20Greene%20for%20the%20older%20crowd|title=The New Faces of Galactica 1980|author=Karen E. Willson|publisher=Starlog|issue=34|date=May 1980|page=20|accessdate=8 November 2025}}</ref> According to [[Robbie Rist]], who portrayed the first [[Doctor Zee]], the show was structured with different cast members appealing to different demographic groups: "They have Lorne Greene for the older crowd, [<nowiki/>[[Kent McCord]]], [[Barry Van Dyke|Barry [Van Dyke]]] and [[Robyn Douglass|Robyn [Douglass]]] are there for the 18-28 crowd. I'm in there for anyone younger."<ref group="commentary" name="willson_starlog34_rist_demographic_appeal">{{cite_web|url=https://archive.org/details/starlog_magazine-034/page/20/mode/1up#:~:text=They%20have%20Lorne%20Greene%20for%20the%20older%20crowd%2C%20%5BKent%20McCord%5D%2C%20Barry%20%5BVan%20Dyke%5D%20and%20Robyn%20%5BDouglass%5D%20are%20there%20for%20the%2018%2D28%20crowd.%20I%E2%80%99m%20in%20there%20for%20anyone%20younger.|title=The New Faces of Galactica 1980|author=Karen E. Willson|publisher=Starlog|issue=34|date=May 1980|page=20|accessdate=8 November 2025}}</ref>
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| Rist recalled Greene's mentorship on set with particular fondness, describing Greene as intellectually impressive and generous with his time. The young actor noted that Greene was extraordinarily knowledgeable and enjoyed challenging Rist intellectually: "Speaking of thinking, Lorne Greene astounds me! He's a computer. He's a non-stop flow of information about everything. For instance, he's a mathematics wiz and we had fun trying to outsmart each other every day. He'd stump me every time."<ref group="commentary" name="willson_starlog34_rist_greene_mathematics">{{cite_web|url=https://archive.org/details/starlog_magazine-034/page/21/mode/1up#:~:text=Speaking%20of%20thinking%2C%20Lorne%20Greene%20astounds%20me!%20He%E2%80%99s%20a%20computer.%20He%E2%80%99s%20a%20non%2Dstop%20flow%20of%20information%20about%20everything.%20For%20instance%2C%20he%E2%80%99s%20a%20mathematics%20wiz%20and%20we%20had%20fun%20trying%20to%20outsmart%20each%20other%20every%20day.%20He%E2%80%99d%20stump%20me%20every%20time.|title=The New Faces of Galactica 1980|author=Karen E. Willson|publisher=Starlog|issue=34|date=May 1980|page=21|accessdate=8 November 2025}}</ref> Rist also recalled Greene's good humor and his unorthodox but effective acting advice for achieving a natural smile on camera, concluding: "He fascinates me. Meeting Lorne Greene was a gigantic thrill."<ref group="commentary" name="willson_starlog34_rist_greene_teaching_smile">{{cite_web|url=https://archive.org/details/starlog_magazine-034/page/21/mode/1up#:~:text=He%20also%20teaches%20people%20how%20to%20smile.%20It%20was%20hilarious!,-He%20said&text=He%20fascinates%20me.%20Meeting%20Lorne%20Greene%20was%20a%20gigantic%20thrill.|title=The New Faces of Galactica 1980|author=Karen E. Willson|publisher=Starlog|issue=34|date=May 1980|page=21|accessdate=8 November 2025}}</ref>
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| == Post-''Galactica'' ==
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| Following ''Galactica'', Greene reunited with [[Laurette Spang]] ([[Cassiopeia]]) for the first episode of [[w:Aaron Spelling|Aaron Spelling]]'s 1981 comedy series ''[[w:Aloha Paradise|Aloha Paradise]]''. Filmed in Hawaii, Greene portrayed Spang's father, while [[w:Jayne Meadows|Jayne Meadows]] portrayed her mother in a situation where parents make themselves interlopers in Spang's honeymoon in a comedic manner. As Spang recalls, "Lorne and I had great fun because he was so funny. It was a whole different side of him."<ref group="commentary" name="bassom_sswa_spang_aloha_paradise">{{cite book/sswa|61-62}}</ref>
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| Greene became popular for his Alpo dog food commercials. Always an animal lover, he was vice chairman of the American Wild Horse Association and honorary chairman of the Wildlife Federation. He wrote a book titled [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0671240129 ''The Lorne Greene Book of Remarkable Animals''] and was the host of a television show titled [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0302147/ ''Lorne Greene's New Wilderness''].
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| He also was the host of the [[wikipedia:Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade|Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade]] from 1963-1972. Additionally he helped create and promote [http://oghs.hanc.k12.wv.us/clubs/acadgame/Games/Propaganda.htm ''Propaganda''], a game that teaches players how to analyze the soundness of statements made by politicians and pitchmen of every stripe.
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| In 1985 Greene was awarded a star on the [[wikipedia:Hollywood Walk of Fame|Hollywood Walk of Fame]].
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| ==Death==
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| Not long after taking part in a press conference to announce production of a TV pilot of ''Bonanza: The Next Generation'', in which he was to have appeared, Greene died in 1987 after a bout of pneumonia and was buried at Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City, California. He was survived by his wife, Nancy Deale, and three children: [[Gillian Greene|Gillian]], and twins Belinda and Charles.
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| ==External links== | | ==External links== |
| {{ext-wikipedia|article=Lorne Greene}} | | *{{imdb name|id=0001296|name=Lorne Greene}} |
| | | *[http://bonanza1.com/lorne.html Lorne Green bio at Bonanza1.com] |
| ==References==
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| ===Footnotes===
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| {{reflist|group=footnotes}}
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| ===Production History===
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| {{reflist|group=production}}
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| ===Commentary and Interviews===
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| {{reflist|group=commentary}}
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| ===External Sources and Reviews===
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| {{reflist|group=external}}
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| [[de: Lorne Greene]] | | [[Category: A to Z|Greene, Lorne]] [[Category: Cast (TOS)|Greene, Lorne]] [[Category: Cast (1980)|Greene, Lorne]] |
| [[fr:{{PAGENAME}}]] | |
