Calvert Grant DeForest (July 23, 1921 â€" March 19, 2007), also known
by his character Larry "Bud" Melman, was an American actor and
comedian, best known for his appearances on Late Night with David
Letterman and the Late Show with David Letterman.DeForest grew up in
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. He was born to Calvert Martin DeForest, M.D., a
physician who died in 1949, and Mabelle (Taylor) DeForest. His father
was a cousin of radio pioneer Lee de Forest.DeForest attended Poly
Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, New York. He was employed for
many years as a file clerk at the pharmaceutical company Parke-Davis,
which was later acquired by Pfizer. He had aspirations of acting but
was discouraged by his mother, who was briefly an actress herself.
After her death in 1969, DeForest did part-time backstage work, which
eventually led to acting work, and is credited with appearing in five
films from 1972-82. He worked part-time as a receptionist at a drug
rehabilitation center until February 1984, when his supervisor learned
of his employment with NBC and his resulting ineligibility for the
position (as it was part of a program designed for those who made
under $6,000 a year) and asked him to resign.In early 1982, DeForest
was hired to appear on the new show Late Night with David Letterman.
His late-blossoming television career began with a New York University
student film project called King of the Zs, by future Letterman
writers Stephen Winer and Karl Tiedemann, who brought him along when
they joined the Late Night writing staff. The Associated Press noted:
"DeForest's gnomish face was the first to greet viewers when
Letterman's NBC show debuted on February 1, 1982, offering a parody of
the prologue to the Boris Karloff film Frankenstein. 'It was the
greatest thing that had happened in my life,' he once said of his
first Letterman appearance."
by his character Larry "Bud" Melman, was an American actor and
comedian, best known for his appearances on Late Night with David
Letterman and the Late Show with David Letterman.DeForest grew up in
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. He was born to Calvert Martin DeForest, M.D., a
physician who died in 1949, and Mabelle (Taylor) DeForest. His father
was a cousin of radio pioneer Lee de Forest.DeForest attended Poly
Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, New York. He was employed for
many years as a file clerk at the pharmaceutical company Parke-Davis,
which was later acquired by Pfizer. He had aspirations of acting but
was discouraged by his mother, who was briefly an actress herself.
After her death in 1969, DeForest did part-time backstage work, which
eventually led to acting work, and is credited with appearing in five
films from 1972-82. He worked part-time as a receptionist at a drug
rehabilitation center until February 1984, when his supervisor learned
of his employment with NBC and his resulting ineligibility for the
position (as it was part of a program designed for those who made
under $6,000 a year) and asked him to resign.In early 1982, DeForest
was hired to appear on the new show Late Night with David Letterman.
His late-blossoming television career began with a New York University
student film project called King of the Zs, by future Letterman
writers Stephen Winer and Karl Tiedemann, who brought him along when
they joined the Late Night writing staff. The Associated Press noted:
"DeForest's gnomish face was the first to greet viewers when
Letterman's NBC show debuted on February 1, 1982, offering a parody of
the prologue to the Boris Karloff film Frankenstein. 'It was the
greatest thing that had happened in my life,' he once said of his
first Letterman appearance."
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