Kenneth Charles Osmond (June 7, 1943 â€" May 18, 2020) was an American
actor and police officer. Beginning a career as a child actor at the
age of four, Osmond played the role of Eddie Haskell on the late 1950s
to early 1960s television situation comedy Leave It to Beaver and
reprised it on the 1980s revival series The New Leave It to Beaver.
Typecast by the role, he found it hard to get other acting work and
became a Los Angeles police officer. After retiring from police work,
he resumed his acting career.Osmond was born in Glendale, California,
the son of Pearl (Hand) and Thurman Osmond. His father was a carpenter
and propmaker and his mother, whom he described as "a typical movie
mother," had ambitions to get him and his brother, Dayton, into
acting. Osmond began going on professional auditions at the age of
four, and began working in commercials. His mother took her sons to
acting classes every day after school; he eventually studied dance,
drama, diction, dialects, martial arts, and equestrian riding.Osmond
began in feature films working as an extra. The first he remembered
was an appearance in the film Plymouth Adventure with Spencer Tracy
and Gene Tierney. He had his first speaking part at age 9, a small
role in the film So Big starring Jane Wyman and Sterling Hayden.
actor and police officer. Beginning a career as a child actor at the
age of four, Osmond played the role of Eddie Haskell on the late 1950s
to early 1960s television situation comedy Leave It to Beaver and
reprised it on the 1980s revival series The New Leave It to Beaver.
Typecast by the role, he found it hard to get other acting work and
became a Los Angeles police officer. After retiring from police work,
he resumed his acting career.Osmond was born in Glendale, California,
the son of Pearl (Hand) and Thurman Osmond. His father was a carpenter
and propmaker and his mother, whom he described as "a typical movie
mother," had ambitions to get him and his brother, Dayton, into
acting. Osmond began going on professional auditions at the age of
four, and began working in commercials. His mother took her sons to
acting classes every day after school; he eventually studied dance,
drama, diction, dialects, martial arts, and equestrian riding.Osmond
began in feature films working as an extra. The first he remembered
was an appearance in the film Plymouth Adventure with Spencer Tracy
and Gene Tierney. He had his first speaking part at age 9, a small
role in the film So Big starring Jane Wyman and Sterling Hayden.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.