John McGiver

The son of Irish immigrants, John McGiver was a notable character actor who made over a hundred appearances in both film and television. He got his start working in commercials in the 1960s, and appeared in the first in a popular series of "Do you know me?" ads for American Express. A large man with a thick New York City accent, McGiver was a versatile actor who could play everything from a kindly salesman in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" to an ill-fated politician in the 1962 film version of "The Manchurian Candidate." His most notable role, however, came in 1969's Academy Award-winner for Best Picture, "Midnight Cowboy," in which he stood out as the fanatical religious nut, Mr. O'Daniel. His last major role came in 1971 as the recurring character Dr. Luther Quince on the NBC sitcom "The Jimmy Stewart Show," which lasted for a single season. McGiver lived with his wife, Ruth, and 10 children in West Fulton, New York, until his sudden death from a heart attack at the age of 61 in 1975.