Biography for
Jan Merlin More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

Mini Biography

American character actor specializing in villainous types, much in television. A native of New York City, Merlin studied at P.S. 15, Mangin Junior High School, Grace Church Choir School for Boys, and Stuyvesant High School. During the Second World War, he served as a torpedoman in the U.S. Navy in both Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. Upon return to civilian life, he entered the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, became active in summer stock theatres and on Broadway, which brought him to Hollywood in 1954 for his first film Six Bridges to Cross (1955) (though Merlin had appeared in earlier television programs in New York, including a regular role on the children's program "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet" (1950). Merlin made a number of film appearances, primarily as a heavy. But his most frequent work was in television, where he played the near-psychotic bad guy to perfection in scores of shows, Westerns in particular. In 1958, he switched to a rare leading role, as one of the trilogy of stars in "The Rough Riders" (1958), a Western about three tough Civil War veterans. Merlin continued to act in occasional roles following his most prolific period of the Fifties and Sixties. In addition, in later years, as a sideline, he took work as official in the security department at a Los Angeles area airport.

Spouse

Trivia

He won an Emmy as a writer for "Another World" (1964) (TV daytime series) in 1975, and was nominated again in 1979.

First stage role in Hollywood was with Barbara Britton and Carleton Young in the three-character mystery play "The Woman with Red Hair." His second was in the premiere of "Kataki" in 1960.

Interviewed in Tom Weaver's books "Earth vs. the Sci-Fi Filmmakers" (McFarland & Co., 2005), "I Talked with a Zombie" (McFarland & Co., 2008) and "A Sci-Fi Swarm and Horror Horde" (McFarland & Co., 2010).

Personal Quotes

[on playing "heavies"] One of the disadvantages of being a "good guy" is having to look heroic and clean cut, while the "heavy" can be as grungy as he pleases...or sometimes wears far more fancy duds than his pursuer...maybe even be better looking!