H.M. Wynant
- Actor
H.M. Wynant's many-faceted career began at age 19 when he left his
hometown of Detroit, Michigan, after having attended Wayne State
University for just two years. He arrived in New York City with only
$125 in his pocket and a lot of ambition.
Jerome Robbins hired him on the spot at
Wynant's first audition, an open call for the Broadway musical "High
Button Shoes" starring Eddie Foy. H.M. was
working as a draftsman and told Robbins that he had to go to work the
next day, Robbins said, "Then quit!" Thus began a career in theater
which included productions such as "As You Like It" with
Katharine Hepburn, "Love of Four
Colonels" starring Rex Harrison and
Lilli Palmer, "Venus Observed" directed by
Laurence Olivier, "The Sound of Music"
with Shirley Jones and "Teahouse
of the August Moon" starring
David Wayne and
John Forsythe. These performances
garnered him many outstanding reviews and led to a prolific motion
picture and television career. In 1956, RKO Pictures cast Wynant, based
on his theatrical reputation, sight unseen, in a co-starring role of
"Crazy Wolf" in the western,
Run of the Arrow (1957). In
those days, he was known as Haim Weiner, which was his given name. In
New York, he had changed his name to Haim Winant, and the film's
director, Samuel Fuller, changed it again
to H.M. Wynant, and he's been known by that name ever since. Wynant was
true to form as a wild Indian and performed many of his own stunts. A
budding film career ensued. In addition to his theatrical career in New
York and his film career in Hollywood, he became part of television
history by appearing in many live, dramatic television shows. Recently,
Wynant's Los Angeles stage performances included playing the lead role
in "Karlaboy", a suspense ghost story written by screenwriter
Steven Peros. Jules Aaron directed him in
"The Sisters Rosensweig" and in "Philadelphia Story" and he continues
his work in film, television, commercials, radio and voice-overs. H.M.
is the proud father of three grown boys who also have successful show
business careers: William Winant, a
professor and avant-garde percussionist;
Scott Winant, an Emmy-winning
producer and director; and Bruce Winant, an
actor and singer on Broadway as well as film and television. H.M. lives
in Southern California with his wife, Paula, and their young daughter,
Pasha (born in 2000).
