R.I.P. Norman Lloyd, 106-year-old television star and entertainment icon

Who else can claim to have worked with both Hitchcock and LeBron James?

Everett Collection

Norman Lloyd, previously the oldest living telvision star in Hollywood, has passed away at 106 years old.

When Norman Lloyd was born in 1914, silent film star Harold Lloyd was just seeing his career take off. The two aren't related, but it does put things into perspective. Norman Lloyd is old enough to remember seeing Charlie Chaplin films. In theaters. 

Television fans probably know Lloyd best from his work on St. Elsewhere, the Eighties medical drama that made Denzel Washington and Howie Mandel household names. As Dr. Daniel Auschlander, Lloyd was one of the elder statesmen on the series. In his early 70s at the time, he was a mentor to castmembers like Helen Hunt and Mark Harmon. 

Lloyd would later star in an arc of the undercover crime series Wiseguy, feature in a short-lived 1992 sitcom called Home Fires, and around the turn of the millennium, land a recurring role as doctor on the sci-fi show Seven Days.

But let's rewind. Decades. On MeTV, you are most likely to encounter Lloyd while watching Alfred Hitchcock. The New Jersey native appeared in several episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents — and directed even more episodes of Presents and the Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

He directed "Man from the South," one of the greatest hours in television history, the wicked tale penned by Roald Dahl starring Steve McQueen. No wonder — he was a close personal friend of Hitch, and served as a producer on Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Lloyd made his film debut with the Master of Suspense, too, in the 1942 Hitchcock film Saboteur. His most recent film is Trainwreck, the 2015 Amy Schumer comedy directed by Judd Apatow. He was 100 years old at the time. It's joyously mindboggling to consider that this man got his start on Vaudeville stages at the age of 9 and nearly a century later was in a movie with LeBron James and John Cena.

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26 Comments

jacko3 24 months ago
An outstanding 'Hollywood' career .... Rest in Peace & Love of GOD Mr. Norman Lloyd
WordsmithWorks 34 months ago
Didn't know who he was until St. Elsewhere. It's incredible how some older "overnight successes" actually had stellar careers before they were "discovered."
texasluva 35 months ago
I did not follow his career all that much until a decade or so ago when I saw this guy from a 1942 movie (Saboteur) was still living. When he turned 103 I could not believe he was still alive and one of the oldest actors still around. He was even older then Kirk Douglas and Olivia de Havilland. I usually keep up with the recently departed list but failed this past couple of weeks. What a career and long living one at that. R.I.P. Norman Lloyd.
teire 35 months ago
Looks like MeTV wrote an obit lead and topped an earlier birthday story with it to provide the biographical information, neglecting to remove the birthday well wishes. Kind of a sitcom situation — remember Mary and Rhoda giddily updating obituaries late into a sleepless night on Mary Tyler Moore? So rest in peace Norman Lloyd, and condolences to his family, maybe MeTV will remove the birthday comments.
cperrynaples teire 35 months ago
I didn't notice until I made my post where I complemented his performance in Sabateur!
justjeff teire 35 months ago
...and they're a day late and a dollar short- as per my comments about the lack of an article on Lloyd in the other story page from yesterday...
texasluva cperrynaples 35 months ago
One of my favorite movies from the early 40's. I had it copied on on DVR and lost it when changed providers. Found it again just recently and also on Internet Archive where I will be showing it in the coming months on the Movie Quiz.
Misha 41 months ago
And probably the only actor on Earth qualified to play James Bond as described by Ian Fleming in his novels.
CarolKelley 41 months ago
Happy belated Birthday, Mr Lloyd! My first exposure to Norman was probably when our parents let us watch The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. Then there was Dr. Auschlander on St Elsewhere. Of course, I loved him in Suspicion and most recently Trainwreck.
CarolKelley CarolKelley 41 months ago
I mean Saboteur, of course.
cperrynaples CarolKelley 35 months ago
Yep, the one where he's the villian who dies falling off the Statue of Liberty! He once told the story of how Hitchcock told him to flail around on the floor and then an aerial shot was added later!
Big3Fan 41 months ago
He was married to the same woman for 75 years! And his little girl Josie is 80 years old! What an amazing life and career. Happy Birthday, Mr. Lloyd!
texasluva 41 months ago
I remember seeing him in Saboteur (1942). A Nazi spy and Robert Cummings being chased as the one who set the fire and killed his partner. Movie ended with Loyd being on the Statue of Liberty and falling off and killed. Joyous ending to a very good movie. Probably saw it in the 70's. Then about 10 years ago I hear Norman Loyd is still living and even today. I was thinking ....Wow! He survived that fall at the end of the movie........... 106 and alive today. The odds of a woman living to 110 are 2 in 100,000. Men it is 2 in a million. If you reach age 65 odds for women to reach 100 are 5.9% and men 3%.
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texasluva MrsPhilHarris 35 months ago
Those who wait get rewarded. I have re-found that movie and placed it on my DVR in the past few months. Also did a weekly search for it on IA. I found it this past month. Though now that everyone on MeTV knows of it I will place it as a Bonus Movie instead. In the next month lets say
MrsPhilHarris texasluva 35 months ago
It’s a great movie.
AAD texasluva 27 months ago
I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU I HAVE A GRANDFATHER WHO IS 110 YRS OLD TODAY. BORN DEC 22, 1911, AND IS SHARP AS A 50YR OLD. HE SAYS HE FEELS IN HIS MID 40'S. HE DON'T LOOK NOR ACT LIKE SOMEONE 110 YRS OLD, HE'S MY HERO. I LOVE YOU PA-PA.:)
Goodoldaze67 41 months ago
AAAND - if I remember correctly, his daughter is the lovely Josie Lloyd, who played my absolute favorite socially awkward character on TAGS...Lydia Crosswaithe!!!
MrsPhilHarris Goodoldaze67 41 months ago
According to Lydia pretzels lay on her chest. 😁
justjeff 41 months ago
An amazing man, an amazing life... here's to many more happy, healthy years, Norman!
cperrynaples 41 months ago
Actually, "Man From The South" is one of the greatest HALF-HOURS in history! And don't forget Peter Lorre and the surprise his wife has at the end!
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