Everything about Earl Hindman totally explained
Earl John Hindman (
October 20,
1942 –
December 29,
2003) was an
American actor best known for his portrayal of the character
Wilson W. Wilson Jr. on the hit
television sitcom Home Improvement (1991–1999).
Personal life
Hindman was born in
Bisbee,
Arizona, to Burl and Eula Hindman. The family also included sister, Anna Dean (Shields), and a brother, Ray.
Earl studied acting at the
University of Arizona at
Tucson. On
May 21,
1976, he married
Molly McGreevey, with whom he later acted on
Ryan's Hope (she played Polly Longworth from 1977–1980). McGreevey later became an
Episcopalian priest.
On
December 29,
2003, Hindman died of lung cancer in
Stamford,
Connecticut. He was 61 years old.
Career
As the beloved grandfatherly neighbor, Wilson always seemed to solve the Taylor family's problems. It was never really known what Wilson looked like, because there always was some clever way of hiding part of his face from view (although on occasion his whole face was nearly visible). A number of
in-jokes have been made about this; in one episode, he comments on Tim's
beard, saying, "I can't understand why a man would want to hide his face" and in another, Wilson makes reference to distant relatives he's never met, saying that some of them "have never even seen [his] face".
Some reports indicate that while Wilson's face being obscured behind the
fence was an early
gimmick (Wilson was partly inspired by a neighbor that Tim Allen had when he was very little and was too short to see over his neighbor's fence and therefore unable to see his neighbor's face), Hindman was responsible for continuing it in any scenario, ensuring that Wilson's entire face was never seen all at once. A fan favorite was a
Halloween episode, in which Wilson dressed up as
The Phantom of the Opera, with a mask hiding the
upper portion of his face and revealing the lower part, the reverse of a usual episode. His face is briefly revealed at the end of the final episode when the entire cast comes out to take their bows for the show's final curtain call. However, Wilson's full face can be seen in a few episodes, such as at a party or sitting down cutting apples.
Other roles
Hindman played
Detective Bob Reid for many years on the daytime
soap opera Ryan's Hope. In the movie
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, he'd a role as Mr. Brown, one of the hijackers. He was also in
Silverado (1985). He played Satch in
Three Men and a Baby (1987). Hindman also performed voiceovers for
Home Depot television commercials.
Hindman played a role in the movie
Silverado where the lower part of his face was obscured by a gag, foreshadowing
Wilson W. Wilson, Jr. by several years.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Earl Hindman'.
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