Conrad Janis, ‘Mork & Mindy’ star and trombone legend, dead at 94
nypost.comstatement to the New York Times.Born Feb. 11, 1928, to famed Manhattan art collectors Sidney and Harriet Janis, the entertainer got his start at age 13, appearing in the play “Junior Miss.” Several years later, he starred in his first Broadway show, “Dark Side of the Moon” — one of 12 Broadway productions Janis would appear in during his storied career, Deadline reported.In a 2012 interview with film historian Alan K.
Rode, the star attributed his success onstage to wanting “to get out of school all my life.”The performer’s first film foray came via the 1945 wartime comedy “Snafu,” in which the youngster played a 16-year-old who lies about his age to enlist in the military.
Two years later, he appeared in the Warner Bros. flop “That Hagen Girl,” starring Ronald Reagan and Shirley Temple.Janis’ career took off in the 1960s, when he had bit parts in a slew of hit TV shows, including “The Untouchables,”“Stoney Burke,” “Get Smart”and “My Favorite Martian.” His success continued into the 1970s with roles on “Baretta,” “Happy Days”“Police Story,”“The Jeffersons,”“Laverne & Shirley” and numerous other classic series.During that time, Janis landed perhaps his most memorable role as Fred McConnell, the doting but overprotective father of Mindy (Pam Dawber) on the Robin Williams comedy “Mork & Mindy.” The bald-headed thespian appeared in all four seasons of the show from 1978 to 1982.
Later, Janis landed roles on many other shows, including “St. Elsewhere,” “Murder, She Wrote” and “Frasier,” on which he portrayed Albert, a neighbor of Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) and his dad (John Mahoney).
Read more on nypost.com