By Wizzy

Born July 30, 1916 in England, TV / film character actor Dick Wilson was obviously a favorite of director William Asher, who cast Dick for many appearances. He worked with Asher on five different series: Gidget, Bewitched, The Paul Lynde Show, Tabitha, and Alice.

In 1965, Dick Wilson began appearing as the fussy supermarket manager, Mr. Whipple, in Charmin tissue commercials. His plea to shoppers to "Please, Don't Squeeze the Charmin" became ingrained in America's pop-culture consciousness. The original 504 ads ran from 1965 until 1989, putting Wilson in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the longest running television commercial.


Wilson as Mr. Whipple

Dick Wilson, 82, returned to the small screen in 1999 after a 14-year hiatus (and two strokes and brain surgery) to film a series of new Charmin commercials as the cranky "Mr. Whipple." In his late 80s, Dick Wilson retired to Henderson, Nevada to enjoy squeezing his complimentary rolls of Charmin received from Proctor & Gamble each month.


    

     Trivia Hiccups


  • With 16 episodes, Dick Wilson actually appeared on Bewitched more times than semi-regulars Maurice Evans, Paul Lynde, and Alice Ghostley.
 
 
  • Dick Wilson played a drunk in jail with both Darrins. First with Dick York in # 44, and then with Dick Sargent in  # 204.
 
 
  • Dick Wilson was listed as "Old Timer" in the end credits of Bewitched's Salem Saga -- while he was actually in his 50s at the time of filming. In the episodes, however, his character was called "Mr. Potter."
 
 
  • In 1979, a poll showed that the Mr. Whipple character was the third best known American, behind Richard Nixon and Billy Graham.
 
 
  • Prior to his Charmin involvement, Dick Wilson worked as a stand-up comic, stuntman, acrobat, and a movie actor.



SOURCES:

- IMDB.com
- TVacres.com



HOME