Classic TV Birthdays: March 2

Jay Osmond leads off today’s birthday list. The 59 year old actor-producer-musician is a member of the famed Osmond family, which includes siblings Donny and Marie.

Also celebrating March 2 birthdays: Laraine Newman (Saturday Night Live) is 62, character actress BarBara Luna (appeared on such shows as Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Hawaii Five-0, Star Trek, The Untouchables) turns 75 and John Cullum is 84. Cullum was a regular on daytime dramas The Edge of Night and One Life to Live, later having ongoing roles on Northern Exposure and The Middle.

Today was also the birthday of TV legend Desi Arnaz (I Love Lucy, produced The Untouchables), classic radio and voice artist Michael Rye (voiced roles on The Flintstones and Super Friends, guested on The Lone Ranger and Mission: Impossible) and Al Waxman. The Canadian-born actor guested on Ben Casey and was later a regular on cop drama Cagney & Lacey.

We also lost some classic TV favorites on March 2. Stage and film actress Sandy Dennis guested on The Fugitive and Naked City. Mercedes McCambridge was a stage, film and radio actress who co-starred in a 1956 TV series (Wire Service) and guested on Bonanza, Lost In Space and Rawhide.

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Also passing this day: Jack Wild. He was a child star in the stage and film versions of Oliver!, but classic TV fans remember him best as Jimmy on the Saturday morning kids show H.R. Pufnstuf.