The Kentucky Story Behind an Oscar Nominated Actor You’ve Seen a Hundred Times

I have what I call "comfort food" movies and TV series. I've seen them millions of times, and they never get old. In fact, I often find things in them I hadn't before...the mark of a great film or show. One such movie is 1957's 12 Angry Men. It clocks in at a mere 96 minutes but is packed with breathtaking dialogue and mystery throughout.

A Cool Discovery While Watching one of My Favorite Movies

One night, during a recent viewing, I Googled the cast members, and when I landed on Jack Warden, who plays Juror #7 in the film, I learned of a fun connection with Kentucky. (In this clip, Warden's Juror #7 is the one with the leather hat.)

Acclaimed Actor Jack Warden's Time in Louisville

Born John Warden Lebzelter, Jr. in 1920, he grew up in and had a great affinity for Louisville, where he attended DuPont Manual High School until he was expelled for fighting. I'm not sure if that foreshadowed his turn as a contentious juror, but it might explain why he became a welterweight boxer under the name Johnny Costello just before he went into the military and served in World War II.

Throughout his career, Warden would periodically return to Louisville as a patron of the arts community he loved.

Jack Warden's Oscar and Emmy Nominations in the 70s and 80s

The still you see above in that Facebook post is from Heaven Can Wait, in which Warren Beatty stars as a man mistakenly plucked from his earthly body by a guardian angel who thought he was about to be hit by a truck while bicycling. His soul is then returned to Earth and placed in the body of a multi-millionaire. Warden plays his coach in an Oscar-nominated performance. It was his second nomination after 1975's Shampoo, another Beatty collaboration.

In the mid-80s, Warden turned to and found great success in television with the comedy Crazy Like a Fox. His role as a private detective who constantly drags his son into unwanted trouble landed him Emmy nominations for the two seasons it aired on CBS.

Jack Warden was one of the best, always disappearing into whatever role he was given. (He's also great as Paul Newman's associate in 1982's The Verdict.) It made him relatable, and maybe that's why he's one of my favorites.