Conrad Stafford Bain (February 4, 1923 - January 14, 2013) was a Canadian-American actor. His television credits include a leading role as Phillip Drummond in the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes and as Dr. Arthur Harmon on Maude.

Early life

Conrad Bain was born in Lethbridge, Alberta, the son of Jean Agnes (née Young) and Stafford Harrison Bain, who was a wholesaler. He studied at the Banff School of Fine Arts before serving in the Canadian Army during World War II. He later studied in New York at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, graduating in 1948; one of his classmates was comedian Don Rickles. Bain became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1946.

Career

After a stint at the Stratford, (Ontario), Shakespeare Festival, Bain had further success as a stage actor in the 1956 Broadway revival of Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh. The New York Times reviewer noted that his role was "especially well acted." Bain's other Broadway theatre credits include Candide, Advise and Consent, An Enemy of the People, Uncle Vanya, and On Borrowed Time. On Off Broadway, he appeared in the original run of Steambath. While doing stage work in New York City, Bain also found work on television, appearing in the soap opera Dark Shadows as the town inkeeper, Mr. Wells, during seasons 1 and 2. His character was killed off by werewolf Chris Jennings (Don Briscoe).

In the early 1960s, Bain was one of the principal organizers of the Actors Federal Credit Union. In an article in the Credit Union Times, he recalled that "the effort grew out of the fact that, at least in the world of financial services, actors and other performers got no respect and, more importantly, no access to credit."

It was at a meeting of the Actors' Equity where a member stood up and asked why we didn't do something about actors not being able to get any credit, much less a mortgage or anything like that. Someone else stood up and echoed what the first member said, pointing out that the issue really was one of equity and actors didn't have any when it came to the banks.

He wrote:

Remember this: no share payment is too small. The main objective should be to establish a consistent habit of saving. In return, you can have the security of knowing that there is a place to turn to when you need a loan, a place where you will be met with dignity and respect, rather than suspicion and prejudice.

Bain served as the credit union's first president.

In the early 1970s, Bain appeared in New York-based films like Lovers and Other Strangers and Woody Allen's Bananas before achieving national recognition for his work in television. He is best known for his roles as Dr. Arthur Harmon, Bea Arthur's title character's conservative nemesis, who married her best friend, Vivian, in Maude (1972-78) and as Park Avenue millionaire Phillip Drummond in Diff'rent Strokes (1978-86), in which he adopted two African-American orphaned boys from Harlem, Willis and Arnold, to live with him and his daughter, Kimberly, and housekeeper, Mrs. Garrett. In 1979, he played Phillip Drummond in an episode of The Facts of Life. In 1996, Bain reprised his role of Phillip Drummond along with Gary Coleman as Arnold Jackson on the series finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Personal life

Bain had two sons and a daughter with Monica Sloan, to whom he was married in 1945 until her death in 2009. His identical twin brother is actor Bonar Bain, who once played Arnold Harmon, the twin brother of Conrad's Maude character, Dr. Arthur Harmon. Despite a popular misconception, Conrad was not related to fellow performer Barbara Bain.

Death

Bain died from complications following a stroke on January 14, 2013, in Livermore, California, three weeks before his 90th birthday. His body was cremated.

Filmography

• 1953: Studio One .... Dr. Caldwell (1 episode, 1952)
• 1956: Studio One .... Evans (1 episode, 1956)
• 1961: The Defenders (1 episode, 1961)
• 1965: The Trials of O'Brien .... District Attorney (1 episode, 1965)
• 1966: Dark Shadows .... Hotel Clerk (4 episodes, 1966-1968)
• 1967: N.Y.P.D. ... Manager (1 episode, 1967)
• 1967: The Borgia Stick (TV movie) .... Lawyer
• 1968: A Lovely Way to Die .... James Lawrence
• 1968: Coogan's Bluff .... Madison Avenue Man
• 1968: Madigan .... Hotel clerk
• 1968: Star! (uncredited) .... Second Salesman at Cartier's
• 1969: Last Summer (uncredited) .... Sidney
• 1970: I Never Sang for My Father .... Rev. Sam Pell
• 1970: Lovers and Other Strangers (uncredited) .... Priest in confessional
• 1970: The Edge of Night .... Dr. Charles Weldon #1 (unknown episodes, 1970)
• 1971: Bananas .... Semple
• 1971: Men of Crisis: The Harvey Wallinger Story (TV movie)
• 1971: The Anderson Tapes .... Dr. Rubicoff
• 1971: Who Killed Mary What's 'Er Name? .... Val
• 1971: Jump .... Lester Jump
• 1972-1978: Maude .... Dr. Arthur Harmon (121 episodes)
• 1972: A Fan's Notes .... Poppy
• 1972: Up the Sandbox .... Dr. Gordon
• 1975: Twigs (TV movie) .... Swede
• 1978: The Waverly Wonders .... Tate Sr. (1 episode, 1978)
• 1978: Grandpa Goes to Washington .... Robert Green (1 episode, 1978)
• 1978-1986: Diff'rent Strokes .... Philip Drummond (181 episodes)
• 1978: The Love Boat .... Les (1 episode, 1978)
• 1979: A Pleasure Doing Business .... Herb
• 1979: C.H.O.M.P.S. .... Ralph Norton
• 1979: The Facts of Life .... Philip Drummond (1 episode, 1979)
• 1979: Hello, Larry .... Philip Drummond (3 episodes, 1979)
• 1981: Child Bride of Short Creek (TV movie) .... Frank King
• 1985: The Love Boat .... Leslie Campbell / Charles Custers (2 episodes, 1985)
• 1987-1988: Mr. President .... Charlie Ross (24 episodes)
• 1990: Postcards from the Edge .... Grandpa
• 1993: The Adventures of the Black Stallion ... Tobias Doyle (1 episode, 1993)
• 1996: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air .... Philip Drummond (1 episode, 1996)

[ Source: Wikipedia ]