Agent and producer Harry Bernsen Jr., father of actor Corbin Bernsen, died May 31 of natural causes at age 82 at the Motion Picture and Television Fund home in Woodland Hills.
He had been in declining health since the beginning of the year, according to publicist Charles Sherman.
The Chicago native was born into a family with theatrical roots and discovered the excitement of live theater at a young age. He often accompanied his stage manager uncle to the theater and helped out wherever he could.
After high school, his family moved to Los Angeles and he landed a job selling souvenir programs at the Hollywood Bowl.
His pursuit of a career in entertainment was interrupted by World War II. He joined the Marines and was sent to Japan, though an injury during a softball game eliminated any chances of active duty.
After the war, he returned to Los Angeles and began studying acting. But according to the biographical statement released by Sherman, a “general consensus amongst his peers was that he was a horrible actor,” so he turned his attention to producing local plays.
His best friend introduced him to his future wife, a budding actress named Jeanne Cooper, who would go on to star on the CBS daytime soap “The Young and the Restless.” They were married in 1954 and had three children.
Bernsen began working at the Jaffe Agency in the 1950s, representing a handful of talents both in front of and behind the camera, including director Arthur Hiller, writer James Lee Barrett and actor Jim Hutton.
A private memorial service is scheduled June 28 in Los Angeles. The family asked that in lieu of flowers, charitable donations be made to the Joel Osteen Ministries through its Web site,
www.joelosteenministries.com.
