Michael Callan was an actor who originated the role of Riff in “West Side Story” on Broadway and starred opposite Jane Fonda in “Cat Ballou.”
- Died: October 10, 2022 (Who else died on October 10?)
- Details of death: Died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California of pneumonia at the age of 86.
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Acting career
Callan got his start on the stage, appearing in Broadway shows including “The Boy Friend” and “Catch a Star” before getting his big break in the cast of “West Side Story.” After being told he was too handsome to play Riff, leader of the Jets, he was called back for a second audition and got the part. Callan signed a contract with Columbia Pictures after making his mark in “West Side Story,” which led to many roles but unfortunately kept him from reprising his role as Riff in the movie adaptation, as it was produced by a different studio. For Columbia, Callan starred in movies including “Gidget Goes Hawaiian,” “The Interns,” and “Cat Ballou,” in which he played cattle rustler Clay Boone. On TV, he starred in the 1966 sitcom “Occasional Wife” and played Metallo in “Superboy.” Callan’s many other TV appearances included “Love, American Style,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Fantasy Island,” “Knight Rider,” and “Murder, She Wrote.”
Callan on “West Side Story”
“It was like a thing from outer space. It was so different from anything I’d seen or been involved with.” —from an interview for the Philadelphia Daily News
Tributes to Michael Callan
Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter
