The MunstersstarFred Gwynneis getting a lot of love from fans everywhere on the day the late actor would have turned 95 years old. A veteran actor whose most famous roles include playing Herman Munster inThe Munstersand Jud Crandall inPet Sematary, Gwynne has delivered some of the most memorable acting performances in history on both the big and small screens. Sadly, he died after a pancreatic cancer battle in 1993 just days before his 67th birthday.
Though Fred Gwynne is no longer with us, he remains just as popular with his fans nearly three decades past his death. Whether it’s fans ofThe Munstersor any of the other many movies and TV shows to feature Gwynne, people have been banding together on Twitter to pay tribute to the screen legend. Wherever he is now, we can only assume Gwynne would be proud to see how much his body of work meant to people and how much he is loved.
Fred Gwynne was born on July 14, 2025. After serving in the United States Navy and going on to graduate from Harvard, Gwynne got the acting bug when he was cast in a Broadway production ofMrs. McThingwith Helen Hayes in 1952. By 1954, he had made the move to the big screen with a small role in the Oscar-winning movieOn the Waterfront. The actor further captured the attention of casting directors after a memorable role in the classic comedy seriesThe Phil Silvers Show.
In part due to his height, Gwynne was cast asHerman Munster, a Frankenstein’s monster-like character, in the sitcomThe Munsters. Though playing the character led to typecasting in Hollywood for years when the show ended, Gwynne even so later admitted that he “can’t stop liking that fellow,” no matter how hard he tried. He reprised the role in 1981 for the TV movieThe Munsters' Revengealongside other returning cast members from the original series. The franchise is soon set to be revitalized with Rob Zombie developing a new movie based on the sitcom.
The actor’s other roles includeCar 54, Where Are You?,My Cousin Vinny, andThe Cotton Club. Another one of Gwynne’s most popular roles was as Jud Crandall in thehorror movie Pet Sematary. Directed by Mary Lambert and based on the Stephen King novel, the movie is about a grieving father who buries his deceased child in a cursed burial ground, only for a much more sinister version of the boy to be resurrected. Gwynne starred as Jud, the kindly neighbor who inadvertently sets off the events of the movie by telling the man about the haunted cemetery.
Happy heavenly birthday to the one and only Fred Gwynne. The unforgettable actor’s legacy will ensure that he is remembered forever. Rest in peace. If you want to revisit some classic episodes ofThe Munstersto celebrate Gwynne’s most popular role, the classic sitcom is streaming for free on Peacock. Horror movie fans can also stream him inPet Semataryon Hulu. You also can see some of the other posts from fans honoring Gwynne in honor of his would-be 95th birthday on Twitter.
