Alan Young, Star of ‘Mister Ed,’ Dies at 96
Alan Young, who starred as Wilbur Post on the 1960s TV series “Mister Ed,” died Thursday, a spokesperson for the actor told TheWrap. He was 96.
Young also voiced the character Scrooge McDuck in numerous Disney films and TV series.
Born in North Shields, Northumberland, England, Young and his family moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, and later to Canada. After a stint in the Royal Canadian Navy, Young landed his own radio series on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
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After moving to the U.S., he starred on NBC’s “The Alan Young Show.”
Young gained his greatest fame, however, as Wilbur Post in the CBS comedy “Mister Ed,” as the owner of a talking horse who spoke only to Post, leading to humorous situations for everyone around him. The series ran from 1961 to 1966.
The actor’s equine “Mister Ed” costar, Bamboo Harvester, appeared on the series from 1949 until 1970, when he euthanized after suffering from a number of health ailments. The lovable Palomino was later buried at Snodgrass Farm in Oklahoma.
Young’s other roles include Wonderworld founder Uncle Dave Thornton in “Beverly Hills Cop III.” His other voice work included the radio drama “Adventures in Odyssey,” “Batman: The Animated Series” and “TaleSpin.”
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Young was married three times, most recently to Virginia McCurdy, to whom he was wed from 1948 until her 2011 death. He had four children, two with McCurdy and two with his previous wife Mary Anne Grimes.
Young was nominated twice for an Emmy, winning once, in the Best Actor category in 1951.
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