Frank Adamo obit

Bit Actor Frank Adamo Has Died 

He was not on the list.

Frank Adamo was born on March 2, 1929 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961), Six Weeks (1982) and The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971). He died on December 18, 2018 in New Mexico, USA.

He was Dick Van Dyke's personal assistant, not an actor. He appeared in many episodes of the Dick Van Dyke show because of his friendship with the actor, filling the roles of extras and other characters.

All of his acting roles were in projects that starred Dick Van Dyke and/or Dick's first television leading lady, Mary Tyler Moore.

It's a stretch even to call this first guy a character actor. He's a bit part actor, but he's notable, to me anyway, because he appeared dozens of times on one of the best sit-coms ever, THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW. His name is Frank Adamo.

If you watch the series, you'll see that name in the closing credits from time to time, but that's hardly the whole story. Adamo wasn't a professional actor, or at least he didn't start out to be. He was Dick Van Dyke's assistant and stand-in, and when they needed an extra party guest or a guy standing in the background in a nightclub or somebody waiting in line somewhere, Adamo would step in. Most of those appearances were uncredited. Every now and then he got a small speaking part. He played a lot of waiters and delivery boys and ushers. He was the rather effeminate poet in the episode where Rob and Laura attend some literary soiree. I first became aware of him years ago when I was watching the series in syndicated reruns and realized the same guy kept popping up playing different parts.

Adamo went on to appear a few times on THE NEW DICK VAN DYKE SHOW and THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, but his real claim to fame is all the times he showed up in New Rochelle and in the writers' office of "The Alan Brady Show".

 

Actor

Dudley Moore, Mary Tyler Moore, and Katherine Healy in Six Weeks (1982)

Six Weeks

5.6

Subway Passenger

1982

 

Edward Asner, Valerie Harper, and Mary Tyler Moore in The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970)

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

8.3

TV Series

Waiter

Camera Operator

Location Manager (uncredited) ...

1974–1976

5 episodes

 

The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971)

The New Dick Van Dyke Show

6.7

TV Series

Stage Manager

Dr. Simmons

Harry ...

1971–1973

5 episodes

 

The Comic (1969)

The Comic

6.4

Minor Role (uncredited)

1969

 

Dick Van Dyke and Barbara Feldon in Fitzwilly (1967)

Fitzwilly

6.6

Gimbel's Mail Clerk (uncredited)

1967

 

Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke in The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961)

The Dick Van Dyke Show

8.4

TV Series

Head Waiter

Party Guest

Congregation Member ...

1961–1966

50 episodes

 

Ann-Margret, Janet Leigh, Dick Van Dyke, Jesse Pearson, and Bobby Rydell in Bye Bye Birdie (1963)

Bye Bye Birdie

6.6

Stage Manager (uncredited)

1963