Edmund Gwenn

English actor

Born: September 26, 1877 · Died: September 6, 1959

Famous Persons

Who was Edmund Gwenn?

Edmund Gwenn (born Edmund John Kellaway; 26 September 1877 – 6 September 1959) was an English actor. Gwenn was born in Wandsworth, London to John and Catherine (née Oliver) Kellaway. His brother was the actor Arthur Chesney, and his cousin was the actor Cecil Kellaway. Gwenn was educated at St. Olave's School in Orpington and later at King's College London in the City of Westminster. As a stage actor in the West End and on Broadway, he was associated with a wide range of works by modern playwrights, including Bernard Shaw, John Galsworthy and J. B. Priestley. After the Second World War, he lived in the United States, where he had a successful career in Hollywood and Broadway.

Historical significance

On film, he is best remembered for his role as Kris Kringle in the Christmas film Miracle on 34th Street (1947), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, the corresponding Golden Globe Award, and a Photoplay Award. He received a second Golden Globe, Photoplay Award, and another Academy Award nomination for the comedy film Mister 880 (1950). He is also remembered for his appearances in four films directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

Sources and further reading

Use the dated article for the day-specific account; use these references to check the event record and explore its wider historical context.

Wikipedia source

Cite this page

MLA

“Edmund Gwenn.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/edmund-gwenn/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

APA

Edmund Gwenn. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/edmund-gwenn/

Chicago

“Edmund Gwenn.” thisDay. Accessed October 19, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/edmund-gwenn/.

Found an error? Let us know.