Norman Lloyd: Party Conversations with the Centenarian Actor

For several years, I attended an outdoor 4^th of July gathering in Hollywood where we would eat BBQ and drink Sangria. The first time we went, I sat next to an elderly man who was regaling the other guests with stories of old Hollywood. He looked familiar but I couldn’t quite place him at first. Suddenly, I realized he was Norman Lloyd, and actor who had starred in the TV show St. Elsewhere as Dr. Daniel Auschlander. He was 101 years old at the time. Coincidentally, it was the show that helped earn me my SAG card.

Norman also appeared in a long list of feature films that include Saboteur, Spellbound, and Limelight. His last project, which he completed at the young age of 99, was Trainwreck with Amy Schumer.

He told us he lived next door to Ed O’Neil (star of Modern Family) who had invited him to have lunch with director Judd Apatow. After they finished eating, Apatow asked if he could walk him to his car. Norman, born in 1914, still had his driver’s license up until 2014 when his son made him give it up. Apatow walked him 1 ½ blocks to his car to see if he could actually walk that far. Right after that, he cast Norman in Trainwreck as the old man in a wheelchair. He adored Amy Schumer who was also in the film because she would say anything “unedited” no matter who she was talking with.

His work with Hitchcock and other Hollywood Icons

Many years ago, Norman had been close friends with Alfred Hitchcock, Charlie Chaplin, Jean Renoir, and was an acquaintance of Bertolt Brecht. He quipped about the time he was working with Hitchcock on a film with Kim Novak. Hitchcock had the sniffles and Norman asked him if he was coming down with a cold.  Hitch replied, “The cold in my nose is a certain actress.” It’s well-known that Hitchcock and Novak didn’t get along.

Norman and his wife, Peggy Craven were married for 75 years until her death at the age of 98 in 2011. It was one of the longest marriages ever recorded in Hollywood. He still retains a housekeeper that he says he pays a fortune to (more than most) because she was a favorite of his wife. The woman had the gall to ask for a raise and he had to say no.

In the 1930s, Norman worked with the Group Theatre, the Theatre of Action, and the Federal Theatre Project. which he says was “one of the great theaters of all time.” He along with Orson Welles, and John Houseman left the Federal to form the Mercury Theatre where he played leading roles for years. He mentioned that although he believed Orson Welles was one of our “greatest talents” he was not a pleasant person to work with. In fact, he was a tyrant.

He hooked up with Hitchcock in the early 40s and went on to have a long friendship and working relationship and appeared in several of his films. He also went on to act, direct and produce numerous episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. You can view his credits on his IMDB page.

He was particularly enamored with Charlie Chaplin, whom he considered to be a genius. He talked about the time Chaplin married his fourth wife Oona O’Neil. She was 18 at the time and Chaplin was in his 50’s. Oona was the daughter of playwright Eugene O’Neil. Norman said that although it seems hard to believe, they were deeply in love.

Norman was also an avid tennis player and played twice a week up until 2015 when he suffered a fall. In his younger days, he often played with Chaplin, Joseph Cotton, and Spencer Tracy.

Norman Lloyd’s secret of longevity

When I asked Norman what his secret of longevity was, he said bluntly, “Luck.”

Our discussion turned to the idea of retirement. Norman Lloyd didn’t have any desire to retire. He was the oldest living “working” actor at the time. Another man at the party who worked for a box-making company told him he hadn’t retired yet because otherwise, all he’d do is sleep. Norman agreed.

I sat transfixed for hours listening to Norman speak with his articulate stage-trained voice like a fly on the wall. He was so mentally alert with crystal-clear memories and was in amazing shape for a centenarian. He could have easily been 70-years-old with barely any wrinkles on his face.

A friend who writes a vegan blog asked me (hopefully) if he was vegan. I told her “no.” I watched him as he easily chewed on a large chicken leg, ate corn on the cob with butter and sipped a Sangria. The only thing he passed on was dessert.

How many centenarians do you know who can eat corn right off the cob?

Most of the actors who have lived to be 100 were women and many quit working early on in their careers. They include Lupita Tovar (106), Connie Sawyer (105), Alice Ludes (104), Julie Gibson (106), Mary Carlisle (104), Olivia De Havilland (104), Zsa Zsa Gabor (99) and Betty White (99). Kirk Douglas, George Burns, and Bob Hope were over 100 when they died.

For more about Norman Lloyd, you may enjoy reading his book Stages of Life in Theatre, Film, and Television.

Updates

July 5, 2018 – Norman showed up at the 4th of July party again after missing the previous year to attend a Dodger game!  He was then 103, still telling stories and looking as good as ever!

July 4, 2019 – Norman was still partying and telling stories at 104.

In 2020 our party was canceled due to the pandemic.

2021 – Norman died peacefully at the age of 106 on May 11, 2021.

Do you think Norman Lloyd’s secret to longevity was just “luck?”  Please leave a comment below.

This post was update 3/2023.