Michael Vale

Michael Vale (June 28, 1922 – December 24, 2005) was an American character actor famous for being the longtime sleepy-eyed mascot Fred the Baker for donut chain Dunkin' Donuts, with his famous catchphrase "Time to make the donuts." He was featured for 15 years until he retired in 1997, having done more than 1,300 television commercials. Vale also reprised the role for commercials for the short-lived Dunkin' Donuts Cereal. He died of complications from diabetes at age 83 in Manhattan at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and was cremated.

Personal life Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Vale was dubbed "the actor" by his childhood friends because of his ability to imitate ballplayers and celebrities. After serving in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in Europe during World War II, he studied at the Dramatic Workshop at The New School with classmates Tony Curtis, Ben Gazzara, and Rod Steiger.

Career One of his earliest appearances was in a summer stock production of George Bernard Shaw's Androcles and the Lion. Vale later described his modest role: "I was thrown to the lions."

He was a longtime spokesman for Kraft Foods' Breakstone line of cottage cheese and sour cream products, for whom he portrayed long-suffering dairy owner "Sam Breakstone".

On his death in 2005, Dunkin' Donuts released a statement, noting that Fred the Baker "became a beloved American icon that permeated our culture and touched millions with his sense of humor and humble nature."

Filmography Year Title Role Notes1953 Guerrilla Girl Pavel Danov 1957 A Hatful of Rain Cab Driver 1976 Marathon Man Jewelry Salesman #2 1977 Looking Up Sweedler