Will Lee

William Lee (né Lubovsky; August 6, 1908 – December 7, 1982) was an American actor who appeared in numerous television and film roles, but was best known for playing Mr. Hooper, the original store proprietor of the eponymous Hooper's Store. He was one of the four original human characters on Sesame Street, from the show's debut in November 1969 until his death on December 7, 1982, at the age of 74.

Early career Lee was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York on August 6, 1908. His father, a bookbinder, lost his job due to economic changes. Will Lee came to adulthood during the Great Depression. He worked odd jobs in New York City and absorbed the intellectual atmosphere of Greenwich Village, an enclave of avant-garde culture where small presses, art galleries, and experimental theater thrived. He began his career as a character actor on stage. He was a member of the Group Theater in the 1930s and appeared in Johnny Johnson, Night Music, Boy Meets Girl, The Time of Your Life (as Willie the pinball machine addict) and other Broadway plays. He succeeded John Garfield as the lead in Golden Boy. He also was involved in the Workers Lab Theatre, by presenting plays that supported the labor movement and social justice.

Lee was co-founder of the Theater of Action and a member of the Federal Theatre Project. During World War II, he served in Army Special Services in Australia and Manila and was cited twice for directing and staging shows for troops overseas, as well as teaching acting classes.

After the war, he appeared Off Broadway in Norman Mailer's The Deer Park (as movie mogul Teppis) and on Broadway in The Shrike, Once Upon a Mattress, Carnival!, Incident At Vichy, and The World of Sholom Aleichem.

Blacklist and teaching Lee also began appearing in movies, including bit parts in Casbah, A Song Is Born, Little Fugitive, and Saboteur. He was blacklisted as an alleged communist and barred from movies and TV for five years during the era of McCarthyism, according to members of his family. He had been active in the Actor's Workshop and had been an unfriendly witness before the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings in 1950 investigating Communist elements in show business. Lee taped his final segments as Mr. Hooper on Wednesday November 24, 1982, two weeks prior to his death. This would become the focal point of Episode 1839, which aired a year later to the date, in which Mr. Hooper's death is explained by the adults to Big Bird, who had a particularly close relationship with Mr. Hooper.

According to his obituary in The New York Times, as he became known on Sesame Street, children would approach him on the street and ask, "How did you get out of the television set?" or whisper, "I love you." "Apart from the joy of knowing that you are helping so many kids, the recognition is heartwarming," Lee was quoted as saying in 1981.

Death of Mr. Hooper Following Lee's death, the producers of Sesame Street faced the challenge of how to address the absence of one of the series' most prominent characters. After deliberating various approaches, such as recasting Mr. Hooper, having him move interstate, or retire, they decided to have the character of Mr. Hooper die as well and air an episode addressing the difficult topic of death.

Episode 1839, colloquially known as "Farewell, Mr. Hooper," aired on November 24, 1983 (Thanksgiving Day) and was quickly selected by the Daytime Emmys as being one of the 10 most influential moments in daytime television. Before the broadcast ended, a picture of Lee was shown, along with the dates of his birth and death and the writing "In Loving Memory of Will Lee" before fading out.

The cast of Sesame Street were saddened by Lee's death, as over the time Lee had played his signature character on TV, he had befriended most of the cast. The cast said that their characters' sad faces were real but they went through with their performance, remembering they were doing it for a good outcome. Caroll Spinney (Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch) said that the last time he saw Lee alive was during the taping of the last episode involving Mr. Hooper in November 1982. Lee felt ill that day and barely spoke to the cast. Spinney (who was wearing Big Bird's feet at the time) placed his arm around Lee's shoulder and said "I love you, Mr. Hooper." Lee replied, "And I love you, Caroll." Lee died a few days later.

In an interview a few years later, Loretta Long, who played Susan, said of the episode's legacy: "People come up to us and say 'Thank you. Now we can explain what happened to Grandma, what happened to Grandpa.'"

Personal life and death

Lee died on December 7, 1982, at the age of 74, from a heart attack at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. According to his obituary, he was survived by his sister Sophie Lee Lubov, who lived in Florida. The Sesame Street episode "Farewell, Mr. Hooper", episode 1983, was released 11 months later and is dedicated to Lee.

Filmography

Film

Television Year Title Role(s) Notes1950 Dick Tracy Reg Prof Episode: "The Mole: Part 1" The Philco Television Playhouse Episode: "Decoy" 1956, 1982 As the World Turns Grandpa Hughes #1 (1956)Will "Pa" (1982) 2 episodes 1964 East Side/West Side Nat (Grocer)Schultz 1965 For the People Kurawicz Episode: "The Influence of Fear" 1969–1982 Sesame Street Mr. Hooper Series Regular 1974 Great Performances Kon Episode: "Enemies"1978 Christmas Eve on Sesame Street Mr. Hooper Christmas special A Special Sesame Street Christmas 1979 A Walking Tour of Sesame Street Television special 1980 Playing for Time Shmuel Television movie

Stage Year Title Role(s) Venue Ref. 1935 The Young Go First Beebie Menucci Park Theatre, Broadway 1936 Triple-A Plowed Under EnsembleBiltmore Theatre, Broadway 1936 Johnny Johnson Photographer, Private Goldberger44th Street Theatre, Broadway 1937 Golden Boy Siggie (replacement)Belasco Theatre, Broadway 1939 Family Portrait MendelMorosco Theatre, Broadway 1939 The Time of Your Life WillieBooth Theatre, Broadway 1940 Night Music WaiterNational Theatre, Broadway 1940 Heavenly Express "Shorty" Rucker Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway 1942 Lily of the Valley JoeWindsor Theatre, Broadway 1942 The Strings, My Lord, Are False Louis LiebensRoyale Theatre, Broadway 1947 As We Forgive Our Debtors Odin SturkelsonPrincess Theatre, Broadway 1948 Strange Bedfellows Mayor Ambrose TibbettMorosco Theatre, Broadway 1952 The Shrike Sam TagerCort Theatre, Broadway 1959 Once Upon A Mattress King Sextimus (standby, replacement)Phoenix Theatre, Broadway 1961 Carnival! GrobertImperial Theatre, Broadway 1964 The Last Analysis AufschnittBelasco Theater, Broadway 1964 Incident at Vichy Old JewANTA Washington Square Theatre, Broadway 1967 The Deer Park TeppisTheater de Lys, Off-Broadway 1972 Enemies KonVivian Beaumont Theater, Broadway