Don Ameche Height, Weight, Age, Net Worth, Wife

Don Ameche Quick Info
Height	5 ft 10½ in
Weight	71 kg
Date of Birth	May 31, 1908
Zodiac Sign	Gemini
Date of Death	December 6, 1993

Don Ameche was an American actor, comedian, and vaudevillian who is best remembered for his performance as Mortimer Duke in Trading Places (1983) and Art Selwyn in Cocoon (1985), the latter of which earned him the ‘Best Supporting Actor’ Oscar in 1986. His other notable films include The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939), Hollywood Cavalcade (1939), Down Argentine Way (1940), Things Change (1988), Swanee River (1939), Lillian Russell (1940), Greenwich Village (1944), etc.

Born Name

Dominic Felix Amici

Nick Name

Don, The Latin Lover

Don Ameche as seen on the set of International Showtime in 1964 (NBC Television / Wikimedia / Public Domain)

Age

He was born on May 31, 1908.

Died

He passed away from prostate cancer on December 6, 1993, at the age of 85 years in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Sun Sign

Gemini

Born Place

Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States

Nationality

Occupation

Actor, Comedian, Vaudevillian

Family

Father – Felice Amici (Bartender)
Mother – Barbara Etta Hertel
Siblings – Umberto ‘Bert’ Amici (Brother), James ‘Jim’ Amici (Younger Brother) (Actor), Louis Amici (Brother), Elizabeth Amici (Sister), Catherine Amici (Sister), Mary Amici (Sister), Anna Amici (Sister)

Net Worth

At the time of his death, Don Ameche’s net worth was $10 million according to CelebrityNetWorth.com.

Build

Slim

Height

5 ft 10½ in or 179 cm

Weight

71 kg or 156.5 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Don Ameche had dated –

Honore Prendergast (1932-1986) – The Heaven Can Wait (1943) actor was happily married to Honore Prendergast from November 26, 1932, until her death on September 5, 1986. They raised 6 children together – sons Don Ameche Jr. (b. October 3, 1933), Ronald Ameche (b. December 30, 1935), Thomas Ameche (b. July 20, 1939), Lawrence Ameche (b. July 20, 1940), and daughters Constance Ameche (b. February 22, 1948), and Barbara Ameche (b. March 13, 1945).

Don Ameche and Carmen Miranda as seen in the 1941 film That Night in Rio (Desconhecido (20th Century Fox) / Wikimedia / Public Domain)

Race / Ethnicity

White

He had Italian ancestry on his father’s side and was of English, German, Scottish, and Irish descent on his mother’s side.

Hair Color

Dark Brown

However, his hair had turned ‘Gray’ by the time of his death.

Eye Color

Hazel

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

Authoritative yet soothing voice
Thin mustache
Widow’s peak

Religion

Roman Catholicism

Don Ameche as seen in the trailer of the 1940 film Down Argentine Way (Trailer Screenshot (20th Century Fox) / Wikimedia / Public Domain)

Don Ameche Facts

Two of his films, Midnight (1939) and Down Argentine Way (1940) have been included in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress due to their ‘cultural, historical or aesthetical significance.

Among his most prominent roles was playing the titular character in The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939). The massive success of the film gave rise to the juvenile American slang ‘Don Ameche’ meant to describe the telephone during the 1940s.

He was considered for the role of Don Vito Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola‘s masterpiece The Godfather (1972) before Marlon Brando stepped in and made it his own.

Both Don and his brother Jim essayed the role of Alexander Graham Bell in movies. Don appeared in The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939) and Jim in The Story of Mankind (1957).

His last name ‘Amici’ was of Italian origin and pronounced as ‘Ah-mee-chee’. However, Americans used to incorrectly pronounce it as ‘Ah-mee-see’. Therefore, he decided to spell his last name as ‘Ameche’ to make it sound more like its correct pronunciation.

Featured Image by NBC Television / Wikimedia / Public Domain