About John Hodiak
John Hodiak ( HOH-dee-ak; April 16, 1914 – October 19, 1955) was an American actor who worked in radio, stage and film. == Early life == Hodiak was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Anna (Pogorzelec) and Walter Hodiak. He was of Ukrainian and Polish descent. Hodiak spent eight years in Pittsburgh before moving to Hamtramck, Michigan. == Career == === Radio === When Hodiak first tried out for a radio acting job, he was turned down because of his accent. He became a caddie at a Detroit golf course, then worked at a Chevrolet automobile factory – and practised his diction. When he conquered the diction hurdle, he became a radio actor and moved to Chicago. There Hodiak created the role of the comic strip character Li'l Abner on radio. Hodiak also had the role of McCullough in the radio soap opera Girl Alone. === Hollywood === Hodiak was cast in a few small parts at MGM, including A Stranger in Town (1943), I Dood It (1943) and Maisie Goes to Reno (1944).
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.