Celebrity Nooz: Michael Callan

Michael Callan (Actor) - Cat Ballou

Updated: 4/24/19

Name: Michael Callan

Birth Name: Martin Harris Calinieff

Born: November 22, 1935 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Nickname: Mickey

Claim To Fame: Michael Callan is an American actor best known for originating the role of Riff in West Side Story on Broadway, and for his film roles for Columbia Pictures, notably Gidget Goes Hawaiian, The Interns and Cat Ballou.

Family Life: Callan married Carlyn Chapman in March of 1960 until their divorce in 1967; together they have two daughters, Dawn and Rebecca. Met his second wife, Patricia Harty, while both were starring on the TV series Occasional Wife. They married in 1968 and divorced in 1970. Callan married his third wife, Karen Malouf, in January of 1975, they later divorce in October of 1984.

Info: At 21, Callan played Riff in the original Broadway cast of West Side Story.

He was seen by talent scout Joyce Selznick, who worked for Columbia Pictures. Columbia was on a "youth talent" drive at the time and signed Callan to a seven-year deal in June 1958.

Callan was unable to reprise his West Side Story role of Riff in the film version due to his contract with Columbia.

Trivia: Hit a 3 run inside-the-park home run off Hall of Fame baseball player Roberto Clemente in the 1967 MLB vs Celebrities Softball Game.

Returned, occasionally, to the stage in both legit plays and musicals including Absurd Person Singular, Killjoy, Love Letters, Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah, The Music Man, and George M!. Callan appeared in the Off-Broadway musical Bar Mitzvah Boy in 1987.

Where Are They Now: Callan, now in his early 80s, has seem to have retired from a very long, successful acting career.

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