Conrad Bain

Conrad Stafford Bain (February 4, 1923 – January 14, 2013) was a Canadian-American actor. His television credits include a leading role as Phillip Drummond in the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes (1978–1986), as Dr. Arthur Harmon on Maude (1972–1978), and as Charlie Ross in Mr. President (1987–1988).

Conrad Bain was born in Lethbridge, Alberta, the son of Jean Agnes (née Young) and Stafford Harrison Bain, who was a wholesaler. He was an identical twin with actor Bonar Bain. He first appeared in a play in his senior year of high school, which sparked his interest in theatre.

Conrad studied at the Banff School of Fine Arts before serving in the Canadian Army during World War II. Bain became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1946. In 1948, he graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York; one of his classmates was comedian Don Rickles.

After a stint at the Stratford Festival in Canada, Bain had further success as a stage actor in the 1956 revival of Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh. The New York Times reviewer noted that his role was "especially well acted." He performed in Candide at the Martin Beck Theatre from 1956 to 1957. In 1961, he performed in Advise and Consent. He performed in Hogan's Goat in 1965, The Kitchen in 1966, and Scuba Duba in 1967. In 1970, he performed in the original Off Broadway run of Steambath. In 1971, he performed in An Enemy of the People and in 1973, he performed in Uncle Vanya.

Bain also found work on television; in 1966 he appeared in the cult supernatural soap opera Dark Shadows as the town innkeeper, Mr. Wells, during seasons 1 and 2, before his character was killed.

In 1962, Bain was one of the principal organizers of the Actors Federal Credit Union, inspired by an actor who could not obtain credit at a local department store. Bain served as the credit union's first president.

In 1970, Bain appeared in the film Lovers and Other Strangers and in 1971, he appeared in Woody Allen's Bananas.

He was cast by producer Norman Lear as Dr. Arthur Harmon, Bea Arthur's title character's conservative nemesis, who married her best friend, Vivian, in Maude (1972–1978).

Based on his success in Maude, Bain was cast in Diff'rent Strokes (1978–1986) as Park Avenue millionaire Phillip Drummond, who adopted two orphaned African-American boys from Harlem, Willis and Arnold, to live with him and his daughter, Kimberly, and housekeeper, Mrs. Garrett. In 1979, he played Phillip Drummond in an episode of The Facts of Life. In 1996, Bain reprised his role of Phillip Drummond alongside Gary Coleman as Arnold Jackson on the series finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Producer Norman Lear said Bain had "a very rare comedic spine".

In 1987, Bain starred in Mr. President, a political sitcom. In 1991 and 1992, he performed in On Borrowed Time, his last Broadway theatre production.

Bain died from a stroke on January 14, 2013, in Livermore, California, at the age of 89. His body was cremated.

Bain had two sons and a daughter with Monica Sloan (1923–2009), whom he wed in 1945; they remained married until her death in 2009. His twin brother died in 2005.