Actor. The younger brother of author Mary McCarthy, they were both orphaned when their parents fell victim to the 1918 influenza epidemic, and he would be raised by various relatives. He joined a drama group while attending the University of Minnesota, and had a minor part in a production of "Henry IV, Part1". He made his Broadway debut in "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" (1938 to 1939), and appeared in several plays throughout the 1940s, including "Winged Victory" (1943 to 1944), "Joan of Lorraine" (1946 to 1947), yielding his career while serving as a sergeant in the US Army Air Corps during World War II. His breakthrough role happened on the London stage where McCarthy played Biff Loman in Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" in 1949. He would reprise his part in the motion picture version two years later in 1951, receiving a Golden Globe Award and garnering himself an Academy Award (Oscar) nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Movie audiences will perhaps best remember McCarthy for his role of Dr. Miles J. Bennell in the original version of the classic 1956 science-fiction horror film "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (he would make a cameo appearance in the 1978 remake). From the early 1950s until his death, he remained busy alternating between stage, films and TV, appearing in a wide range of roles on such programs as: "Climax!", "The Twilight Zone", "The Wild Wild West", "Hawaii Five-O", "Matlock", the movies: "The Misfits" (1961), "The Prize" (1963), "Mirage" (1965), "Innerspace" (1987) and the plays: "Advise and Consent" (1960 to 1961), "Cactus Flower" (1965 to 1967) and "Happy Birthday, Wanda June" (1970 to 1971). He had featured roles in the TV series "The Survivors" (1969) and "Flamingo Road". In addition, McCarthy toured for several years playing Harry Truman in the one-man show "Give 'Em Hell, Harry". He was formerly married to actress Augusta Dabney. He died from natural causes at age 96.