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John Irwin McGiver (November 5, 1913 – September 9, 1975) was a character actor who made more than a hundred appearances in television and motion pictures over a two-decade span from 1955 to 1975. The owl-faced, portly actor with the mid-Atlantic accent was known for his performances as the religious fanatic Mr. O'Daniel in the film Midnight Cowboy; as the kindly Tiffany's salesman in Breakfast at Tiffany's; and as the ill-fated, but honorable Senator Jordan in the original film version of The Manchurian Candidate. He also appeared on many TV shows and commercials, including a Baggies... MORE

John Irwin McGiver (November 5, 1913 – September 9, 1975) was a character actor who made more than a hundred appearances in television and motion pictures over a two-decade span from 1955 to 1975. The owl-faced, portly actor with the mid-Atlantic accent was known for his performances as the religious fanatic Mr. O'Daniel in the film Midnight Cowboy; as the kindly Tiffany's salesman in Breakfast at Tiffany's; and as the ill-fated, but honorable Senator Jordan in the original film version of The Manchurian Candidate. He also appeared on many TV shows and commercials, including a Baggies spot in the 1960s, as well as the first of a popular series of commercials for the American Express charge card ("Do you know me?"). McGiver was born the son of Irish immigrants. He received a B.A. in English from Fordham University in 1938 and master's degrees from Columbia University and Catholic University. He was an English teacher before he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 and served as an officer in the U.S. Army's 7th Armored Division in Europe during World War II. His stage career also began before the war, when he was an actor-director in New York's Irish Repertory Theater. He continued to LESS