Frank Gorshin, USATODAY
JoeThomas
Actor Frank Gorshin dies
By César G. Soriano, USA TODAY
Actor and comic Frank Gorshin made his career impersonating other
celebrities, but he is best remembered for playing comic book villain The
Riddler on the Batman TV series in the 1960s.
Gorshin was best known for his role as the Riddler. Here, he plays George
Burns in the play Say Goodnight Gracie.
By Carol Rosegg
"Sometimes I wish I was known for something else," Gorshin told USA TODAY in
1995. "But I was a kind of pioneer. I helped to set the pace."
Gorshin, 72, a longtime smoker, died Tuesday after a long battle with lung
cancer, emphysema and pneumonia.
The Pittsburgh native had hundreds of TV, movie and theater credits to his
name. He was nominated for two Emmys: one for Batman and another for playing
a bigoted alien in Star Trek.
Last month he completed a national tour of the Broadway hit Say Goodnight,
Gracie, a play about the life of George Burns.
In a fitting final role, Gorshin makes a cameo in Thursday's season finale
of CSI, impersonating other celebs in Las Vegas.
Contributing: Bill Keveney, wire reports