John Anthony Megna (November 9, 1952 – September 5, 1995) was an American actor, director and teacher. His best-known role is that of Dill in the film To Kill a Mockingbird.
John Megna | |
|---|---|
 Megna in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Miri" (1966) | |
| Born | John Anthony Megna November 9, 1952 Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Died | September 5, 1995 (aged 42) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1959–1984 |
| Known for | To Kill a Mockingbird |
| Relatives | Connie Stevens (half-sister) |
Early life edit
John Anthony Megna was born in Ozone Park, Queens, New York, to Ralph W. Megna, a pharmacist,[1] and Eleanor McGinley, a one-time nightclub singer. He was a half-brother of Connie Stevens and an ex-brother-in-law of Eddie Fisher, both famous singers. He attended Holy Cross High School in Flushing, New York.
Career edit
At age 6, Megna made his acting debut in Frank Loesser's Broadway musical Greenwillow.[2] At 7, he starred in All the Way Home,[2] an adaptation of James Agee's novel about the effect of a father's death on his family.[3] This led to him being cast as Charles Baker "Dill" Harris in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird. The character was based on writer Truman Capote, a childhood friend and later associate of Harper Lee, the author of the original novel.[citation needed]
Megna appeared in many television programs throughout the 1960s and 1970s; he portrayed a near-blind child in the Naked City episode "A Horse Has a Big Head - Let Him Worry!", one of the "Onlies" in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Miri", Stephan in I Spy (1967), and Little Adam in the NASA-produced animated shorts The Big World of Little Adam.
His other film appearances include Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), The Godfather: Part II (1974), The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976) with John Travolta, and Go Tell the Spartans (1978) with Burt Lancaster. He also acted in two films starring Burt Reynolds and directed by Hal Needham: Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and The Cannonball Run (1981).
Later career edit
Megna graduated from Cornell University as a performing arts major.
As an adult, he turned to directing plays. He was the founding director of L.A. Arts, a nonprofit theater group in Los Angeles.[4] He later became a high school English teacher, and last taught at James Monroe High School in North Hills, California.[5] He also taught Honors English at Hollenbeck Junior High in Boyle Heights.
Personal life and death edit
Megna was openly gay.[6] He died from AIDS-related complications on September 5, 1995, at Midway Hospital in Los Angeles, at the age of 42.[3]
Television edit
- Naked City - "A Horse Has a Big Head - Let Him Worry!" (1962) - Harold Denton
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour - "The Magic Shop" (1964) - Anthony 'Tony' Grainger
- Star Trek: The Original Series – "Miri" (1966) - Little Boy
- Police Woman - "Screams" (1977) - Jackson
- Skag (1980)
- The Mogul (1984)
Filmography edit
- To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) - Dill Harris
- Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964) - New Boy
- Blindfold (1966) - Mario Vincenti
- The Godfather Part II (1974) - Young Hyman Roth (uncredited)
- The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976) (TV Movie) - Smith
- I Want to Keep My Baby (1976) (TV Movie) - Andy
- Another Man, Another Chance (1977) - Loser in Saloon (uncredited)
- Go Tell the Spartans (1978) - Cpl. Ackley
- Sunnyside (1979) - B.B.
- Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979) - Outlaw
- Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) - P.T.
- The Cannonball Run (1981) - Arthur Rose
- The Ratings Game (1984) - Al
References edit
- ^ Fisher, Joely (November 14, 2017). Growing Up Fisher: Musings, Memories, and Misadventures (Hardcover ed.). Harper-Collins. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-0626-9553-6.
- ^ a b John Megna at IBDB
- ^ a b "John Megna, 42, 'Mockingbird' Star". The New York Times. September 7, 1995. p. B17.
- ^ "Obituaries: John Megna: Former Child Actor, Stage Director". Los Angeles Times. September 9, 1995. p. A24. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
- ^ Jones, Brittney (October 15, 2012). "John Megna–Famous Actor Lost to HIV/AIDS". AIDS Response Effort, Inc. Archived from the original on January 22, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
- ^ "FOUR CLASSIC MOVIE ACTORS YOU DIDN'T KNOW WERE GAY". Logo. Logo TV. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
External links edit
- John Megna at IMDb
- John Megna at the Internet Broadway Database
