famous and notable radio role was Commissioner Weston on The Shadow. He played the title role in Bulldog Drummond (1942–43) and was heard in the daytime radio serials Valiant Lady (as Edward Curran), Perry Mason, 1948's Roger Kilgore, Public Defender, and as the title character in The Adventures of Charlie Chan (1947–1948), The Affairs of Peter Salem from 1949 to 1953, and Hannibal Cobb (1950–1951). Throughout the 1930s and 1940s and into the 1950s and early 1960s, the prolific Ortega lent his remarkable range of voice characterizations to numerous other radio drama series such as Inner Sanctum, The Mysterious Traveler, Suspense, Casey Crime Photographer, The Eternal Light, The Columbia Workshop, The Big Story, Perry Mason, You Are There, Dimension X, and X Minus One. He also originated the radio role of Inspector Queen on The Adventures of Ellery Queen. Television On television, he played Will Hughes (usually just referred to as "Grandpa") on As the World Turns, replacing Will Lee as of June 21, 1956. On November 22, 1963, he was in the middle of a scene with actress Helen Wagner when CBS suddenly cut in with the first bulletin on President Kennedy's assassination. (The cast, which was performing the episode live, was not yet aware of the situation.) Ortega continued in the role until shortly before his death in 1976. Film Ortega played character roles in two films during the 1950s: The Family Secret (1951) and Crowded Paradise (1956). Personal life Ortega was married twice. He married Evelyn Fairbank in 1926, but the couple had no children and later divorced. He later married Cynthia Beckett, 20 years his junior, when he was around 50 years old. They would go on to have two children. Ortega was a lifelong tobacco user who often smoked cigars during his radio shows. However, during his tenure on "As The World Turns," he was most often seen smoking a pipe. Death Ortega died on April 10, 1976, in Broward General Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, while he was visiting in that area. He was 76. Survivors included a son, a daughter and a sister. A memorial service was held April 25, 1976, at the Church of the Heavenly Rest in New York City. Filmography As the World Turns (1956-1976): Will Hughes References External links 1899 births 1976 deaths American male comedians American male film actors American male television actors American male radio actors American