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John Megna

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Megna
Megna in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Miri" (1966)
Born
John Anthony Megna

(1952-11-09)November 9, 1952
Queens, New York, U.S.
DiedSeptember 5, 1995(1995-09-05) (aged 42)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • teacher
Years active1959–1984
Known forTo Kill a Mockingbird
RelativesConnie Stevens (half-sister)

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.

Early life

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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[2] through their mother, and an ex-brother-in-law of Eddie Fisher, both famous singers. He attended Holy Cross High School in Flushing, New York.

Career

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At age 6, Megna made his acting debut in Frank Loesser's Broadway musical Greenwillow.[2][3] At 7, he starred in All the Way Home,[3] an adaptation of James Agee's novel about the effect of a father's death on his family.[2][4] This led to his being cast as Charles Baker "Dill" Harris in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird.[2] 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.[2] 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

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Megna graduated from Cornell University as a performing arts major.[2]

As an adult, he turned to directing plays. He was the founding director of L.A. Arts, a nonprofit theater group in Los Angeles.[5] He later became a high school English, Spanish, and history teacher,[2] and he last taught at James Monroe High School in North Hills, California.[6] He also taught Honors English at Hollenbeck Junior High in Boyle Heights.

Personal life and death

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Megna was openly gay.[7] He died from AIDS-related complications on September 5, 1995, at Midway Hospital in Los Angeles, at the age of 42.[2][4]

Television

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Filmography

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References

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  1. ^ Fisher, Joely (November 14, 2017). Growing Up Fisher: Musings, Memories, and Misadventures (Hardcover ed.). Harper-Collins. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-0626-9553-6.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "John Megna, Starred in 'Mockingbird' as Boy". The Duluth News Tribune. Duluth, MN. September 10, 1995. p. 27. Retrieved April 17, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ a b John Megna at IBDB
  4. ^ a b "John Megna, 42, 'Mockingbird' Star". The New York Times. September 7, 1995. p. B17.
  5. ^ "Obituaries: John Megna: Former Child Actor, Stage Director". Los Angeles Times. September 9, 1995. p. A24. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "FOUR CLASSIC MOVIE ACTORS YOU DIDN'T KNOW WERE GAY". Logo. Logo TV. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
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