Frank Shuster, OC (September 5, 1916 – January 13, 2002) was a Canadian comedian best known as a member of the comedy duo Wayne and Shuster (Johnny Wayne being the other half).Born in Toronto, Ontario, he spent part of his childhood in Niagara Falls. His family returned to Toronto in time for Shuster to attend high school at Toronto's Harbord Collegiate Institute, where he met Johnny Wayne in 1930. The two would soon be performing sketches and routines at school talent shows, continuing to do the same when they both attended the University of Toronto. By the early 1940s Wayne and Shuster began appearing on local radio station CFRB, and during WWII they joined the Canadian Army as performers, entertaining Canadian troops. After the war, the duo appeared on CBC radio and television, becoming a network fixture with regular appearances from the 40s through the 80s. The duo would remain a comedy team for 60 years, until Wayne's death in 1990.In 1996, Shuster was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. He was married to Ruth Shuster and had two children: Rosie and Steve. Rosie Shuster was a comedy writer for Saturday Night Live and other television programs, and former wife of Lorne Michaels. Steve Shuster is also in the entertainment industry.He was also the cousin of Joe Shuster, co-creator of Superman.
[on his relationship with his partner, Johnny Wayne]: Migawd, the yelling we did - there was blood on the floor. We fought and we fought, but we were fighting to improve what we were doing. We never had a feud, although sometimes the fights were a little ugly. But from them came something better.
2
We were very serious, damn serious, and we'd sit there sweating and fighting over lines, and then we started to laugh hysterically. We always quit because we knew the following day we'd come back and say 'What's funny about that?' Comedy is very fragile. The words are important. There is rhythm, and we don't want anybody changing lines. It's written in stone.
3
I don't know anything about this computer stuff. Johnny was more interested, but I always ran away. I always say I'm not ready for power steering.
4
[on Johnny Wayne's death]: He was lying there and holding my hand so tightly I knew he was saying goodbye. What can you say? What can you do? We had worked together for a whole lifetime. But I could still feel his strength - a young man's strength. He seemed to be saying, 'Ohay, I'm going. We did all right. Wish me well'.
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Fact
1
Cousin of Superman co-creator, illustrator, Joe Shuster.
2
Inducted to Canada's Walk of Fame in 1999 with his comedy partner, Johnny Wayne.
3
He was awarded the O.C. (Officer of the Order of Canada) on November 14, 1996 for his services to entertainment in Canada.
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