Shemp Howard (March 11, 1895 – November 22, 1955) was an American actor and comedian. Born Samuel Horwitz, he was called "Shemp" because "Sam" came out that way in his mother's thick Litvak accent. He is best known today for his role as the third stooge in the Three Stooges, a role he first portrayed at the beginning of the act in the early 1920s (1923-1932) while the act was still associated with Ted Healy and known as "Ted Healy and his Stooges", and again from 1947 until his death in 1955. Between his times with the Stooges, Shemp had a successful film career as a solo comedian.

Biography

In September 1925, Shemp (at age 30) married Gertrude Frank (28), a fellow New Yorker. They had one child, Morton (1926–1972). Former U.S. Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) is the son of Gertrude's cousin Sam Frank.

Shemp used his somewhat homely appearance for comic effect, often mugging grotesquely or allowing his hair to fall in disarray. He even played along with a publicity stunt that named him "The Ugliest Man in Hollywood". ("I'm hideous," he explained to reporters.) Notoriously phobic, his fears included airplanes, automobiles, dogs and water.

According to Moe's autobiography, Shemp was involved in a driving accident as a teenager and never obtained a driver's license.