Sebastian Cabot

Sebastian Cabot made a career out of playing the terribly proper British gentleman. With a well-groomed beard, a distinct upper crust accent, and a weight of more than 250 pounds, he projected an image of kindness and refinement and managed to appear both cuddly and stuffy at the same time. In fact, those qualities came through loud and clear in his memorable television role as a butler turned nanny named Mr. French on the late-'60s program Family Affair. What is probably least remembered about the actor is that he once made an album in which he recited poetry authored by Bob Dylan, including the song "It Ain't Me Babe." The recording was issued a year after Cabot started his role in Family Affair. The series ran from 1966 through 1970. He also appeared in a number of movies, among them The Time Machine, Johnny Tremain, Ivanhoe, and Kismet. In addition, the actor lent his voice to several Disney movies, among them The Jungle Book and The Sword in the Stone. His clipped accent can also be heard in a pair of Winnie the Pooh films, for which he acted as narrator. The actor's full name was Charles Sebastian Thomas Cabot. Born in London, he started his career in the '30s in his native country before heading to Hollywood in the '50s. Before the acting bug hit, he found employment as a cook, chauffeur, and mechanic. In later years, he collected antique cars. The actor was married for more than three decades to his wife, Kay, with whom he raised three children: Annette, Yvonne, and Christopher. Cabot passed away in 1977, the victim of a stroke. ~ Linda Seida, All Music Guide