Wheeler Oakman

Biography

Wheeler Oakman entered the world in Washington, D.C., in 1890 and stepped onto the silver screen just two decades later, in 1912. With a towering frame, a solid build and a bearing that hinted at old‑world aristocracy, he quickly became Hollywood’s go‑to antagonist. Oakman’s repertoire stretched far beyond the stereotypical moustache‑twirling henchman; he could command a cold‑blooded mob chief, a smooth‑talking swindler, a rapacious land baron, or a genial banker who secretly headed a bandit gang. Equally convincing as a scholarly professor, a valorous army officer or a hard‑boiled city detective, his versatility made him a fixture in every genre and at virtually every studio—from the lavish dramas of MGM to the grind‑house productions of J.D. Kendis. His personal life intersected with the silent‑era spotlight when he married fellow screen star Priscilla Dean. Oakman continued to work almost to the end of his days; his last appearance was a brief, uncredited part in the 1948 serial *Superman*. He succumbed to a heart attack in Van Nuys, California, in 1949.