ACTOR
George Gaynes
1917 - 2016

George Gaynes
George Gaynes (born George Jongejans; May 16, 1917 – February 15, 2016) was a Dutch-American singer, actor, and voice artist. Born to a Dutch father and a Russian mother in the Grand Duchy of Finland of the Russian Empire, he served in the Royal Netherlands Navy during World War II, and subsequently emigrated to the United States, where he became a citizen and began his acting career on Broadway. Gaynes' most recognized roles in cinema were that of Commandant Eric Lassard in the Police Academy series and as John Van Horn in the 1982 comedy film Tootsie. He appeared as the curmudgeonly but lovable foster parent Henry Warnimont on the NBC series Punky Brewster; as high-powered theatrical producer Arthur Feldman on The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd; as Senator Strobe Smithers in the hit TV show Hearts Afire; and as Frank Smith, the mob boss brought down by Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary) and Laura Spencer (Genie Francis) on the soap opera General Hospital. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. George Gaynes is the 593rd most popular actor (down from 530th in 2019), the 31st most popular biography from Finland (down from 30th in 2019) and the most popular Finnish Actor.
George Gaynes is most famous for playing Commandant Eric Lassard in the Police Academy films.
Memorability Metrics
Page views of George Gaynes by language
Among ACTORS
Among actors, George Gaynes ranks 593 out of 13,578. Before him are John Goodman, Brendan Fraser, Mickey Rooney, Ming-Na Wen, Tom Waits, and Akshay Kumar. After him are Richard E. Grant, Brian Cox, Stéphane Audran, Mickey Rourke, Robert Vaughn, and Burt Young.
Most Popular Actors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsJohn Goodman
1952 - Present
HPI: 68.92
Rank: 587
Brendan Fraser
1968 - Present
HPI: 68.90
Rank: 588
Mickey Rooney
1920 - 2014
HPI: 68.89
Rank: 589
Ming-Na Wen
1963 - Present
HPI: 68.88
Rank: 590
Tom Waits
1949 - Present
HPI: 68.88
Rank: 591
Akshay Kumar
1967 - Present
HPI: 68.87
Rank: 592
George Gaynes
1917 - 2016
HPI: 68.85
Rank: 593
Richard E. Grant
1957 - Present
HPI: 68.80
Rank: 594
Brian Cox
1946 - Present
HPI: 68.79
Rank: 595
Stéphane Audran
1932 - 2018
HPI: 68.79
Rank: 596
Mickey Rourke
1952 - Present
HPI: 68.75
Rank: 597
Robert Vaughn
1932 - 2016
HPI: 68.74
Rank: 598
Burt Young
1940 - 2023
HPI: 68.73
Rank: 599
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1917, George Gaynes ranks 49. Before him are Yukio Tsuda, Tove Ditlevsen, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Jean-Pierre Melville, Fernando Rey, and Bourvil. After him are Sven Hassel, Chung Il-kwon, Danielle Darrieux, Hirokazu Ninomiya, Jack Kirby, and Dizzy Gillespie. Among people deceased in 2016, George Gaynes ranks 57. Before him are Viktor Korchnoi, Gene Wilder, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Michael Cimino, Yasuo Takamori, and Vesna Vulović. After him are Ahmed Zewail, Robert Vaughn, Ray Tomlinson, Michèle Morgan, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, and Marvin Minsky.
Others Born in 1917
Go to all RankingsYukio Tsuda
SOCCER PLAYER
1917 - 1979
HPI: 69.56
Rank: 43
Tove Ditlevsen
WRITER
1917 - 1976
HPI: 69.49
Rank: 44
Zsa Zsa Gabor
ACTOR
1917 - 2016
HPI: 69.47
Rank: 45
Jean-Pierre Melville
FILM DIRECTOR
1917 - 1973
HPI: 69.33
Rank: 46
Fernando Rey
ACTOR
1917 - 1994
HPI: 69.32
Rank: 47
Bourvil
ACTOR
1917 - 1970
HPI: 69.25
Rank: 48
George Gaynes
ACTOR
1917 - 2016
HPI: 68.85
Rank: 49
Sven Hassel
WRITER
1917 - 2012
HPI: 68.81
Rank: 50
Chung Il-kwon
POLITICIAN
1917 - 1994
HPI: 68.71
Rank: 51
Danielle Darrieux
ACTOR
1917 - 2017
HPI: 68.56
Rank: 52
Hirokazu Ninomiya
SOCCER PLAYER
1917 - 2000
HPI: 68.42
Rank: 53
Jack Kirby
COMIC ARTIST
1917 - 1994
HPI: 68.39
Rank: 54
Dizzy Gillespie
MUSICIAN
1917 - 1993
HPI: 68.38
Rank: 55
Others Deceased in 2016
Go to all RankingsViktor Korchnoi
CHESS PLAYER
1931 - 2016
HPI: 69.66
Rank: 51
Gene Wilder
ACTOR
1933 - 2016
HPI: 69.62
Rank: 52
Zsa Zsa Gabor
ACTOR
1917 - 2016
HPI: 69.47
Rank: 53
Michael Cimino
FILM DIRECTOR
1939 - 2016
HPI: 69.36
Rank: 54
Yasuo Takamori
SOCCER PLAYER
1934 - 2016
HPI: 69.19
Rank: 55
Vesna Vulović
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1950 - 2016
HPI: 68.85
Rank: 56
George Gaynes
ACTOR
1917 - 2016
HPI: 68.85
Rank: 57
Ahmed Zewail
CHEMIST
1946 - 2016
HPI: 68.82
Rank: 58
Robert Vaughn
ACTOR
1932 - 2016
HPI: 68.74
Rank: 59
Ray Tomlinson
INVENTOR
1941 - 2016
HPI: 68.71
Rank: 60
Michèle Morgan
ACTOR
1920 - 2016
HPI: 68.51
Rank: 61
Hans-Dietrich Genscher
POLITICIAN
1927 - 2016
HPI: 68.43
Rank: 62
Marvin Minsky
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1927 - 2016
HPI: 68.38
Rank: 63
In Finland
Among people born in Finland, George Gaynes ranks 31 out of 751. Before him are Arto Paasilinna (1942), Kyösti Kallio (1873), Helene Schjerfbeck (1862), Linus Torvalds (1969), Lars Ahlfors (1907), and Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg (1865). After him are Otto Wille Kuusinen (1881), Mika Häkkinen (1968), Wäinö Aaltonen (1894), Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804), Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia (1917), and Hjalmar Siilasvuo (1892).
Others born in Finland
Go to all RankingsArto Paasilinna
WRITER
1942 - 2018
HPI: 70.00
Rank: 25
Kyösti Kallio
POLITICIAN
1873 - 1940
HPI: 69.79
Rank: 26
Helene Schjerfbeck
PAINTER
1862 - 1946
HPI: 69.51
Rank: 27
Linus Torvalds
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1969 - Present
HPI: 69.10
Rank: 28
Lars Ahlfors
MATHEMATICIAN
1907 - 1996
HPI: 69.05
Rank: 29
Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg
POLITICIAN
1865 - 1952
HPI: 69.00
Rank: 30
George Gaynes
ACTOR
1917 - 2016
HPI: 68.85
Rank: 31
Otto Wille Kuusinen
POLITICIAN
1881 - 1964
HPI: 68.80
Rank: 32
Mika Häkkinen
RACING DRIVER
1968 - Present
HPI: 68.75
Rank: 33
Wäinö Aaltonen
SCULPTOR
1894 - 1966
HPI: 68.65
Rank: 34
Johan Ludvig Runeberg
WRITER
1804 - 1877
HPI: 68.50
Rank: 35
Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia
POLITICIAN
1917 - 1992
HPI: 67.99
Rank: 36
Hjalmar Siilasvuo
POLITICIAN
1892 - 1947
HPI: 67.98
Rank: 37
Among ACTORS In Finland
Among actors born in Finland, George Gaynes ranks 1. After him are Taina Elg (1930), Matti Pellonpää (1951), Siri von Essen (1850), Tapio Rautavaara (1915), Kati Outinen (1961), Vesa-Matti Loiri (1945), Gustaf Molander (1888), Stina Ekblad (1954), Peter Franzén (1971), Tauno Palo (1908), and Jasper Pääkkönen (1980).
George Gaynes
1917 - 2016
HPI: 68.85
Rank: 1
Taina Elg
1930 - 2025
HPI: 59.97
Rank: 2
Matti Pellonpää
1951 - 1995
HPI: 59.45
Rank: 3
Siri von Essen
1850 - 1912
HPI: 58.95
Rank: 4
Tapio Rautavaara
1915 - 1979
HPI: 58.34
Rank: 5
Kati Outinen
1961 - Present
HPI: 57.97
Rank: 6
Vesa-Matti Loiri
1945 - 2022
HPI: 57.43
Rank: 7
Gustaf Molander
1888 - 1973
HPI: 57.37
Rank: 8
Stina Ekblad
1954 - Present
HPI: 56.72
Rank: 9
Peter Franzén
1971 - Present
HPI: 56.03
Rank: 10
Tauno Palo
1908 - 1982
HPI: 54.09
Rank: 11
Jasper Pääkkönen
1980 - Present
HPI: 50.78
Rank: 12