Tige Andrews

Tige Andrews (born Tiger Androwas; March 19, 1920 – January 27, 2007) was an American character actor. He is best remembered for his law-enforcement roles as Captain Adam Greer and Lieutenant Johnny Russo in two ABC crime drama television series: The Mod Squad, and The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor, respectively. Early life Andrews was born Tiger Androwas in Brooklyn, New York, one of ten children to Selma (née Shaleesh; ) and George E. Andrews, who immigrated from what is now Syria and Lebanon.His family's surname was originally "Androwas". His parents, following Syrian custom, named him after a strong animal to ensure good health. His mother died when he was three years old, and his father later remarried. Andrews moved with his family to Middlesex, New Jersey, where Andrews graduated from Bound Brook High School. His father was in the fruit business, and Andrews worked for his father. Andrews attended classes for a time at the University of Beirut medical school. During World War II, Andrews served with the United States Army's 45th Infantry Division, rising to the rank of second lieutenant. He was medically discharged in 1944 for injuries sustained when his ship sunk in the Mediterranean. He graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York in 1946. Career After graduating from the Academy, Andrews made his Broadway debut in the play Hidden Horizons, in which he used his Syrian background to speak Arabic. He then appeared in the original 1948 cast of Thomas Heggen and Joshua Logan's war comedy Mister Roberts, in which he played the roles of Schlemmer and Insigna. He changed his stage name from "Tiger" to "Tige" in 1954.