Calvert DeForest was born …:
… July 23, 1929, presumably in New York.
Calvert’s Early Work:
p]Calvert had acted in only four films before he was discovered by Letterman’s staff, while he was working as a file clerk at a drug rehabilitation facility. He’d acted in a student film, and casting agents from Late Night searched him out and hired him to perform on the program.After his first appearance – in a spoof of the 1930s era Frankenstein – Calvert, as Larry “Bud” Melman, became a regular part of Letterman’s show.
Previously, he’d worked at the rehabilitation center as a drug counselor, a job he kept until it was made known publicly. Afterward, he retired as a counselor, but maintained his acting career.
During his stint as Larry “Bud” Melman, Calvert appeared in a number of TV shows and music videos in character, including NBC’s Wings and videos from Run DMC and The Offspring. He even introduced Nine Inch Nails at Woodstock in the early 90s.
Being Calvert DeForest:
When Letterman moved from NBC to CBS, NBC declared the name “Larry ‘Bud’ Melman” the intellectual property of the network. Letterman – and Calvert – couldn’t take it with them.
So, when Late Show debuted, Larry didn’t join the cast. But Calvert did. The character remained the same, but the name was all DeForest’s.
Heavenly Comedic:
p] Calvert died on March 19, 2007, at a hospital on Long Island after battling a long illness. He was 85. He had no survivors."Everyone always wondered if Calvert was an actor playing a character, but in reality he was just himself — a genuine, modest and nice man," Letterman said in a statement. "To our staff and to our viewers, he was a beloved and valued part of our show, and we will miss him."
Of his first Letterman appearance, Calvert once said: "It was the greatest thing that had happened in my life.
