Here’s What Happened to Actor David White Before, During and After Playing Larry Tate on ‘Bewitched’

When discussing Classic TV sitcom Bewitched, the cast members that usually come to mind are Elizabeth Montgomery (the witch Samantha Stephens), Dick York (her mortal husband, Darrin), Agnes Moorehead (Sam’s mother, Endora) and even Paul Lynde (Uncle Arthur), despite the fact he only appeared in 11 episodes. And then there’s the man who should come to mind, but doesn’t always: David White, who played Darrin’s boss, Larry Tate, in 191 out of the 254 episodes produced.

In an interview with Herbie J Pilato, author of The Essential Elizabeth Montgomery: A Guide to Her Magical Performances and Twitch Upon a Star: The Bewitched Life and Career of Elizabeth Montgomery, David White commented, “I got the part because I was an honest man, and that’s how Larry and I were different. I’m not two-faced, and he was. I had more integrity than Larry ever had. I was smarter and had a deeper sense of values. I had to diminish who I was to play Larry, whom I viewed as a very insecure person who only had a certain brilliance in certain areas. He was smart enough to hire people who possessed the skills he did not, like Darrin.”

Herbie offers in an exclusive interview, “First and foremost, he was beloved by both Elizabeth and her husband, producer Bill Asher, who called his comic timing ‘quicksilver.’ And while he adored Elizabeth in return, he always felt slighted by Bill Asher, who he said would give him a hard time. For example, the opening credits of the show. David felt his name should have been included in the credits, either before or after Angnes Moorehead’s credit as Endora. And that finally happened in the last season or so, but he had wanted it there from the beginning.”

David himself began on April 4, 1916 in Denver, Colorado, his family eventually moving to Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Los Angeles City College and got his early acting experience at the Pasadena Playhouse and the Cleveland Play House. During World War II he became a part of the United States Marine Corps, after which he made his Broadway debut in the 1949 play Leaf and Bough. He returned in 1950’s The Birdcage, followed by 1953’ The Pink Elephant, 1955’s A Roomful of Roses and 1957’s Romanoff and Juliet.

For much more on David and Bewitched, please scroll down.