David Newell

David Alexander Newell (born November 24, 1938) is an American television actor known primarily for his portrayal of Mr. McFeely, the delivery man on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and worked in the public relations department of Fred Rogers Productions. His character's most famous catchphrase was "Speedy Delivery!" He toured the country until he retired in 2015, promoting Mister Rogers' Neighborhood as Mr. McFeely.[1]

For other uses, see David Newell (disambiguation).
David Newell
Newell in 2015
Born
David Alexander Newell

(1938-11-24) November 24, 1938
O'Hara Township, Pennsylvania, United States
OccupationActor
Years active1968–present

Life

Newell was born in O'Hara Township, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh,[2] he was the director of public relations for Fred Rogers Productions. Newell still resides in O'Hara Township with his wife Nan. They have a daughter, Catherine; two sons, Taylor and Alex; and four grandchildren.[3]

Career

Newell began his acting career at a theatre school known as the Pittsburgh Playhouse. Through connections made there, he eventually met Fred Rogers. Newell was originally hired onto the show as a public relations manager, but Rogers also cast him in the role of Mr. McFeely. As a result, he and Rogers became lifelong friends until Rogers' death in 2003.[4]

A documentary feature about Newell entitled Speedy Delivery, which chronicles his travels around the world as Mr. McFeely, debuted on public television in 2008.[5][6]

An animated version of Mr. McFeely is a recurring character on the new PBS series Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Canadian actor Derek McGrath performs the voice.

In 2017, Newell appeared as a special guest on the live-action children's web series, Danny Joe's Tree House.[7]

Newell made a cameo in the Fred Rogers biopic A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.[8]

Quotes

"Working with Fred Rogers was like receiving a master’s degree in child development. Fred taught by example, and he was subtle—but suddenly you’d realize that, after working side by side with him, your knowledge base had expanded almost beyond description."[9]

"What I like about Danny Joe's Tree House is that children can interact with a live person. Danny is a big kid at heart and I think that is very helpful. In today's world where everything is virtual and robotic, here's a person giving original thoughts and ideas."[10]

References
  1. "Neighborhood News". Family Communications. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved January 16, 2008.
  2. Slattery, Holden (Fall 2008). "Speedy Delivery". Pitt Magazine. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
  3. Sheridan, Patricia (October 14, 2019). "The House Next Door: Where does Mr. McFeely get his mail?". Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  4. Speedy Delivery Film
  5. The Tartan Online : *Speedy Delivery*
  6. Yale Daily News - Music student pens Mister Rogers score
  7. "The Treehouse-Warming Present". Danny Joe's Tree House. Season 2. Episode 1. November 13, 2017. Event occurs at 0:05. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  8. AFFIRM Film (September 16, 2019). "A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD". YouTube.
  9. "Staff Bios". Family Communications. Archived from the original on November 18, 2011. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  10. Cantrell, Joann (February 6, 2018). ""Danny Joe's Tree House" Aims to Be More Than a Show". Baltimore's Child Magazine. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
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