John Houseman (born
Jacques Haussmann; September 22, 1902October 31, 1988) was a Romanian-born British-American actor and producer who became known for his highly publicized collaboration with director
Orson Welles from their days in the
Federal Theatre Project through to the production of
Citizen Kane. He is perhaps best known for his role as Professor Charles W. Kingsfield in the film
The Paper Chase (1973), for which he won the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He reprised his role as Kingsfield in the subsequent television series adaptation of
The Paper Chase. Houseman was also known for his commercials for the brokerage firm
Smith Barney. He had a distinctive
Mid-Atlantic English accent, in common with many actors of his generation.