Michael Vale, who portrayed the bleary-eyed Dunkin' Donuts mascot Fred the Baker in the chain's television commercials for 15 years, has died at 83.
The actor succumbed to complications of diabetes on Saturday at New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan, his son, Tracy Vale, told the Los Angeles Times.
Born in Brooklyn, Vale began his acting career by studying at the Dramatic Workshop in New York City alongside classmates including Tony Curtis, Ben Gazzara and Rod Steiger.
He appeared in more than 1,300 television commercials, several Broadway productions and a number of films, including 1976's Marathon Man and 1957's A Hatful of Rain, but his most notable role was undoubtedly his Dunkin' Donuts gig.
From 1982 through 1997, Vale appeared in commercials for the Canton, Massachusetts-based coffee-and-doughnut chain, delivering his trademark line--"time to make the donuts"--with an air of weary resignation as he prepared to whip up a batch of breakfast treats in the wee hours of the morning.
Once asked by Entertainment Weekly if he had ever actually made a doughnut, Vale admitted that he was not quite the pro that he seemed to be on TV.
"I'm on record as having made one," Vale said. "I didn't add the sprinkles or frosting--I was too exhausted."
He also admitted that he didn't really stick to Fred's 4 a.m. wake-up schedule as shown in the commercials, but rose closer to 8 or 9 a.m.
Vale and Dunkin' Donuts retired the character of Fred on Sept. 22, 1997 with much fanfare, including a parade in Boston and free doughnuts for an estimated 6 million customers.
Upon the actor's death, Dunkin' Donuts released a statement calling Vale "a beloved American icon that permeated our culture and touched millions with his sense of humor and humble nature."
The first Dunkin' Donuts shop opened in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1950 and gradually swelled to more than 6,000 outlets worldwide today.
In 2001, founder William Rosenberg wrote a memoir on his experiences launching the chain, which he titled Time to Make the Donuts in homage to Fred's famous line.
In addition to his son, Vale is survived by his wife, Nancy, his daughter, Ivy Vale Reil and a granddaughter, as well as legions of doughnut-loving fans.