Actor Leighton Dies

American character actor JAN LEIGHTON has died, aged 87.

Leighton - who impersonated historical figures including William Shakespeare, Christopher Columbus and late Hollywood actor Clark Gable on U.S. television and film - died on 16 November (09) of complications after a stroke.

He made his Broadway debut alongside Lucille Ball in 1960 musical Wildcat. In one of his most notable film roles, Leighton played Albert Einstein in a 1982 sci-fi comedy, Zapped!

In 1985, he won a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records after notching up over 2,407 roles on his resume.

In addition to doing character work, Leighton was also a hand model. He also did a number of voiceovers and also co-authored two books with his daughter, Hallie.