Trivia

Had an IQ of 178.

In the 60s, encouraged by actor Roddy McDowall, he and actress Phoebe Dorin formed a slightly bizarre but popular New York song-and-comedy nightclub act, which eventually led to their being cast on TV's The Wild Wild West (1965) as evil Dr. Loveless and his assistant, Antoinette.

Michael Dunn was buried in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, by his parents, as they thought they would be moving there; however, they both died in their native state of Oklahoma and were buried in Sunset Memorial Park in Norman, Oklahoma. In July of 2007, three of Dunn's cousins, his closest living kin, were able to have his remains moved from Florida to Oklahoma, where he was buried in the same cemetery as his parents.

Was a concert pianist at age 15, until he suffered from chondrodystrophy, crippling his elbows and ruining his career as a pianist. He then took up acting.

Rumors of suicide have been unfounded. He did develop an acute alcohol problem and liver cirrhosis probably hastened his early death. The general consensus is that he died of heart failure in his sleep as a result of the disease.

A photograph of Dunn in his role as Mr. Big in the original series Get Smart (1965) appears during the opening credits of Get Smart (2008).

Chondrodystrophy (i.e. cartilage maldevelopment) that defined Dunn's physiology refers to a skeletal condition caused by one of myriad genetic reasons that can affect the cartilage resulting thus a form of dwarfism.

Was nominated for Broadway's 1964 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic) for "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe."

Phoebe Dorin, Dunn's singing partner and The Wild Wild West (1965) co-star, is extensively interviewed about their relationship in Tom Weaver's book "Science Fiction Confidential" (McFarland & Co., 2002).

As of 2025, Michael Dunn is the first and only dwarf actor to be nominated for an Academy Award.

Spinal deformities, including scoliosis, caused a distorted rib cage that restricted Dunn's lung growth and function. The resulting respiratory insufficiency caused overload of the heart's right chambers, a chronic condition called cor pulmonale. He died in his sleep in his room at the Cadogan Hotel, Chelsea, London, on August 30, 1973, while on location for "The Abdication." He was 38 years old.