Editing Mike Connors (section)

==Early life==
Connors was born Krekor Ohanian Jr. ({{langx|hy|Կրեկոր Օհանիան -Գրիքոր Օհանյան}}) on August 15, 1925, in [[Fresno, California]], to [[Armenians|Armenian]] parents Krekor and Alice (née Surabian; {{langx|hy|Ալիս Սուրաբյան Օհանյան}}) Ohanian. His father had escaped the [[Armenian genocide]]. They married in 1915 and had six children: Paul I (died in childhood), Paul II, Dorothy M., Arpesri A., Krekor, and Eugene.<ref name="Grode nytimes">{{cite news |last=Grode |first=Eric |title=Mike Connors, Long-Running TV Sleuth in 'Mannix', Dies at 91 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 27, 2017 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/arts/mike-connors-mannix-dies.html |access-date=January 27, 2017}}</ref> His father was an attorney and represented many Armenians who had little money and could not speak English.{{sfn|Weaver|2003|p=17}} Connors spoke three languages: [[Armenian language|Armenian]], English, and French.<ref>{{cite web |title=MANNIX: THE SECOND SEASON |last=Anderson |first=Troy |website=AndersonVision |date=December 17, 2008 |url=https://andersonvision.com/mannix-the-second-season/ |access-date=January 28, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804020004/https://andersonvision.com/mannix-the-second-season/ |archive-date=August 4, 2020}}</ref> Connors was a cousin of French-Armenian singer [[Charles Aznavour]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Mike Connors, l'interprète de Mannix est mort à l'âge de 91 ans |language=fr |work=[[La Dépêche du Midi]] |date=January 27, 2017 |url=https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2017/01/27/2505594-mike-connors-interprete-mannix-est-mort-age-91-ans.html |access-date=January 27, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Cinq infos insolites que vous ignorez (peut-être) sur Charles Aznavour |language=fr |work=[[Le Dauphiné libéré]] |date=October 1, 2018 |url=https://www.ledauphine.com/france-monde/2018/10/01/cinq-infos-insolites-que-vous-ignorez-(peut-etre)-sur-charles-aznavour |access-date=October 1, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Charles Aznavour: des amis, beaucoup d'amour et une très grande famille |language=fr |work=[[Le Figaro]] |date=October 2, 2018 |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/musique/2018/10/02/03006-20181002ARTFIG00239-charles-aznavour-des-amis-beaucoup-d-amour-et-tres-une-grande-famille.php |access-date=October 2, 2018}}</ref>

Connors was an avid basketball player in high school, nicknamed "Touch" by his teammates. During [[World War II]], he served as an enlisted man in the [[United States Army Air Forces]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Kelsey |first=Juliett |title=Famous and Formerly Enlisted |magazine=Air Force Magazine |publisher=[[Air Force Association]] |date=April 1999 |url=https://www.airandspaceforces.com/PDF/MagazineArchive/Magazine%20Documents/1999/April%201999/0499famous.pdf |access-date=May 31, 2018}}</ref> After the war, he attended the [[University of California at Los Angeles]] on both a basketball scholarship and the [[G.I. Bill]], where he played under coach [[John Wooden]]. Connors went to law school, where he studied to become an attorney, taking after his father. He was a member of the [[Phi Delta Theta]] fraternity.<ref>UCLA Yearbook (1947), pages 454–455</ref>

After a basketball game, coach [[Wilbur Johns]] introduced Connors to his friend, director [[William A. Wellman]], who liked Connors' voice and expressive face while he was playing basketball, and encouraged him to consider acting.{{sfn|Weaver|2003|p=17}} He was considered for the role of [[Tarzan]] by casting director Ruth Burch, who found him an acting coach.{{sfn|Weaver|2003|pp=17–18}}

After Connors became an actor, his agent [[Henry Willson]] thought the name "Ohanian" was too similar to the actor [[George O'Hanlon]] and gave him the stage name "Touch Connors" based on his basketball nickname. Willson considered "Connors" to be a "good all-American name."<ref>{{cite interview |interviewer=Mike Connors |title=Actor Mike Connors radio interview with Mike Connors - 2014 |work=Connors' Corner |date=May 2014 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvAdsGsonUg |access-date=January 28, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/bvAdsGsonUg |archive-date=December 22, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Connors later stated he hated the name "from day one" and considered not using his real name the only big regret of his career. After getting the starring role in ''Tightrope!'', Connors wanted to be credited as Ohanian, but [[Columbia Pictures]] told him that he had already done too much work as Connors, though he was allowed to change his first name to Mike.{{sfn|Weaver|2003|pp=19–20}}