After his footwork years during which he earned bronze, silver and gold medals in stage dancing, he performed in London, Scotland, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

[4] Many plays in summer stock, regional, and off-Broadway followed in a variety of theatrical offerings, from revues to Shakespeare (in a particularly low period, he worked as a magician's assistant for $10 a performance).

In 1957, he was drafted into the United States Army and stationed in West Germany as part of Special Services,[5] where he directed the continental premiere of Separate Tables.

He received awards [clarification needed] for his work in Sweet Prince with Keir Dullea; Teeth 'N'smiles; A Doll's House with Linda Purl; and The Arcata Promise, opposite Anthony Hopkins.

During Celebration VI, Filoni mentioned that before his death, Abercrombie recorded for most of season five as the character, but did not finish, so actor Tim Curry was brought in to voice Palpatine.

[citation needed] Abercrombie died from kidney failure in Los Angeles, California at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on 26 January 2012, twenty days after the Wizards of Waverly Place finale.