Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Vale was dubbed "the actor" by his childhood friends because of his ability to imitate ballplayers and celebrities.

[citation needed] After serving in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in Europe during World War II, he studied at the Dramatic Workshop at The New School with classmates Tony Curtis, Ben Gazzara, and Rod Steiger.

[1] One of his earliest appearances was in a summer stock production of George Bernard Shaw's Androcles and the Lion.

He was told that another actor was to be cast in the role of the baker, but was encouraged to come to the audition anyway in case he was needed as an extra.

[3] On his death in 2005, Dunkin' Donuts released a statement, noting that Fred the Baker "became a beloved American icon that permeated our culture and touched millions with his sense of humor and humble nature.