George Gaynes was born George Jongejans in Helsinki, Finland, on May 16, 1917, to Iya Grigorievna de Gay, a Russian artist later known as Lady Iya Abny, and Gerrit Jongejans, a Dutch businessman. His uncle was the actor Gregory Gaye, who played a Nazi Reichsbank official in “Casablanca.”

Raised in France, England and Switzerland, George was introduced to opera by his mother’s friend, the Russian basso Feodor Chaliapin. He studied in Milan and performed in Italy and France. But his career was interrupted by World War II. He crossed the Pyrenees and was interned in Spain for three months. After being released, he went to Britain and enlisted in the Royal Dutch Navy for the duration.