Wiseman was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to parents Louis and Pearl Wiseman and was raised in New York City, United States. At age 16, he began performing in summer stock and became professional, which displeased his parents.
He was an alumnus of John Adams High School, Queens, New York, and was graduated June 1935, as was his Dr. No co-star, Jack Lord.
Wiseman made his Broadway debut in 1938, playing a small part in Robert E. Sherwood's Abe Lincoln in Illinois. Among the many productions he appeared in live theatre, were the title role in In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer on Broadway in 1968, and the role of Father Massieu in the original Broadway production of Joan of Lorraine, the Maxwell Anderson play which eventually became the film Joan of Arc.

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