Wally Cox
Known For
Acting
Born
1924-12-06 in Detroit, Michigan, USA
Died
1973-02-15
Biography
Wally Cox was a beloved character actor who made his mark in television and ranks as one of the medium's most memorable performers. His ability to show his range likely was limited by his short stature, slight frame, and high-pitched voice, which along with his talent for being very funny, made him ideal for comedy parts such as his memorable turn as Professor P. Caspar Biddle in "The Bird-Watchers" episode of The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) in 1966. His television persona was that of a shy, timid man in horn-rimed glasses who spoke in a tentative, though distinctly enunciated, voice. It was a persona that his long-time friend Marlon Brando said was completely at odds with the real man. Cox always will be remembered as the eponymous "Mr. Peepers" and the voice of "Underdog," but he was an actor of wider talents seldom used by the industry, as can be seen in his turns as the sonar operator in The Bedford Incident (1965) and as the potential suicide Wally Haverstraw in The Bill Cosby Show (1969) episode "Goodbye, Cruel World" in 1970. Dying unexpectedly on February 15, 1973, from what some newspapers described as an accidental overdose of sedatives but which Marlon Brando in his autobiography said was a heart attack, Wally Cox's cremated remains were kept hidden in a closet by his old friend for three decades. According to Brando's son Miko, both his father's and Cox's ashes were scattered at the same time in Death Valley, California, in a ceremony following Brando's death, thus reuniting the lifetime friends.
Most Known For
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self
The Mike Douglas Show
as Self
Mission: Impossible
as Terry Targo
The Twilight Zone
as James Elwood
What's My Line?
as Self - Panelist
What's My Line?
as Self
Get Smart
as TV Repairman (uncredited)
The Dick Cavett Show
as Self - Guest
The Merv Griffin Show
as Self
The Dick Van Dyke Show
Wagon Train
as Vincent Eaglewood
Lost in Space
as Tiabo
The Beverly Hillbillies
as Professor P. Caspar Biddle
Love, American Style
as Peter
The Odd Couple
as Mr. Fegivney
Night Gallery
The Lucy Show
as Harold Tuttle
The Colgate Comedy Hour
as Self
Matinee Theater
The Steve Allen Show
as Self