Ed Nelson
Known For
Acting
Born
1928-12-21 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Died
2014-08-09
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Edwin Stafford Nelson (December 21, 1928 – August 9, 2014) was an American actor. Nelson began acting while attending Tulane University in New Orleans. He left college after two years to study at the New York School of Radio and Television Technique. After graduating, he took a position as a director at WDSU-TV in New Orleans. By 1956, acting became his central focus and he moved to the Los Angeles area. Early in his career he worked with famed B-movie producer Roger Corman on such Corman films as Cry Baby Killers, A Bucket of Blood, Teenage Cave Man and Attack of the Crab Monsters. In 1958 he participated in Bruno VeSota's science fiction horror film The Brain Eaters. His early television career featured many guest starring roles in such series as The Fugitive, Gunsmoke, Harbor Command, Tombstone Territory, Tightrope, The Blue Angels (as arrogant flight instructor Lieutenant Dayl Martin), Laramie, COronado 9, The Eleventh Hour, Bonanza, Thriller (US TV series), and Channing, an ABC drama about college life. In 1964 he won his most famous role portraying Dr. Michael Rossi on the ABC drama Peyton Place, which ran from 1964 to 1969. Nelson's fellow cast members included Mia Farrow, Ryan O'Neal, and Dorothy Malone. Dr. Rossi proved to be so popular that by 1968, he became the lead actor on the show. Nelson reprised his role in two made-for-TV movies, Murder in Peyton Place and Peyton Place: The Next Generation. After Peyton Place ended, Nelson worked in many more productions of all varieties, including starring role in many movies of the week, a second TV series, "The Silent Force," and a popular morning talk show which he hosted for three years. Soon after, Nelson struck gold with his critically acclaimed portrayal of elusive pit crew chief Robert Denby in the hit film Riding with Death (1976), earning him several prestigious accolades and legions of devoted fans.
Most Known For
Perry Mason
as Ward Nichols
Perry Mason
as Dirk Blake
Murder, She Wrote
as Raymond 'Ray' Bascomb
Murder, She Wrote
as Judge Willard Clinton
Murder, She Wrote
as Henry Post
Murder, She Wrote
as Mayor Albert Simpson
Murder, She Wrote
as Carl Turnball
MacGyver
as Arthur Bandel
Mission: Impossible
as Van Cleve
The Twilight Zone
as Philip Redfield
Dallas
as Jeb Amos
The Rockford Files
as Edgar 'Bud' Clement
The Rockford Files
as Blake Sternlight
The Fugitive
as Paul Clements
The Fugitive
as Steve Edson
Adam-12
as Abe Strayhorn
Charlie's Angels
as George Starrett
Ironside
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
as Tom Keller
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
as Alex Trevor