American Actor and Activist. Schallert was a prolific character actor with nearly 400 acting credits spanning eight decades. He made his film debut in an uncredited role in 'The Foxes of Harrow' (1947) and subsequently appeared in small roles in "Mighty Joe Young" (1949), "The Red Badge of Courage" (1951), and "Singin' in the Rain" (1952). During the 1950s, he had roles in classic science fiction films including "The Man from Planet X" (1951), "Them!" (1954), and "The Incredible Shrinking Man" (1957). Although he appeared in dozens of television series and made-for-TV movies such as "Leave It to Beaver," "The Twilight Zone," "Dr. Kildare," "The Wild, Wild West," "Melrose Place," "True Blood," and "Desperate Housewives," he will best be remembered for his role as Patty Duke's father and uncle in "The Patty Duke Show," which aired from 1963 to 1966. He served as President of the Screen Actors Guild from 1979 to 1981, a bitter period in its history highlighted by a protracted 1980 strike over rates and residuals for cable and satellite television and home video. When he ran for re-election in 1981, he was defeated by Edward Asner; however in 1993, Schallert received the Ralph Morgan Award for service to the Guild. He also founded the Committee for Performers with Disabilities. In 2004, Schallert placed No. 39 on the list of TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Dads for his role as Martin Lane on "The Patty Duke Show." He died of natural causes.
American Actor and Activist. Schallert was a prolific character actor with nearly 400 acting credits spanning eight decades. He made his film debut in an uncredited role in 'The Foxes of Harrow' (1947) and subsequently appeared in small roles in "Mighty Joe Young" (1949), "The Red Badge of Courage" (1951), and "Singin' in the Rain" (1952). During the 1950s, he had roles in classic science fiction films including "The Man from Planet X" (1951), "Them!" (1954), and "The Incredible Shrinking Man" (1957). Although he appeared in dozens of television series and made-for-TV movies such as "Leave It to Beaver," "The Twilight Zone," "Dr. Kildare," "The Wild, Wild West," "Melrose Place," "True Blood," and "Desperate Housewives," he will best be remembered for his role as Patty Duke's father and uncle in "The Patty Duke Show," which aired from 1963 to 1966. He served as President of the Screen Actors Guild from 1979 to 1981, a bitter period in its history highlighted by a protracted 1980 strike over rates and residuals for cable and satellite television and home video. When he ran for re-election in 1981, he was defeated by Edward Asner; however in 1993, Schallert received the Ralph Morgan Award for service to the Guild. He also founded the Committee for Performers with Disabilities. In 2004, Schallert placed No. 39 on the list of TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Dads for his role as Martin Lane on "The Patty Duke Show." He died of natural causes.
Bio by: Louis du Mort
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