Actor. He is best remembered for his portrayal of the staunch Ed Willis in "The Boston Strangler" (1968). After serving in the United States Army during World War II, he began his career as an actor appearing as a leading man in stock companies. While appearing in a stage production of "Dinner at Eight", he was discovered by a talent scout who brought him out to California for several screen and vocal tests. Upon being reviewed by director Edward Dmytryk, he was so impressed by his distinctive voice, mature appearance, and average size, that he arranged for him to begin a career in the film industry beginning with him being under his supervision per a supporting role in "Till the End of Time" (1946). From there, he would go on to flourish as a notable character actor appearing in over 100 features; often typecast as husbands, fathers, curmudgeons, landlords, neighbors, policemen, authority figures, detectives, reporters, aristocrats, bartenders, eccentrics, cowboys, sheriffs, blue-collared guys, businessmen, wealthy bachelors, sugar daddies, and patriarchs. He appeared in such feature films as "Butterfield 8" (1960), "The Last Time I Saw Paris" (1961), "A Distant Trumpet" (1964), "A Time for Killing" (1967), "The Secret War of Harry Frigg" (1968), "Walking Tall" (1973), "Herbie Rides Again" (1974), "Zebra Force" (1976), and "The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again" (1979). On television, he became an even more familiar face appearing in such syndicated sitcoms as "The Gallant Men," "Route 66," "Naked City," "Armstrong Circle Theatre," "77 Sunset Strip," "Temple Houston," "Rawhide," "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," "Mister Roberts," "F Troop," "That Girl," "The Green Hornet," "Daniel Boone," "The Andy Griffith Show," "I Dream of Jeannie," "Gunsmoke," "Lancer," "The Odd Couple," "Arnie," "My Three Sons," "Mod Squad," "Alias Smith and Jones," "Love, American Style," "The Partridge Family," "Bonanza," "Bewitched," "Emergency!," "Cannon," "Ironside," "Police Story," "M*A*S*H," "Chico and the Man," "Kojak," "Switch," "The Blue Knight," "One Day at a Time," "The Winds of War," "CPO Sharkey," "Dragnet," "Night Rider," and "A Family for Joe". During his career, he was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, was supportive of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, was a licensed office for the New York City Police Department, had been a regular parishioner of the Catholic church, was a member of the Hollywood Democratic Committee, had been a theatrical instructor for the Pasadena Playhouse, was the celebrity spokesman for 76 Gasoline Stations, had been one of the founding members of the Canyon Theatre Guild, and he was married to actress Pegeen Rose from 1958 to 1968 (their union ended in divorce and produced five children). Following his retirement in 1990, he spent the final years of his life being a regular attendee at autograph conventions, as well as partaking in charitable and religious causes, until his death.