John Anderson (actor)

John Anderson
Anderson in The Virginian in the 1960s
Born John Robert Anderson
(1922-10-20)October 20, 1922
Clayton, Illinois, U.S.
Died August 7, 1992(1992-08-07) (aged 69)
Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.
Occupation Actor, film director
Years active 1950–1992

John Robert Anderson (October 20, 1922 – August 7, 1992) was an American character actor.

Life and career

Anderson was born and raised in Quincy, Illinois. Anderson served in the United States Coast Guard during World War II, where he met artist Orazio Fumagalli,[1] who became his lifelong friend. Anderson held a master's degree in drama from the University of Iowa.[2]

An accomplished actor, Anderson started out on Broadway, including an appearance in the musical Paint Your Wagon in 1951.[3] He later worked primarily in film and television.

Standing 6 ft 2 in tall (188 cm), he bore a strong resemblance to U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, whom he portrayed three times. He appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) as "California Charlie", the used car salesman who helps Marion Crane (Janet Leigh). On television, he appeared in such series as The Rockford Files, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre, Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, Laramie, Have Gun – Will Travel , The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Virginian, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, The Californians, Johnny Ringo, Little House on the Prairie, Trackdown, The Big Valley, Tales of Wells Fargo, Emergency!, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (episode "Cradle Of The Deep") and Outlaws.[4][5]

Anderson appeared in The Rat Patrol (four times, three as the same character). He made three guest appearances on Perry Mason, including in the role of defendant George Andrews in the 1959 episode "The Case of the Calendar Girl" and also, in 1959, as Bud Ferand in “The Case of the Bartered Bikini”, and as murderer Dan O'Malley in the 1963 episode "The Case of the Greek Goddess". He also appeared in Overland Trail, The Tall Man, and The Legend of Jesse James. He played an eccentric farmer who jealously guarded his prize watermelon with a shotgun in "For the Love of Willadean: A Taste of Melon", part of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color.[6]

Anderson had a recurring role in MacGyver as Harry Jackson, MacGyver's grandfather. Other credits include: Man Without a Gun, Hawaii Five-O, M*A*S*H, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Once an Eagle, Rich Man, Poor Man Book II, Backstairs at the White House, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Dallas. A recurring Twilight Zone actor, he appeared in four different episodes: "The Old Man in the Cave", "Of Late I Think of Cliffordville", "The Odyssey of Flight 33", and "A Passage for Trumpet".[7] He was also The Interrogator on an episode of The Outer Limits titled "Nightmare".

Personal life

Anderson was married to Patricia Ann Cason until her death on 18 February 1989.

Anderson suffered a fatal heart attack at his home in Sherman Oaks, California.[2] He was cremated and his ashes were taken out to sea as part of his membership in the Neptune Society.

Body of work

Partial filmography

References

  1. ↑ "Orazio Fumagalli", focusonthemasters.com; accessed May 15, 2015.
  2. 1 2 "John Anderson Dies; Character Actor, 69", New York Times, August 10, 1992
  3. ↑ John Anderson at Internet Broadway Database
  4. ↑ "Zane Grey Theatre: "Rebel Ranger", December 3, 1959". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Laramie: "The Violent Ones", March 5, 1963". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
  6. ↑ For the Love of Willadean: A Taste of Melon Poster, imdb.com; accessed May 15, 2015.
  7. ↑ "A Passage for Trumpet", tv.com; accessed May 15, 2015.
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