Ed Nelson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Edwin Stafford Nelson (born December 21, 1928) is an American actor.
Nelson has appeared in numerous television shows, more than fifty motion pictures, and hundreds of stage productions. Until 2005, he was teaching acting and screenwriting in his native New Orleans at two local universities there. Hurricane Katrina prompted him to move his family to Sterlington near Monroe in Ouachita Parish in northeastern Louisiana.
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.
He portrayed a dangerous impostor in the adventure movie For the Love of Benji (1977).
During the 1980s, Nelson took on the role of Senator Mark Denning in the daytime soap Capitol.
Nelson also spent a couple of years as Harry Truman onstage replacing James Whitmore for the National Tour of "Give 'Em Hell, Harry."
While living in Los Angeles, Nelson was an active member of the Screen Actors Guild and was elected to the union board for many years. Nelson is a long-standing member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and continues a long tradition of participation in voting for the Academy Awards.
In 1999, Nelson returned to Tulane University to finish credits toward his undergraduate degree, which he completed the following year at the age of seventy-one. Nelson continues to act as the opportunity arises. He and his wife of fifty-eight years, Patsy, enjoy semi-retirement visiting his six children and fourteen grandchildren.
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Acted in
Runaway Jury
2003
as George Dressler
Who Am I?
1998
as General Sharman
Cries of Silence
1996
as Dr. August Claiborne
The Boneyard
1991
as Jersey Callum
Deadly Weapon
1989
as General Stone
Jake and the Fatman
1987
as D.A. Marcus Packard
J.J. Starbuck
1987
Sworn to Silence
1987
as Victor Handler
Police Academy 3: Back in Training
1986
as Governor Neilson
MacGyver
1985
as Arthur Bandel
Peyton Place: The Next Generation
1985
as Dr. Michael Rossi
Murder, She Wrote
1984
as Raymond 'Ray' Bascomb
Murder, She Wrote
1984
as Judge Willard Clinton
Murder, She Wrote
1984
as Henry Post
Murder, She Wrote
1984
as Mayor Albert Simpson
Murder, She Wrote
1984
as Carl Turnball
Finder of Lost Loves
1984
as Bill Garnett
Matt Houston
1982
Hotel
1982
Capitol
1982
Cagney & Lacey
1982
as Sgt. Steingrove
Help Wanted: Male
1982
as George Dobbs
Born to Be Sold
1981
as Carl Strickland
Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb
1980
as President Harry S. Truman
The Return of Frank Cannon
1980
as Mike Danvers
The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything
1980
as Joseph Locordolos
Hagen
1980
Trapper John, M.D.
1979
Anatomy of a Seduction
1979
as Mark Kane
Doctors' Private Lives
1979
The Crash of Flight 401
1978
as Philip Mulwray
Vega$
1978
Leave Yesterday Behind
1978
as Mr. Clarkson
Dallas
1978
as Jeb Amos
Doctors' Private Lives
1978
as Dr. Mike Wise
Superdome
1978
as George Beldridge
Murder in Peyton Place
1977
as Dr. Michael Rossi
Lou Grant
1977
Logan's Run
1977
CHiPs
1977
For the Love of Benji
1977
as Chandler Dietrich
Gibbsville
1976
Quincy, M.E.
1976
Charlie's Angels
1976
as George Starrett
Midway
1976
as Admiral Harry Pearson
Acapulco Gold
1976
as Ray Hollister
The Bionic Woman
1976
Riding with Death
1976
as Robert Denby
That's the Way of the World
1975
as Carlton James
The Missing Are Deadly
1975
Airport 1975
1974
as Major John Alexander
Police Woman
1974
The Rockford Files
1974
as Edgar 'Bud' Clement
The Rockford Files
1974
as Blake Sternlight
Police Headquarters
1974
as Lt. Calvin Zenger
Houston, We've Got a Problem
1974
as Gene Kranz, Flight Director
Linda
1973
as Paul Reston
Runaway!
1973
as Nick Staffo
Barnaby Jones
1973
as Larry Kinner
Time to Run
1973
as Warren Cole
Kung Fu
1972
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
Search
1972
Banacek
1972
as Geoff Holden
The Screaming Woman
1972
as Carl Nesbitt
The Sixth Sense
1972
Brink of Disaster!
1972
A Little Game
1971
as Paul Hamilton
Cannon
1971
Alias Smith and Jones
1971
Night Gallery
1970
as Tom Burke (segment “Little Girl Lost”)
The Silent Force
1970
Along Came a Spider
1970
as Dr. Martin Becker
Medical Center
1969
as Hank
The Mod Squad
1968
Adam-12
1968
as Abe Strayhorn
Ironside
1967
Mission: Impossible
1966
The F.B.I.
1965
as Walter Swenson
The F.B.I.
1965
as Hamilton
Peyton Place
1964
as Michael Rossi
The Man from Galveston
1963
as Cole Marteen
Soldier in the Rain
1963
as James Priest
Redigo
1963
Channing
1963
as Deke Allison
The Fugitive
1963
as Paul Clements
The Fugitive
1963
as Steve Edson
The Outer Limits
1963
as Col. Luke Stone
Arrest and Trial
1963
The Dakotas
1963
The Gallant Men
1962
Stoney Burke
1962
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1962
as Alex Trevor
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1962
as Tom Keller
The Virginian
1962
as Ralph Slocum
Saints and Sinners
1962
as Ray
Sam Benedict
1962
Judgment at Nuremberg
1961
as Captain at Nightclub Announcing Call-up of Officers (uncredited)
The New Breed
1961
as Jefty Bright
The New Breed
1961
as Roger Sykes
Dr. Kildare
1961
as Dr. Keith Judge
87th Precinct
1961
Devil's Partner
1961
as Nick Richards / Pete Jensen
Cain's Hundred
1961
as Peter Stull
The Fatal Impulse
1960
as Brundage
Surfside 6
1960
Checkmate
1960
as Gil Stoneham
Checkmate
1960
as Chuck Palmer
The Aquanauts
1960
as Chris Garland
Thriller
1960
as Brundage
Thriller
1960
as Charlie
Thriller
1960
as Tom Ellison / Daniel Le Jean
The Tall Man
1960
Coronado 9
1960
Code of Silence
1960
Valley of the Redwoods
1960
as Dino Michaelis
A Bucket of Blood
1959
as Art Lacroix
T-Bird Gang
1959
as Alex Hendricks
The Detectives
1959
The Rebel
1959
as Chad
The Rebel
1959
as Doug
The Rebel
1959
as The Stalker
The Rebel
1959
as Clint Mowbree
Johnny Ringo
1959
as Kirk
The Twilight Zone
1959
as Philip Redfield
Johnny Ringo
1959
as Tomstedter
Laramie
1959
as Sable
Riverboat
1959
as Jim Tyler
Tightrope
1959
The Young Captives
1959
as Norm Britt
I, Mobster
1959
as Sid - Henchman (uncredited)
Black Saddle
1959
as Lee Coogan
Black Saddle
1959
as Roy Corey
Rawhide
1959
as Lt. Cory Clemens
Rawhide
1959
as Sam Weber
Rawhide
1959
as Chuck Whittaker
77 Sunset Strip
1958
Bat Masterson
1958
as Jedrow
Bat Masterson
1958
as Browder
The Rifleman
1958
The Brain Eaters
1958
as Dr. Paul Kettering
The Cry Baby Killer
1958
as Rick Connor
Night of the Blood Beast
1958
as Dave Randall
She Gods of Shark Reef
1958
as Guard (uncredited)
Teenage Cave Man
1958
as Blonde Tribe Member
Tombstone Territory
1957
as Cowboy
Harbor Command
1957
Maverick
1957
Maverick
1957
as 2nd Classmate (uncredited)
Perry Mason
1957
as Ward Nichols
Perry Mason
1957
as Dirk Blake
M Squad
1957
as Lenny Maston
Teenage Doll
1957
as Police Officer 'Dutch' / Blind Man
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957
Carnival Rock
1957
as Cannon
Invasion of the Saucer-Men
1957
as Tom
Bayou
1957
as Etienne (as Edwin Nelson)
Rock All Night
1957
as Pete
Attack of the Crab Monsters
1957
as Ensign Quinlan
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
as Nelson
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
as Jack Bowen
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
as Albie
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
as Tantasi
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
as Vince Harwell
Swamp Women
1956
as Police Sergeant
Highway Patrol
1955
Gunsmoke
1955
as Lee Prentice
Gunsmoke
1955
as Rusk
Gunsmoke
1955
as Perce
Gunsmoke
1955
as Seth
Gunsmoke
1955
as Burt Cury
Gunsmoke
1955
as Tom
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
1955
New Orleans Uncensored
1955
as Charlie