Edward Paul Flanders (December 29, 1934 – February 22, 1995) was an American actor. He is best known for playing Dr. Donald Westphall in the medical drama series ''

St. Elsewhere ''St. Elsewhere'' was an American medical drama television series created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey, that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982, to May 25, 1988. The series stars Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd, and William Daniels as ...

'' (1982–1988). Flanders was nominated for eight Primetime Emmys and won three times in 1976, 1977, and 1983. He received a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

and a

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

for his performance in the 1973 production of '' A Moon for the Misbegotten''.

Early life

Flanders was born in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with list of lakes in Minneapolis, thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. ...

, Minnesota, the son of Bernice (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth ...

Brown) and Francis Michael Grey Flanders. His mother was killed in an automobile accident when he was 14. After graduating from Patrick Henry High School (where he played hockey) in 1952, he enlisted in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

, where he served as an X-ray technician.

Early career

After his service with the United States Army ended, Flanders began his acting career on Broadway before moving on to guest parts in television series. From 1967 through 1975, Flanders appeared in more than a dozen American TV shows, including six appearances on '' Hawaii Five-O'' (as five different characters). During this time, he was also prolific in TV movies. He married actress Ellen Geer, with whom he had a son, Ian Flanders (born 1966) before they divorced. In the late 1970s, Flanders moved away from small TV roles to take major credits in both TV and feature films, while continuing his stage career. In 1974, Flanders won a

for Best Supporting or Featured Actor in a Dramatic Presentation for '' A Moon for the Misbegotten'' by

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Nobel Prize in Literature, literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama tech ...

on Broadway. He also won an Emmy award in 1976 for the TV movie adaptation of ''A Moon for the Misbegotten''.

''St. Elsewhere''

In 1982, he began his role in ''

'' that earned him five

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

nominations as Outstanding Lead Actor in a TV Series, winning the award in 1983. After a stormy departure from the series in 1987, he returned for two more episodes in 1988, including the series finale. During a scene in which Westphall addressed the staff, Flanders began speaking extemporaneously about the quality of art and had to be edited for broadcast. Although he later returned for guest appearances, his exit on ''St. Elsewhere'' as a regular cast member was titled '' Moon for the Misbegotten'' after the play that won him a

. The episode gained much publicity as Westphall left the hospital after "mooning" his new boss, Dr. John Gideon (played by Ronny Cox). Flanders continued his working relationship with executive producer Bruce Paltrow in the short-lived 1994 CBS series '' The Road Home''.

Notable roles

In addition to his six-year role as Dr. Donald Westphall, Flanders is noted as the actor who has played President

Harry Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Frankli ...

more times, and in more separate productions, than any other. He portrayed Truman at the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

and during the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top: ...

in ''Truman at Potsdam'', ''Harry S. Truman: Plain Speaking'', and ''MacArthur''. In ''MacArthur'', Flanders had second billing to

Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...

's lead as General Douglas MacArthur. In feature films, Flanders performed major roles in two dark movies based on novels by William Peter Blatty. In the first, '' The Ninth Configuration'' (1980), he plays Col. Richard Fell, a self-effacing medic at a secret U.S. Army psychiatric facility who assists Marine psychiatrist Col. Vincent Kane ( Stacy Keach). The film was based on Blatty's 1978 novel of the same name, itself a reworking of his earlier, darkly satirical novel ''Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane'' (1966). In 1990, Flanders played Father Dyer alongside star George C. Scott in Blatty's ''

The Exorcist III ''The Exorcist III'' is a 1990 American psychological horror film written and directed by William Peter Blatty. It is the third installment in the ''Exorcist'' series, an adaptation of Blatty's ''Exorcist'' novel '' Legion'' (1983), and the ...

'' based on the novel '' Legion''. One of Flanders's best-remembered TV guest roles was in the first season ''

M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker (auth ...

'' episode "

Yankee Doodle Doctor "Yankee Doodle Doctor" is an episode of the television series ''M*A*S*H''. It was the sixth episode broadcast and aired on October 22, 1972, and it was rerun April 8, 1973. It was written by Laurence Marks and directed by Lee Philips. Guest cast ...

", playing film director Lt. Duane William Bricker, who is making a documentary about M*A*S*H units and visits the 4077th. After Hawkeye and Trapper sabotage his effort, Bricker abandons the project and leaves. Flanders also played nationally known journalist William Allen White in the 1977 made-for-TV movie '' Mary White''. This movie was based on the famous eulogy White wrote about his daughter after her death in 1922 due to a blow to the head while riding her horse. He also appeared in the 1979 made-for-TV-horror-miniseries '' Salem's Lot'' as Dr. Bill Norton. He also played news anchor John Woodley in the 1983 made-for-TV suspense drama '' Special Bulletin'', about a group of environmentalists who threaten to detonate a nuclear weapon in Charleston, South Carolina.

Later life and death

After three divorces, chronic pain from a back injury sustained in an automobile accident in 1989, and a lifelong battle with depression, Flanders died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on February 22, 1995, in Denny, California at the age of 60. No suicide note was found, and his remains were cremated.

Filmography

Television

*1967: '' Cimarron Strip'' (episode: "The Roarer") as Arliss Blynn *1969: ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the w ...

'' (episode: "The Traitor") as Lackland *1971: ''

The Name of the Game Name of the Game may refer to: Television * ''The Name of the Game'' (TV series), a 1968–1971 American drama ** ''Fame Is the Name of the Game'', a 1966 American television film and pilot for the series * "The Name of the Game" (''Grey's Anato ...

'' (episode: "Beware of the Watchdog") as Lazlo Subich *1971: ''Travis Logan D.A.'' as Psychiatrist *1971: '' Bearcats!'' (episode: "The Hostage") as Ben Tillman *1971: '' Goodbye, Raggedy Ann'' (TV movie) as David Bevin *1971: '' McMillan & Wife'' (episode: "Husbands, Wives and Killers") as Tom Benton *1971: '' Mission Impossible'' (episode: "Blues") as Joe Belker *1972: ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that ran from 1967 to 1975 on CBS. It was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller. The title character, Joe Mannix, is a private in ...

'' (episode: "A Walk in the Shadows") as Tom Farnom *1972: '' Nichols'' a.k.a. ''James Garner as Nichols'' (episode: "Fight of the Century") *1972: '' Cade's County'' (episode: "The Fake") as Ben Crawford *1972: '' Ironside'' (episode: "Five days in the Death of Sgt. Brown: Part 1") as Phil McIver *1972: '' The Bold Ones: The New Doctors'' a.k.a. ''

The New Doctors ''The Bold Ones: The New Doctors'' (also known as ''The New Doctors'') is an American medical drama that lasted for four seasons on NBC, from 1969 to 1973. Overview The series focuses on the life of Dr. David Craig (E. G. Marshall), an extreme ...

'' (episode: "Five Days in the Death of Sgt Brown: Part II") as Phil McIver *1972: ''

'' (episode: "

") as Lt Dwayne Bricker *1972: '' Banyon'' (episode: "Just Once") as Sergeant Randall *1973: '' Kung Fu'' (episode: "The Salamander") as Alonzo Davis *1973: '' Marcus Welby, M.D.'' a.k.a. '' Robert Young, Family Doctor'' (episode: "The Comeback") as Magruder *1974: '' Barnaby Jones'' (episode: "Death on Deposit") as "Doc" Fred Tucker *1969–1975: '' Hawaii Five-O'' (6 episodes): **1969 "Up Tight" as David Stone **1970 "Three Dead Cows at Makapuu" (2-part episode) as Dr Alexander Kline **1970 "The Guarnerius Caper" as Dmitri Rostov **1972 "While You're at It, Bring in the Moon" as Byers **1974 "One Born Every Minute" as Joe Connors **1975 "And the Horse Jumped Over the Moon" as Bernie Ross *1975: ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. ...

'' (episode: "Mary's Father") as Father Terrance Brian *1975: '' The Legend of Lizzie Borden'' as Hosea Knowlton *1975: '' Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan'' as Justice Department attorney Ralph Paine *1976: '' Hallmark Hall of Fame'' (episode: "Truman at Potsdam") as President Harry S Truman *1979: '' Backstairs at the White House'' (episodes 1.1, 1.2 and 1.4) as President

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a Republican lawyer from New England who climbed up the ladder of Ma ...

*1979: '' Blind Ambition'' (TV mini-series) as Charles Shaffer *1979: '' Salem's Lot'' a.k.a. ''Blood Thirst'' as Dr Bill Norton *1982–1988: ''

'' - 120 episodes as Dr. Donald Westphall *1993: '' Jack's Place'' (episode: "Who Knew?") as Marcus Toback *1994: '' The Road Home'' (pilot episode) as William Babineaux

Films

*1970: '' The Grasshopper'' or '' Passions'' or ''The Passing of Evil'' as Jack Benton *1972: ''

The Trial of the Catonsville Nine ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' as Father Daniel Berrigan *1972: ''

The Snoop Sisters ''The Snoop Sisters'' is an American comedy-mystery television show that aired on NBC during the 1973–1974 season, airing on a monthly rotation (referred to as a "wheel") as part of the '' NBC Wednesday Mystery Movie'', sharing the timeslot with ...

'' or ''The Female Instinct'' (TV Movie) as Milo Perkins *1973: ''

Hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, et ...

'' (TV Movie) as Dr Miles *1974: ''Indict and Convict'' (TV Movie) as Timothy Fitzgerald *1974: ''Things in Their Season'' (TV Movie) as Carl Gerlach *1975: '' The Legend of Lizzie Borden'' (TV Movie) as Hosea Knowlton *1975: '' Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan'' (TV Movie) as Ralph Paine *1975: '' A Moon for the Misbegotten'' (TV Movie) as Phil Hogan *1976: ''

Eleanor and Franklin ''Eleanor and Franklin'' may refer to: * ''Eleanor and Franklin'' (book), 1971 biography by Joseph P. Lash ** '' Eleanor: The Years Alone'', 1972 companion volume to the previous biography * ''Eleanor and Franklin'' (miniseries), 1976 television ...

'' (TV Movie) as Louis Howe *1976: ''

The Sad and Lonely Sundays ''The Oath'' is a short lived 1976 American TV anthology series. It consisted of two films, ''33 Hours in the Life of God'' and ''Sad and Lonely Sundays''. The series did not proceed but the two episodes aired as stand alone movies. ''33 Hours in ...

'' (TV Movie) as Dr Frankman *1976: ''Harry S. Truman: Plain Speaking'' (TV Movie) as President Harry S. Truman *1977: '' The Amazing Howard Hughes'' (TV Movie) as Noah Dietrich *1977: '' MacArthur'' as President Harry S. Truman *1977: '' Mary White'' (TV Movie) as William Allen White *1979: '' Salem's Lot'' as Dr. Bill Norton *1980: '' The Ninth Configuration'' or ''Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane'' as Col. Richard Fell *1981: ''

Inchon Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...

'' as President Harry S. Truman (voice, uncredited) *1981: '' True Confessions'' as Dan T. Campion *1981: ''

The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper ''The Pursuit of D. B. Cooper'' is a 1981 American crime thriller film about infamous aircraft hijacker D. B. Cooper, who escaped with $200,000 after leaping from the back of a Boeing 727 airliner on November 24, 1971. The bulk of the film fiction ...

'' or ''Pursuit'' as Brigadier *1981: '' Skokie'' or ''Once They Marched Through a Thousand Towns'' (UK title) (TV Movie) as Mayor Albert J. Smith *1982: ''

Tomorrow's Child Tomorrow's Child is an American progressive rock, hard rock and glam metal band formed in 1987 in Los Angeles, California that were signed to Arista Records. Tomorrow's Child had the same line-up throughout the band's existence, featuring future ...

'' (TV Movie) as Anders Stenslund *1983: '' Special Bulletin'' (TV Movie) as John Woodley *1989: ''

The Final Days ''The Final Days'' is a 1976 non-fiction book written by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein about the Watergate scandal. A follow up to their 1974 book '' All the President's Men'', ''The Final Days'' concerns itself with the final months of the ...

'' (TV Movie) as Leonard Garment *1990: ''

'' as Father Joseph Dyer *1991: ''

The Perfect Tribute Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews (April 2, 1860 – August 2, 1936) was an American writer. She is best known for a widely read short story about US President Abraham Lincoln, "The Perfect Tribute", which was adapted for film twice and sold 600,000 cop ...

'' (TV Movie) as Warren *1992: '' Citizen Cohn'' (TV Movie) as

Joseph N. Welch Joseph Nye Welch (October 22, 1890 – October 6, 1960) was an American lawyer and actor who served as the chief counsel for the United States Army while it was under investigation for Communist activities by Senator Joseph McCarthy's Senate Pe ...

*1993: '' Message from Nam'' as Ed Wilson *1995: '' Bye Bye Love'' as Walter Sims (final film role)

Awards and honors

Emmy nominations

* 1979 – Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special, for: ''Backstairs at the White House'' * 1984 – Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, for: ''St. Elsewhere'' * 1985 – Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, for: ''St. Elsewhere'' * 1986 – Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, for: ''St. Elsewhere'' * 1987 – Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, for: ''St. Elsewhere''

Emmy Awards (won)

* 1976 – Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in Comedy or Drama Special, for: ''A Moon for the Misbegotten'' * 1977 – Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama or Comedy Special, for: ''Harry S. Truman: Plain Speaking'' * 1983 – Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, for: ''St. Elsewhere''

Theatrical awards

Flanders won the 1974

for Best Supporting or Featured Actor in a Dramatic Presentation for his performance in '' A Moon for the Misbegotten'' by

, for which he also received the 1974

for Outstanding Performance.

References

Notes

External links

* * (from where list of film and TV appearances are accessible) * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Flanders, Ed 1934 births 1995 deaths American male film actors American male stage actors Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners Tony Award winners Suicides by firearm in California 20th-century American male actors 1995 suicides United States Army soldiers