Edwin Stafford Nelson (December 21, 1928 – August 9, 2014) was an American actor, best known for his role as Dr. Michael Rossi in the television series '' Peyton Place''. Nelson appeared in episodes of many TV programs, more than 50 movies, and hundreds of stage productions.

Early life

Nelson was raised in North Carolina after having been born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was educated at Edwards Military Institute and Camp Lejeune High School, playing football and basketball at the latter school. He 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. He served in the U.S. Navy as a radioman on the light cruiser USS ''Dayton''. He took a position as a director at

WDSU-TV WDSU (channel 6) is a television station in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, affiliated with NBC and owned by Hearst Television. The station's studios are located on Howard Avenue in the city's Central Business District, and its transmitt ...

in New Orleans. By 1956, acting became his central focus, and he moved to the Los Angeles area.

Career

Early in his career Nelson acted and did stunt work for B-movie producer Roger Corman on the films '' Swamp Women'' (1956), '' Attack of the Crab Monsters'' (1957), ''

Rock All Night ''Rock All Night'' is a 1957 crime drama film produced and directed by Roger Corman. Distributed by American International Pictures, it is based on a 25-minute television episode of '' The Jane Wyman Show'' from 1955 called "The Little Guy." It s ...

'' (1957), ''

Carnival Rock ''Carnival Rock'' is a 1957 film directed by Roger Corman with musical performances by The Platters, David Houston, Bob Luman and His Shadows, and the Blockbusters. Plot A nightclub owner, Christopher 'Christy' Cristakos, falls in love with the ...

'' (1957), ''

Night of the Blood Beast ''Night of the Blood Beast'' is a 1958 American science fiction film, science-fiction horror film about a team of scientists who are stalked by an alien creature, which implants its embryos in an astronaut's body during a space flight. Produced b ...

'' (1958), ''

The Cry Baby Killer ''The Cry Baby Killer'' is a 1958 teen exploitation film produced by Roger Corman that marked Jack Nicholson's film debut. The film was out of print and difficult to find until 2006, when it was issued on DVD for the first time by Buena Vista Home ...

'' (1958), '' Teenage Cave Man'' (1958), and '' A Bucket of Blood'' (1959). In 1958, he acted in and produced actor-director Bruno VeSota's science-fiction/horror movie '' The Brain Eaters'', with Roger Corman as the executive producer. The same year, he was cast as the lead in '' Devil's Partner'', but the movie was not released until 1962. He also appeared in the 1960 thriller ''

Valley of the Redwoods ''Valley of the Redwoods'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by William Witney, written by Leo Gordon and Daniel Madison, and starring John Hudson, Lynette Bernay, Ed Nelson, Michael Forest, Robert Shayne and John Brinkley. It was release ...

'' and the 1963 comedy drama ''

Soldier in the Rain ''Soldier in the Rain'' is a 1963 American comedy buddy film directed by Ralph Nelson and starring Jackie Gleason and Steve McQueen. Tuesday Weld portrays Gleason's character's romantic partner. Produced by Martin Jurow and co-written by Maurice ...

'', starring

Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1 ...

and

Jackie Gleason John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...

. Nelson's television career featured many guest-starring roles, such as the talented, arrogant Dr. Wade Parsons in the 1962 episode "Doctor on Horseback" of the western series '' The Tall Man''. Nelson was cast in episodes of such other westerns as ''

Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Bureau ...

'', ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. It ...

'', '' Black Saddle'', '' Have Gun – Will Travel'', '' The Rebel'' (five times), '' Johnny Ringo'', ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'', '' Rawhide'', '' Tombstone Territory'', '' Bat Masterson'', '' Laramie'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...

'', '' Stoney Burke'', '' The Dakotas'', ''

The Rifleman ''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show wa ...

'' and '' Redigo''. He appeared on drama and adventure series too, such as '' Combat!'', '' The Fugitive'', ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, su ...

'', '' Flight'', '' The Silent Service'', '' The Untouchables'', ''

The Outer Limits ''The Outer Limits'' or ''Outer Limits'' may refer to: Television * ''The Outer Limits'' (1963 TV series), a black-and-white science fiction series that aired from 1963 to 1965 * ''The Outer Limits'' (1995 TV series), a revival of the older series ...

'', '' Harbor Command'', '' Tightrope'', ''

Coronado 9 ''Coronado 9'' is an American crime drama series starring Rod Cameron that aired in syndication in 1960. Synopsis Set in San Diego, California, the series follows Dan Adams (Cameron), a former United States Navy intelligence officer turned pri ...

'', '' The Eleventh Hour'', ''

Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

'', and '' Channing''. He guest-starred on '' Mission: Impossible'' and military sitcom/drama ''

Hennesey ''Hennesey'' is an American military comedy-drama television series that aired on CBS from 1959 to 1962, starring Jackie Cooper and Abby Dalton. Cooper played a United States Navy physician, Lt. Charles W. "Chick" Hennesey, with Abby Dalton ...

''. He made two guest appearances on '' Perry Mason'', both times as the defendant; in 1961, he played Ward Nichols in "The Case of the Left-Handed Liar," and in 1964, he played Dirk Blake, father of the title character, in "The Case of the Missing Button". He played rival mystery writer Tom Keller opposite James Mason as Warren Barrow on "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" S1 E5 "Captive Audience" (1962). He also portrayed an assistant district attorney on the TV series Adam 12 in 1974.

''Peyton Place'' and later roles

In 1964, Nelson secured his most famous role, portraying Dr. Michael Rossi on the drama ''Peyton Place'', staying with the series during its entire run from 1964 to 1969. Nelson reprised his role in two TV movies: ''

Murder in Peyton Place ''Murder in Peyton Place'' is a 1977 American made-for-television mystery-drama film directed by Bruce Kessler. The film is based on the 1964–1969 TV series '' Peyton Place'' and it was billed as a reunion movie. It first aired on ''NBC Monday Ni ...

'' and '' Peyton Place: The Next Generation''. After ''Peyton Place'', Nelson worked in many more productions of all varieties. He teamed with former ''Peyton Place'' co-star

Percy Rodriguez Percy Rodriguez (born Percy Rodrigues; June 13, 1918 – September 6, 2007) was a Canadian actor who appeared in many television shows and films from the 1950s to the 1980s. He was of Afro-Portuguese heritage and was born in the Saint-Henri neigh ...

in the television series '' The Silent Force'', which ran for 15 episodes in 1970–1971. He guest-starred with

David Janssen David Janssen (born David Harold Meyer) (March 27, 1931February 13, 1980) was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Richard Kimble in the television series '' The Fugitive'' (1963–1967). Janssen also ...

in '' The Fugitive'' in 1963, and appeared as a different character later in the series. Subsequently, Nelson had guest-starring roles on many of the popular dramas of the 1970s and 1980s, including '' Marcus Welby, M.D.'', '' Laramie'', ''

Cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

'', ''

O'Hara, U.S. Treasury ''O'Hara, U.S. Treasury'' (on-screen title is ''O'Hara, United States Treasury'') was an American television crime drama starring David Janssen and broadcast by CBS during the 1971-72 television season. Jack Webb's Mark VII Limited packaged the ...

'', '' Night Gallery'', ''

Banacek ''Banacek'' is an American detective TV series starring George Peppard that aired on the NBC network from 1972 to 1974. The series was part of the rotating '' NBC Wednesday Mystery Movie'' anthology. It alternated in its time slot with several o ...

'', '' Alias Smith and Jones'', ''

Mod Squad Mod, MOD or mods may refer to: Places * Modesto City–County Airport, Stanislaus County, California, US Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Mods (band), a Norwegian rock band * M.O.D. (Method of Destruction), a band from New York City, US * ...

'', '' Mission: Impossible'', '' The Streets of San Francisco'', '' Kung Fu'', ''

The F.B.I. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

'' (in 3 different roles), ''

Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American television police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they patrol the stre ...

'', '' Ironside'', ''

Police Woman The integration of women into law enforcement positions can be considered a large social change. A century ago, there were few jobs open to women in law enforcement. A small number of women worked as correctional officers, and their assignment ...

'', '' Medical Center'' (3 roles), ''

The Bionic Woman ''The Bionic Woman'' is an American science fiction action-adventure television series created by Kenneth Johnson based on the 1972 novel ''Cyborg'' by Martin Caidin, starring Lindsay Wagner that aired from January 14, 1976, to May 13, 1978. ' ...

'', '' Gibbsville'', ''

McMillan and Wife ''McMillan & Wife'' (known simply as ''McMillan'' from 1976–77) is an American police procedural television series that aired on NBC from September 17, 1971, to April 24, 1977. Starring Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James in the title roles, the ...

'', ''

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

'', ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator ...

'' (2 roles), '' Barnaby Jones'' (2 roles), ''

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Aa ...

'', '' Lou Grant'', '' Trapper John, M.D.'', '' Vega$'' (2 roles), '' CHiPs'', ''

Quincy M.E. ''Quincy, M.E.'' (also called ''Quincy'') is an American mystery medical drama television series from Universal Studios that aired on NBC from October 3, 1976, to May 11, 1983. Jack Klugman starred in the title role as a Los Angeles County med ...

'', ''

Matt Houston ''Matt Houston'' was an American crime drama television series starring Lee Horsley as the title character, a wealthy oilman who decides to hold a side job as a private investigator. Created by Lawrence Gordon and produced by Aaron Spelling, i ...

'', '' The Fall Guy'', ''

Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...

'', '' Cagney & Lacey'', '' MacGyver'', '' Jake and the Fatman'' (2 roles), and ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'' (5 roles). Nelson appeared in many television movies such as ''Along Came a Spider'' (1970), ''

The Screaming Woman ''The Screaming Woman'' is a 1972 American made-for-television horror-thriller film starring Olivia de Havilland and directed by Jack Smight. It is loosely based on a short story by Ray Bradbury (which in turn was based on his 1948 radio play for ...

'' (1972), '' Runaway!'' (1973), ''

Houston, We've Got a Problem ''Houston, We've Got a Problem'' is a 1974 American made-for-television drama film about the Apollo 13 spaceflight, directed by Lawrence Doheny and starring Ed Nelson in the role of NASA Flight Director Gene Kranz. Technical and historical accu ...

'' (1974), ''The Missing Are Deadly'' (1975), '' Superdome'' (1978), ''

Doctors' Private Lives ''Doctors' Private Lives'' is a 1978 American made-for-television drama film starring John Gavin, Donna Mills, Ed Nelson, Barbara Anderson and directed by Steven Stern. It was broadcast on ABC on March 20, 1978. It was a pilot for a short-lived ...

'' (1978) and ''

Crash Crash or CRASH may refer to: Common meanings * Collision, an impact between two or more objects * Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond * Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating * Couch su ...

'' (1978), and served as host on the morning talk show ''The Ed Nelson Show'', which he hosted for three years. During the 1980s, Nelson took on the role of patriarchal Senator Mark Denning in the daytime serial '' Capitol''. In late 1986, Nelson was upset to discover that the show's writers had turned his character into a traitor, and quit the show in disgust, last airing in early January 1987, two months before the show's cancellation. He also continued appearing in theatrical films, such as '' Airport 1975'' (1974), ''

That's the Way of the World ''That's the Way of the World'' is the sixth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on March 15, 1975 by Columbia Records. It was also the soundtrack for a 1975 motion picture of the same name. The album rose to No. 1 on bot ...

'' (1975), ''

Acapulco Gold Acapulco Gold is a strain of ''Cannabis sativa'' that was popular during the 1960s counterculture movement for its potency and unique color. History First recorded in the United States in 1964, Acapulco Gold was defined by the ''Oxford English ...

'' (1976), '' Midway'' (1976), ''

For the Love of Benji ''For the Love of Benji'' is a 1977 family film, directed and written by Joe Camp. It is the sequel to the original film, featuring Benji, and the second film in the Benji series, released on June 10, 1977. It is the first Benji film to star B ...

'' (1977), '' Police Academy 3: Back in Training'' (1986), ''

Brenda Starr ''Brenda Starr, Reporter'' (often referred to simply as ''Brenda Starr'') is a comic strip about a glamorous, adventurous reporter. It was created in 1940 by Dale Messick for the Chicago Tribune Syndicate. History Although set in Chicago, ''B ...

'' (1989), ''

The Boneyard ''The Boneyard'' is a 1991 American direct-to-video horror film directed by James Cummins and starring Ed Nelson, Deborah Rose, Norman Fell, James Eustermann, and Phyllis Diller. Plot The film plunges into the nightmarish experiences of a dep ...

'' (1991), '' Who Am I?'' (1998) and ''

Runaway Jury ''Runaway Jury'' is a 2003 American legal thriller film directed by Gary Fleder and starring John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, and Rachel Weisz. An adaptation of John Grisham's 1996 novel ''The Runaway Jury'', the film pits lawyer We ...

'' (2003). He spent several years playing U.S. President

Harry S. 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 Franklin ...

on stage, replacing

James Whitmore James Allen Whitmore Jr. (October 1, 1921 – February 6, 2009) was an American actor. He received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Theatre World Award, and a Tony Award, plus two Aca ...

for the National Tour of ''Give 'Em Hell, Harry''.

Personal life

While living in Los Angeles, Nelson was an active member of the

Screen Actors Guild The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...

and was elected to the union board for many years. Nelson was a long-standing member of the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...

. In the early 1970s, he ran for city council and mayor of San Dimas, California until a

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...

ruling stated that his political opponents must be given equal time if he appeared in television programs.

Later years

In 1999, Nelson returned to Tulane University to finish credits toward his undergraduate degree, which he completed the following year at age 71. He and his wife, Patsy, enjoyed semi-retirement visiting their six children and 14 grandchildren. One of his children is actor Christopher S. Nelson. Until 2005, he had been teaching acting and screenwriting in New Orleans at two local universities.

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

prompted him to move his family far to the north to

Sterlington, Louisiana Sterlington is a town in northern Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States, near the boundary with Union Parish. At the 2010 census, the population was 1,594. In the 2018 census estimates, the population rose to 2,724. In 2014, Sterlington was t ...

. At the time of his death, however, he had moved to Greensboro, North Carolina, where he had been in hospice care. He died at age 85.

Death

Nelson died on August 9, 2014, in Greensboro, North Carolina from congestive heart failure. He was 85 years old.

Selected filmography

*'' The Steel Trap'' (1952) as Man in Ticket Line at Airport *''

New Orleans Uncensored ''New Orleans Uncensored'' is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by William Castle and starring Arthur Franz and Beverly Garland. Plot The Port of New Orleans, docks of New Orleans, Louisiana are controlled by Zero Saxon, a notorious r ...

'' (1955) as Charlie *'' Swamp Women'' (1956) as Police Sergeant *'' Attack of the Crab Monsters'' (1957) as Ensign Quinlan *''

'' (1957) as Pete *''

Invasion of the Saucer Men ''Invasion of the Saucer Men'' (U.K. title: ''Invasion of the Hell Creatures''; working title: ''Spacemen Saturday Night''), is a 1957 black-and-white comic science fiction/horror film produced by James H. Nicholson for release by American Int ...

'' (1957) as Tom *''

Bayou In usage in the Southern United States, a bayou () is a body of water typically found in a flat, low-lying area. It may refer to an extremely slow-moving stream, river (often with a poorly defined shoreline), marshy lake, wetland, or creek. They ...

'' (1957) as Etienne *''

Hell on Devil's Island ''Hell on Devil's Island'' is a 1957 American adventure film directed by Christian Nyby and written by Steven Ritch. The film stars Helmut Dantine, William Talman, Donna Martell, Jean Willes, Rex Ingram and Robert Cornthwaite. The film was re ...

'' (1957) as Guard No. 2 *''

Teenage Doll ''Teenage Doll'' is a 1957 film noir directed by Roger Corman, starring June Kenney and John Brinkley. It was financed by Lawrence Woolner, who had previously made ''Swamp Women'' with Corman. One writer called it Corman's "most impressive teen f ...

'' (1957) as Police Officer 'Dutch' / Blind Man *''

'' (1957) as Cannon *'' Street of Darkness'' (1958) as Slavo *'' Teenage Caveman'' (1958) as Blond Tribe Member *''

She Gods of Shark Reef ''She Gods of Shark Reef'' is a 1958 B-adventure film directed by Roger Corman that was partially filmed on location in Kaua'i back to back with '' Thunder over Hawaii'' in 1956. The film was distributed in 1958 by American International Pictures ...

'' (1958) as Guard *'' Devil's Partner'' (filmed in 1958, released in 1961) as Nick Richards / Pete Jensen *''

'' (1958) as Dave Randall *''

'' (1958) as Rick Connor *''

Hot Car Girl ''Hot Car Girl'' is a 1958 American film directed by Bernard L. Kowalski. Seeing ''Hot Car Girl'' in a four-walled playoff in 1958 gave the audience the sense that they were witnessing something clandestine and taboo. It was an early credit for ...

'' (1958) as Second Cop at Soda Bar *'' The Brain Eaters'' (1958) as Dr. Paul Kettering *''

I Mobster ''I Mobster'' (originally released in the UK as ''The Mobster'') is a 1958 film noir crime-drama film directed by Roger Corman. The film features a cameo of famous burlesque star Lili St. Cyr. Plot Joe Sante is a small time crook, who works as ...

'' (1959) as Sid - Henchman *''

The Young Captives ''The Young Captives'' is a 1959 film directed by Irvin Kershner and starring Steven Marlo, Luana Patten Luana Patten (July 6, 1938 – May 1, 1996) was an American actress who appeared in films produced by Walt Disney Pictures, such as '' ...

'' (1959) as Norm Britt *''

T-Bird Gang ''T-Bird Gang'' is a 1959 American film directed by Richard Harbinger in his first and final film. It was co-written by and starring John Brinkley and Tony Miller with Edwin Nelson; all of them had appeared in several of Roger Corman's films. Pl ...

'' (1959) as Alex Hendricks *'' A Bucket of Blood'' (1959) as Art Lacroix *''

'' (1960) as Dino Michaelis *''

Code of Silence A code of silence is a condition in effect when a person opts to withhold what is believed to be vital or important information voluntarily or involuntarily. The code of silence is usually followed because of threat of force or danger to onesel ...

'' (1960) as Paul Lane *''

Elmer Gantry ''Elmer Gantry'' is a satirical novel written by Sinclair Lewis in 1926 that presents aspects of the religious activity of America in fundamentalist and evangelistic circles and the attitudes of the 1920s public toward it. The novel's protagonis ...

'' (1960) as Man on Phone at Sister Sharon Headquarters *''

Judgment at Nuremberg ''Judgment at Nuremberg'' is a 1961 American epic courtroom drama film directed and produced by Stanley Kramer, written by Abby Mann and starring Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Maximilian Schell, Werner Klemperer, Marlene Dietr ...

'' (1961) as Captain at Nightclub Announcing Call-up of Officers *''

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was re ...

'' (1962) (Season 1 Episode 5: "Captive Audience") as Tom Keller *''

'' (1963) (Season 1 Episode 21: "I'll Be Judge, I'll Be Jury") as Alex Trevor *''

'' (1963) as MP Sergeant James Priest *''The Man from Galveston'' (1963) as Cole Marteen *''Along Came a Spider'' (1970) as Dr. Martin Becker *''

'' (1972) as Carl Nesbitt *''Time to Run'' (1973) as Warren Cole *'' Airport 1975'' (1974) as Major John Alexander *''

'' (1975) as Carlton James *''

'' (1976) as Ray Hollister *'' Midway'' (1976) as Admiral Harry Pearson *''

'' (1977) as Chandler Dietrich *'' Police Academy 3: Back in Training'' (1986) as Governor Neilson *''

'' (1989) as President Harry S. Truman *''

Deadly Weapon A deadly weapon, sometimes dangerous weapon (although some jurisdictions differentiate between the two) or lethal weapon, is an item that can inflict mortal or great bodily harm. By statutory definition, certain items, especially firearms, are de ...

'' (1989) as General Stone *''

'' (1991) as Jersey Callum *''Cries of Silence'' (1996) as Dr. August Claiborne *'' Who Am I?'' (1998) as General Sherman *''Tony Bravo in Scenes from a Forgotten Cinema'' (2000) as Ghost of Mary's Dad *''

'' (2003) as George Dressler

Selected television

*'' Highway Patrol'' (1957) as Monty in "Wounded" *'' Have Gun - Will Travel'' (1959) as Will Gage in Season 2, Episode 31 "The Man Who Lost" *''Have Gun - Will Travel'' (1959) as Ed Stacy in Season 2, Episode 35 "Homecoming" *''Have Gun - Will Travel'' (1959) as Pierre Deverell in Season 3, Episode 9 "The Black Handkerchief" *''Have Gun - Will Travel'' (1960) as Carl - Gambler in Season 3, Episode 32 "Ambush" *''

'' (1960) as Stacey Beldon in Season 3, Episode 9 "Dead Cold Cash" *''The Rifleman'' (1960) as Ben Travis in Season 3, Episode 12 "The Illustrator" *''The Rifleman'' (1961) as Ben Vargas in Season 4, Episode 2 "First Wages" *''

'' (1961) as Perce McCall in Season 7, Episode 1 "Perce" *'' Perry Mason'' (1961) as Ward Nichols *''Have Gun - Will Travel'' (1961) as Rack in Season 4, Episode 33 "Brothers Keeper" *'' Bat Masterson'' (1961) as Outlaw Browder *'' Rawhide'' (1961) as Lieutenant Cory Clemens in S3:E26, "Incident of the Painted Lady" *'' Death Valley Days'' (1962) as Frank Girard in Episode "Fort Bowie:Urgent" *''

'' (1962) as Garth in Episode: "The Miracle Maker" *''

'' (1962) (Season 1 Episode 5: "Captive Audience") as Tom Keller *''

'' (1963) (Season 1 Episode 21: "I'll Be Judge - I'll Be Jury") as Alex Trevor *''Gunsmoke'' (1964) as Tom King in Season 9, Episode 24 "Father’s Love" *'' Combat!'' (1964) as Burgess in Episode: "The Eyes of the Hunter" *''Perry Mason'' (1964) as Dirk Blake

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Ed 1928 births 2014 deaths American male film actors American male soap opera actors American male television actors Male actors from New Orleans Military personnel from Louisiana Military personnel from New Orleans People from Greensboro, North Carolina People from Monroe, Louisiana People from San Dimas, California Tulane University alumni United States Navy sailors Western (genre) television actors