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 ...

'' (1982–1988). Flanders was nominated for eight

Primetime Emmys The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime E ...

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 c ...

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. F ...

for his performance in the 1973 production of ''

A Moon for the Misbegotten ''A Moon for the Misbegotten'' is a play in four acts by Eugene O'Neill. The play is a sequel to O'Neill's '' Long Day's Journey into Night'', with the Jim Tyrone character as an older version of Jamie Tyrone. He began drafting the play late in 1 ...

''.

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 thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origin ...

, 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 re ...

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 service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

, 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 Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

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 Ellen Ware Geer is an American actress, professor, and theatre director. Personal life Geer was born in New York City, the daughter of actors Herta Ware and Will Geer. Her father was best-known for playing Grandpa Zebulon "Zeb" Walton on ''Th ...

, 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 ''

'' by

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

. He also won an

Emmy 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 ...

award in 1976 for the

TV movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

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 ''A Moon for the Misbegotten'' is a play in four acts by Eugene O'Neill. The play is a sequel to O'Neill's '' Long Day's Journey into Night'', with the Jim Tyrone character as an older version of Jamie Tyrone. He began drafting the play late in 1 ...

'' 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 Franklin ...

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 Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was ...

. In feature films, Flanders performed major roles in two dark movies based on novels by

William Peter Blatty William Peter Blatty (January 7, 1928 – January 12, 2017) was an American writer, director and producer. He is best known for his 1971 novel, ''The Exorcist'', and for his 1974 screenplay for the film adaptation of the same name. Blatty won ...

. In the first, ''

The Ninth Configuration ''The Ninth Configuration'' (also known as ''Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane'') is a 1980 American psychological drama film written, produced, and directed by William Peter Blatty, in his directorial debut. The second installment in Blatty's "Fa ...

'' (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 Walter Stacy Keach Jr. (born June 2, 1941) is an American actor and narrator. He has played mainly dramatic roles throughout his career, often in law enforcement or as a private detective. His most prominent role was as Mickey Spillane's fiction ...

). 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 f ...

'' based on the novel ''

Legion Legion may refer to: Military * Roman legion, the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army * Spanish Legion, an elite military unit within the Spanish Army * Legion of the United States, a reorganization of the United States Army from 179 ...

''. 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. T ...

'' episode " Yankee Doodle Doctor", 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 Animal trapping, or simply trapping or gin, is the use of a device to remotely catch an animal. Animals may be trapped for a variety of purposes, including food, the fur trade, hunting, pest control, and wildlife management. History Neolithic ...

sabotage his effort, Bricker abandons the project and leaves. Flanders also played nationally known journalist

William Allen White William Allen White (February 10, 1868 – January 29, 1944) was an American newspaper editor, politician, author, and leader of the Progressive movement. Between 1896 and his death, White became a spokesman for middle America. At a 193 ...

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 ''Salem's Lot'' is a 1975 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It was his second published novel. The story involves a writer named Ben Mears who returns to the town of Jerusalem's Lot (or 'Salem's Lot for short) in Maine, where he l ...

'' as Dr. Bill Norton. He also played news anchor John Woodley in the 1983 made-for-TV suspense drama ''

Special Bulletin ''Special Bulletin'' is a 1983 American made-for-television film. It was an early collaboration between director Edward Zwick and writer Marshall Herskovitz, a team that would later produce such series as '' thirtysomething'' and '' My So-Calle ...

'', 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 ''Cimarron Strip'' is an American Western television series starring Stuart Whitman as Marshal Jim Crown. The series was produced by the creators of '' Gunsmoke'', and aired on CBS from September 1967 to March 1968. Reruns of the original show ...

'' (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 we ...

'' (episode: "The Traitor") as Lackland *1971: '' The Name of the Game'' (episode: "Beware of the Watchdog") as Lazlo Subich *1971: ''Travis Logan D.A.'' as Psychiatrist *1971: ''

Bearcats! ''Bearcats!'' is an American Western television series broadcast on the CBS television network during the fall 1971 television season. It starred Rod Taylor and Dennis Cole as troubleshooters in the period before the American entry into World Wa ...

'' (episode: "The Hostage") as Ben Tillman *1971: '' Goodbye, Raggedy Ann'' (TV movie) as David Bevin *1971: ''

McMillan & 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 ...

'' (episode: "Husbands, Wives and Killers") as Tom Benton *1971: ''

Mission Impossible ''Mission: Impossible'' is a multimedia franchise based on a fictional secret espionage agency known as the Impossible Missions Force (IMF). The 1966 TV series ran for seven seasons and was revived in 1988 for two seasons. It inspired a serie ...

'' (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 ''Cade's County'' is a modern-day Western/ crime drama which aired Sundays at 9:30 pm (EST) on CBS during the 1971–1972 television season. There were 24 episodes. Synopsis ''Cade's County'' starred well-known Hollywood actor Glenn Ford as ...

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

'' (episode: " Yankee Doodle Doctor") as Lt Dwayne Bricker *1972: ''

Banyon ''Banyon'' is a detective series broadcast in the United States by NBC as part of its 1972-73 television schedule, though a standalone two-hour television movie was broadcast first in March 1971. The series was a Quinn Martin Production (in assoc ...

'' (episode: "Just Once") as Sergeant Randall *1973: ''

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to commo ...

'' (episode: "The Salamander") as Alonzo Davis *1973: ''

Marcus Welby, M.D. Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to: * Marcus (name), a masculine given name * Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name Places * Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44 * Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl ...

'' a.k.a. '' Robert Young, Family Doctor'' (episode: "The Comeback") as Magruder *1974: ''

Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law, who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, California. The show was o ...

'' (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. Moo ...

'' (episode: "Mary's Father") as Father Terrance Brian *1975: ''

The Legend of Lizzie Borden ''The Legend of Lizzie Borden'' is a 1975 American historical mystery television film directed by Paul Wendkos and starring Elizabeth Montgomery—in an Emmy-nominated performance—as Lizzie Borden, an American woman who was accused of murdering ...

'' 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 ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City-based greeting card company. The longest-running prime-time series in ...

'' (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: ''

'' 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 ''Passions'' is an American television soap opera that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1999, to September 7, 2007, and on DirecTV's The 101 Network from September 17, 2007, to August 7, 2008. Created by screenwriter James E. Reilly and ...

'' 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 Daniel Joseph Berrigan (May 9, 1921 – April 30, 2016) was an American Jesuit priest, anti-war activist, Christian pacifist, playwright, poet, and author. Berrigan's active protest against the Vietnam War earned him both scorn and admi ...

*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 activity, 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 (skin), hide, ...

'' (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: ''

'' (TV Movie) as Hosea Knowlton *1975: '' Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan'' (TV Movie) as Ralph Paine *1975: ''

'' (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'' (TV Movie) as Dr Frankman *1976: ''Harry S. Truman: Plain Speaking'' (TV Movie) as President Harry S. Truman *1977: ''

The Amazing Howard Hughes ''The Amazing Howard Hughes'' is a 1977 American made-for-television biographical film about American aviation pioneer and filmmaker Howard Hughes, based on the book ''Howard: The Amazing Mr. Hughes'' by Hughes' business partner Noah Dietrich. Th ...

'' (TV Movie) as Noah Dietrich *1977: '' MacArthur'' as President Harry S. Truman *1977: '' Mary White'' (TV Movie) as William Allen White *1979: ''

'' as Dr. Bill Norton *1980: ''

'' or ''Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane'' as Col. Richard Fell *1981: '' Inchon'' as President Harry S. Truman (voice, uncredited) *1981: '' True Confessions'' as Dan T. Campion *1981: '' The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper'' 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'' (TV Movie) as Anders Stenslund *1983: ''

'' (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 Pres ...

'' (TV Movie) as

Leonard Garment Leonard Garment (May 11, 1924 – July 13, 2013) was an American attorney, public servant, and arts advocate. He served U.S. presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford in the White House in various positions from 1969 to 1976, including Counselor t ...

*1990: ''

'' as Father Joseph Dyer *1991: '' The Perfect Tribute'' (TV Movie) as Warren *1992: '' Citizen Cohn'' (TV Movie) as Joseph N. Welch *1993: ''

Message from Nam ''Message From Nam'' is a romantic novel, written by American Danielle Steel and published by Dell Publishing in October 1990. It is Steel's 26th novel. Plot The novel follows Paxton Andrews, who is stationed in Vietnam as a journalist during th ...

'' 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 ''

'' 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