Martin E. Brooks (born Martin Baum; November 30, 1925 – December 7, 2015) was an American character actor known for playing scientist Rudy Wells in the television series ''

The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin is reb ...

'' and its spin-off, ''

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. ' ...

'', from 1975 onward (a role originally portrayed by

Martin Balsam Martin Henry Balsam (November 4, 1919 – February 13, 1996) was an American actor. He had a prolific career in character roles in film, in theatre, and on television. An early member of the Actors Studio, he began his career on the New ...

and then by

Alan Oppenheimer Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s, and he has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s. Early life Oppenheimer was born in New Yor ...

Early life

Brooks was born Martin Baum in

The Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

. When he was 10, he moved with his family to

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in th ...

. After high school, he volunteered to serve in the

U.S. 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, cl ...

, became a paratrooper with the 11th Airborne Division and was awarded a

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, w ...

for injuries received during World War II. He attended

Penn State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State became ...

and enrolled at the Dramatic Workshop of the

New School for Social Research The New School for Social Research (NSSR) is a graduate-level educational institution that is one of the divisions of The New School in New York City, United States. The university was founded in 1919 as a home for progressive era thinkers. NSSR ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. He won the off-Broadway best actor award for his performance in ''Outside the Door'' and changed his name to Martin Brooks, following the advice of producer

Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most ...

Career

Acting

Theatre

In 1959, Brooks starred in Saul Levitt's hit play ''The Andersonville Trial'' with

Brian Donlevy Waldo Brian Donlevy (February 9, 1901 – April 6, 1972) was an American actor, noted for playing dangerous tough guys from the 1930s to the 1960s. He usually appeared in supporting roles. Among his best-known films are '' Beau Geste'' (19 ...

and

Charles Durning Charles Edward Durning (February 28, 1923 – December 24, 2012) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 movies, television shows and plays.Schudel, Matt (December 26, 2012) "''In real life and on the screen, he played countless role ...

. He was very proud of his theatre work that included ''

An Enemy of the People ''An Enemy of the People'' (original Norwegian title: ''En folkefiende''), an 1882 play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, followed his previous play, ''Ghosts'', which criticized the hypocrisy of his society's moral code. That response inclu ...

'' and ''I Am a Camera'', as well as the actors with whom he appeared, including

Julie Harris Julia Ann Harris (December 2, 1925August 24, 2013) was an American actress. Renowned for her classical and contemporary stage work, she received five Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Play. Harris debuted on Broadway in 1945, against the wish ...

and

Barbara Bel Geddes Barbara Bel Geddes (October 31, 1922 – August 8, 2005) was an American stage and screen actress, artist, and children's author whose career spanned almost five decades. She was best known for her starring role as Miss Ellie Ewing in the t ...

. Brooks was also in

John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social ...

's ''

Burning Bright ''Burning Bright'' is a 1950 novella by John Steinbeck written as an experiment with producing a play in novel format. Rather than providing only the dialogue and brief stage directions as would be expected in a play, Steinbeck fleshes out the ...

'' as Victor with

Kent Smith Frank Kent Smith (March 19, 1907 – April 23, 1985) was an American actor who had a lengthy career in film, theatre and television. Early years Smith was the son of Mr. and Mrs. James E. Smith. He was born in New York City and was educated ...

as Joe Saul, Barbara Bel Geddes as Mordeen, and

Howard Da Silva Howard Da Silva (born Howard Silverblatt, May 4, 1909 – February 16, 1986) was an American actor, director and musical performer on stage, film, television and radio. He was cast in dozens of productions on the New York stage, appeared in mo ...

as Friend Ed which he had adapted from his 1950 novel of the same name.

Television

In the 1950s, Brooks appeared in '' The Philco–

Goodyear Television Playhouse ''Goodyear Television Playhouse'' is an American anthology series that was telecast live on NBC from 1951 to 1957 during the first Golden Age of Television. Sponsored by Goodyear, Goodyear alternated sponsorship with Philco, and the ''Philco Tel ...

''.In the 1960s, he appeared in ''

Combat! ''Combat!'' is an American television drama series that originally aired on ABC from 1962 until 1967. The exclamation point in ''Combat!'' was depicted on-screen as a stylized bayonet. The show covered the grim lives of a squad of American sol ...

''. In the 1972–73 TV season, he had a

recurring role A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who frequently appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in more than one episode, sometimes being the main foc ...

as Deputy D.A. Chapman in ''

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 ...

''. In the fall of 1977, Brooks and

Richard Anderson Richard Norman Anderson (August 8, 1926 – August 31, 2017) was an American film and television actor. Among his best-known roles was his portrayal of Oscar Goldman, the boss of Steve Austin (Lee Majors) and Jaime Sommers (Lindsay Wagner) in b ...

(as

Oscar Goldman ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin is re ...

) became the first known actors to portray the same characters as regulars simultaneously on two different networks. NBC picked up ''

'' after the series had been cancelled by ABC. ABC continued to air ''

''. Brooks had, by that time, been promoted to series regular on both series. The unusual situation lasted only one season as the two series were cancelled by their respective networks in the spring of 1978. Brooks reprised the role of Wells in three television movies: ''The Return of the Six-Million-Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman'' (1987), ''Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman'' (1989) and ''Bionic Ever After?'' (1994). His other television roles include in Mike Snow in ''

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, ...

'', Arthur Bradshaw in ''

General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...

'', ''

Car 54, Where Are You? ''Car 54, Where Are You?'' is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1961 to April 1963. Filmed in black and white, the series starred Joe E. Ross as Gunther Toody and Fred Gwynne as Francis Muldoon, two mismatched New York City pol ...

'', ''

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 ...

'' (“The Lure”-1967), '' Mission: Impossible'', ''

Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, ''The Twilight Zone'', ...

'', ''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a part of ABC's Friday primetime lineup ...

'', ''

The Mod Squad ''The Mod Squad'' is an American crime drama series, originally broadcast for five seasons on ABC from September 24, 1968, to March 1, 1973. It starred Michael Cole as Peter "Pete" Cochran, Peggy Lipton as Julie Barnes, Clarence Williams III as ...

'', and Edgar Randolph in the soap opera ''

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 ...

'', in a story arc involving J.R. Ewing. Brooks also guest-starred in an episode of ''

The Silent Force ''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 m ...

'' in 1970. He appeared in ''

Knots Landing ''Knots Landing'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on CBS from December 27, 1979, to May 13, 1993. A spin-off of ''Dallas'', it was set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles and initially centered on the lives of ...

'' as Ted Burton in the 1990s.

Writing

Brooks wrote two novels: ''Danny Brown'' and ''Roman Candle''. His play ''Flo and Joe'' was optioned for a Broadway production and received several workshop productions at the

Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...

and at Theatre West.

Personal life and death

According to

Jon Landau Jon Landau (born May 14, 1947) is an American music critic, manager, and record producer. He has worked with Bruce Springsteen in all three capacities. He is the head of the nominating committee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and recei ...

, Brooks was the "

soulmate A soulmate is a person with whom one has a feeling of deep or natural affinity. This may involve similarity, love, romance, platonic relationships, comfort, intimacy, sexuality, sexual activity, spirituality, compatibility and trust. Defini ...

" of Landau's mother, Edie, for over 20 years. They were friends as children and reconnected in 1993 after her husband died. Brooks was friends with

when they met in 1959 in Saul Levitt's hit play ''The Andersonville Trial'' until Durning's death in 2012. Brooks died on December 7, 2015, of natural causes at his home in

Studio City, Los Angeles Studio City is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, in the southeast San Fernando Valley, just west of the Cahuenga Pass. It is named after the studio lot that was established in the area by film producer Mack Sennett in 1927, ...

, one week after his 90th birthday.

Awards and honors

Brooks won the

Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway theatre, Broadway or Off-Broadway. It was first awarded for the 1945� ...

and the

Donaldson Award The Donaldson Awards were a set of theatre awards established in 1944 by the drama critic Robert Francis in honor of W. H. Donaldson (1864–1925), the founder of ''The Billboard'' (now ''Billboard'') magazine. Categories included "best new pla ...

for his role in ''

''.

Filmography

Film

Television

4 , - , 1965 , ''

'' , Corporal MacGowan , Episode: " The Raider" (S 4:Ep 16) , - , rowspan="3" , 1966 , '' The Loner'' , Chris Meegan , Episode: " Pick Me Another Time to Die" (S 1:Ep 24) , - , '' Flipper'' , Kent , Episode: "Flipper's Underwater Museum" (S 2:Ep 27) , , - , ''

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 ...

'' , Richard Larken , Episode: " Anatomy of a Prison Break" (S 2:Ep 10) , rowspan="8" , , - , rowspan="4" , 1967 , ''

'' , Young , Episode: " The Lure" , - , '' The Fugitive'' , Lieutenant Gould , Episode: " The Walls of Night" (S 4:Ep 27) , - , ''

Iron Horse ''Iron horse'' is an iconic literary term (considered by the early 21st century to be transitioning into an archaic reference) for a steam locomotive, originating in the early 1800s, when horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domes ...

'' , Gilbert Reese , Episode: "Diablo" (S 2:Ep 1) , - , ''

The Wild Wild West ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western, espionage, and science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 1969. Two satirical comedy television film sequels w ...

'' , Franklin Poore , Episode: " The Night of the Hangman" (S 3:Ep 7) , - , rowspan="2" , 1968 , ''The F.B.I.'' , Bobby Devries , Episode: " The Predators" (S 3:Ep 25) , - , ''

Judd, for the Defense ''Judd, for the Defense'' is an American legal drama originally broadcast on the ABC network on Friday nights from September 8, 1967, to March 21, 1969. Synopsis The show stars Carl Betz, who had previously spent eight years in the role of Dr. Al ...

'' , Art Barrows , Episode: " The Gates of Cerberus" (S 2:Ep 10) , - , 1969 , '' Mission: Impossible'' , Paul Trock , Episode: "

Illusion An illusion is a distortion of the senses, which can reveal how the mind normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. Although illusions distort the human perception of reality, they are generally shared by most people. Illusions may o ...

" (S 3:Ep 24) , - , rowspan="2" , 1970 , ''

'' , , Episode: " The Hero" (S 1:Ep 2) , , - , ''The Old Man Who Cried Wolf'' , Hudson F. Ewing , Made-for-TV Movie directed by

Walter Grauman Walter E. Grauman (March 17, 1922 – March 20, 2015) was an American director of Theatre director, stage shows, Film director, films and television shows. Early life Grauman was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Jacob and Irene Grauman, both chi ...

, , - , rowspan="6" , 1971 , ''

'' , Doctor Armstrong , Episode: " They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar / The Last Laurel" (S 1:Ep 6–b) , rowspan="7" , , - , ''

Storefront Lawyers ''Storefront Lawyers'' (also known as ''Men at Law'') is an American legal drama that ran from September 1970 to January 1971 and February 1971 to March 1971 on CBS. The series starred Robert Foxworth, Sheila Larken, David Arkin, and A Martinez ...

'' , Kendrick , Episode: " This Money Kills Dreams" (S 1:Ep 22) , - , ''

'' , , Episode: " Love and the Anniversary Crisis / Love and the Conjugal Visit / Love and the Dream Burglar / Love and the Hotel Caper / Love and the Monster" (S 3:Ep 2) , - , ''

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 ...

'' , Lewis R. Enders , Episode: " Dead Pigeon" (S 1:Ep 8) , - , ''

The Partners ''The Partners'' is an American sitcom that aired on September 18, 1971, through September 8, 1972, on NBC. Synopsis The program featured Don Adams and Rupert Crosse as bumbling detectives, John Doucette their exasperated commanding officer. ...

'' , Feeny , Episode: " Have I Got an Apartment for You!" (S 1:Ep 10) , - , ''

'' , Richard Clark , Episode: " Death of a Nobody" (S 4:Ep 13) , - , 1972 , '' Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law'' , Pierce , Episode: " Smiles from Yesterday" (S 1:Ep 21) , - , 1972–73 , ''

'' , Deputy D.A. Chapman , , , - , 1975–78 , ''

'' , rowspan="2" , Dr. Rudy Wells , rowspan="2" , Contract role , rowspan="2" , , - , 1976–78 , ''

'' , - , 1981 , ''

'' , Dr. Arthur Bradshaw , Contract role , , - , 1983-84 , ''

Dallas (1978 TV series) ''Dallas'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1978, to May 3, 1991. The series revolves around an affluent and feuding Texas family, the Ewings, who own the independent oil company Ewing Oil and th ...

'' , Edgar Randolph , 10 episodes , - , 1985 , ''

Benson Benson may refer to: Animals *Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain Places Geography Canada *Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality *Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet United Kingdom * Benson, Oxfordshire ...

'' , Mr. Burger , season 7 episode 6 "$1 million an hour" ,

References

Notes

# Credited as Martin Brooks. # Part of the ''

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 t ...

'' series. #

Uncredited In general, the term credit in the artistic or intellectual sense refers to an acknowledgment of those who contributed to a work, whether through ideas or in a more direct sense. Credit in the arts In the creative arts, credits are an acknowledg ...

. # Episodes were shown out of production order. # Episode was

rerun A rerun or repeat is a rebroadcast of an episode of a radio or television program. There are two types of reruns – those that occur during a hiatus, and those that occur when a program is syndicated. Variations In the United Kingdom, the word ...

on July 6, 1960.

Citations

Sources

* * * * * * * * *

External links

* * *
Martin E. Brooks
(Aveleyman) {{DEFAULTSORT:Brooks, Martin E. 1925 births 2015 deaths People from the Bronx 20th-century American male actors Male actors from New York City People from Studio City, Los Angeles United States Army personnel of World War II American male soap opera actors American male television actors American male film actors United States Army soldiers