Walter Mathews (October 10, 1926 – April 28, 2012) was an American character actor whose credits included roles in television, film and theater. Mathews was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

on October 10, 1926, and was raised 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 ...

. He earned a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

in drama from

Ohio University Ohio University is a public research university in Athens, Ohio. The first university chartered by an Act of Congress and the first to be chartered in Ohio, the university was chartered in 1787 by the Congress of the Confederation and subseq ...

. Mathews debuted in the

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 ...

production of ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane ...

'' in 1956, which starred

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

. He was a member of the original Broadway cast of '' Equus'', which opened in New York in 1974. On television, Mathews appeared in a series of commercials for '' Fram Oil Filters'' as the original fictional Fram

mechanic A mechanic is an artisan, skilled tradesperson, or technician who uses tools to build, maintain, or repair machinery, especially cars. Duties Most mechanics specialize in a particular field, such as auto body mechanics, air conditioning an ...

who promised consumers, "You can pay me now or pay me later." In 1962 Matthews appeared as Mr. Harper on the TV western '' The Virginian'' in the episode titled "The Brazen Bell." Mathews also had recurring roles in the '' Another World'' and '' General Hospital''

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

s. His additional television credits included '' Ripcord'', ''

Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing the two short-lived situa ...

'', '' Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.'', '' Murder, She Wrote'', ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'', '' Mannix'', '' Charlie's Angels'', '' Adam-12'', ''

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 ...

'', '' Mission: Impossible'', Starsky & Hutch, Alice, Medical Center and

The FBI 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 ...

. His film credits included roles in '' The Naked Kiss'' (1964), ''

The Lawyer ''The Lawyer'' is a legal business information product for law firm leaders, commercial lawyers, barristers A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. The ...

'' (1970), '' Beyond Reason'' (1977), '' Nighthawks'' (1981) and ''

Cannery Row Cannery Row is the waterfront street bordering the city of Pacific Grove, but officially in the New Monterey section of Monterey, California. It was the site of a number of now-defunct sardine canning factories. The last cannery closed in 1973 ...

'' (1982). Mathews made his last on-screen appearance in 1986. Mathews died of natural causes on April 28, 2012, in

Mountain Center, California Mountain Center is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in the San Jacinto Mountains, within western central Riverside County, California. Geography It lies centered on the junction of State Route 74 and State Route 243 in th ...

, at the age of 85.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mathews, Walter 1926 births 2012 deaths American male television actors American male film actors American male stage actors Ohio University alumni Male actors from the Bronx 20th-century American male actors