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 Radioman (RM) was a rating for United States Navy and United States Coast Guard enlisted personnel, specializing in communications technology. History of the rating The rating was created originally in 1921. In 1997, under the direction of Ch ...

on the

light cruiser A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to thi ...

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 New Orleans Central Business District, Centra ...

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 Roger William Corman (April 5, 1926 – May 9, 2024) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he w ...

on the films '' Swamp Women'' (1956), '' Attack of the Crab Monsters'' (1957), '' Rock All Night'' (1957), '' Carnival Rock'' (1957), '' Night of the Blood Beast'' (1958), '' The Cry Baby Killer'' (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'' 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 ...

'', starring

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

and

Jackie Gleason Herbert John Gleason (born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr.; February 26, 1916June 24, 1987), known as Jackie Gleason, was an American comedian, actor, writer, and composer also known as "The Great One". He developed a style and characters from growin ...

. 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'', ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and reached the top of the ...

'', '' Black Saddle'', ''

Have Gun – Will Travel ''Have Gun – Will Travel'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series that was produced and originally broadcast by CBS on both television and radio from 1957 through 1963. The television version of the series starring Ri ...

'', '' 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 centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'', ''

Rawhide Rawhide may refer to: *Rawhide (material), a hide or animal skin that has not been tanned * Whip made from rawhide Entertainment * ''Rawhide'' (1926 film), a Western directed by Richard Thorpe * ''Rawhide'' (1938 film), a Western starring baseball ...

'', ''

Tombstone Territory ''Tombstone Territory'' is an American Western television series starring Pat Conway and Richard Eastham. The first two seasons aired on ABC from 1957 to 1959. The first season was sponsored by Bristol-Myers (consumer products) and the seco ...

'', ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the late 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was bo ...

'', '' Laramie'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on ...

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

The Rifleman ''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television series 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 ...

'' 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 series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...

'', ''

Flight Flight or flying is the motion (physics), motion of an Physical object, object through an atmosphere, or through the vacuum of Outer space, space, without contacting any planetary surface. This can be achieved by generating aerodynamic lift ass ...

'', ''

The Silent Service is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kaiji Kawaguchi. It was published in Kodansha's '' Weekly Morning'' manga magazine from 1988 to 1996 and collected in 32 volumes. The series was adapted into an anime television spe ...

'', '' The Untouchables'', '' The Outer Limits'', '' Harbor Command'', ''

Tightrope Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope ...

'', '' Coronado 9'', '' The Eleventh Hour'', '' Thriller'', and '' Channing''. He guest-starred on '' Mission: Impossible'',

Highway Patrol A highway patrol is a police unit, detail, or law enforcement agency created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways within a jurisdiction. They are also referred to in many countri ...

, and military sitcom/drama '' Hennesey''. 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 ''Adam-12'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb and produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pe ...

'' 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'' 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 in the television series ''

The Silent Force ''The Silent Force'' is the third studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation, released on 15 November 2004, by GUN Records. On 5 August 2008, ''The Silent Force'' along with ''Mother Earth (Within Temptation album), Mother Eart ...

'', which ran for 15 episodes in 1970–1971. He guest-starred with

David Janssen David Janssen (born David Harold Meyer; March 27, 1931 – February 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 a ...

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 during th ...

'', ''

O'Hara, U.S. Treasury ''O'Hara, U.S. Treasury'' (titled onscreen as ''O'Hara, United States Treasury'') is an American crime drama television series starring David Janssen and broadcast by CBS during the 1971–72 television season. Jack Webb's Mark VII Limited ...

'', ''

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 Zon ...

'', '' Banacek'', ''

Alias Smith and Jones ''Alias Smith and Jones'' is an American Western television series that originally aired on ABC from January 1971 to January 1973. The show initially starred Pete Duel (and, after Duel's death, Roger Davis) as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy ...

'', '' Mod Squad'', '' Mission: Impossible'', ''

The Streets of San Francisco ''The Streets of San Francisco'' is an American television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the show on its ow ...

'', ''

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...

'', '' The F.B.I.'' (in 3 different roles), ''

'', '' Ironside'', '' Police Woman'', '' Medical Center'' (3 roles), ''

The Bionic Woman ''The Bionic Woman'' is an American science fiction film, science fiction Action-adventure fiction, action-adventure television series created by Kenneth Johnson (producer), Kenneth Johnson based on the 1972 novel Cyborg (novel), ''Cyborg'' by ...

'', '' Gibbsville'', '' McMillan and Wife'', ''

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

'', ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner, aired on NBC from September 13, 1974, to January 10, 1980. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator Jim Rockford, with Noah Beery Jr. in th ...

'' (2 roles), ''

Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective fiction, detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law. They run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, Califor ...

'' (2 roles), ''

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts for ABC. It originally aired from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, airing for five seasons consisting of 115 episodes. It was produ ...

'', '' Lou Grant'', '' Trapper John, M.D.'', ''

Vega$ ''Vegas'' (stylized as ''Vega$'') is an American crime drama television series starring Robert Urich that aired on ABC from September 20, 1978, to June 3, 1981, with the pilot episode airing April 25, 1978. ''Vegas'' was produced by Aaron Spel ...

'' (2 roles), ''

CHiPs ''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. After the final first-run telecast on NBC in May 1983, the series went into reruns on Sundays fr ...

'', '' Quincy M.E.'', ''

Matt Houston ''Matt Houston'' is an American crime drama television series starring Lee Horsley as the title character, a wealthy oilman who holds a side job as a private investigator. Created by Lawrence Gordon and produced by Aaron Spelling, it origin ...

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

Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. H ...

'', '' Cagney & Lacey'', ''

MacGyver Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the MacGyver (1985 TV series), 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in Mac ...

'', ''

Jake and the Fatman ''Jake and the Fatman'' is an American crime drama television series starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. (Jason Lochinvar) "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. Created by Dean Hargrove and Joel Steiger, the ser ...

'' (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'' (1972), '' Runaway!'' (1973), '' Houston, We've Got a Problem'' (1974), ''The Missing Are Deadly'' (1975), '' Superdome'' (1978), '' Doctors' Private Lives'' (1978) and '' Crash'' (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 ''Airport 1975'' (also known as ''Airport '75'') is a 1974 American air disaster film and the first sequel to the successful 1970 film ''Airport''. It was directed by Jack Smight, produced by William Frye, executive produced by Jennings Lang, a ...

'' (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 3, 1975, by Columbia Records. This was also the soundtrack for a That's the Way of the World (film), 1975 motion picture of the same ...

'' (1975), '' Acapulco Gold'' (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 ...

'' (1977), '' Police Academy 3: Back in Training'' (1986), '' Brenda Starr'' (1989), '' The Boneyard'' (1991), '' Who Am I?'' (1998) and '' Runaway Jury'' (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. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...

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 Ac ...

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 in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...

. 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 government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...

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 powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

prompted him to move his family far to the north to Sterlington, Louisiana. At the time of his death, however, he had moved to

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the List of municipalitie ...

, 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'' (1955) as Charlie *'' Swamp Women'' (1956) as Police Sergeant *'' Attack of the Crab Monsters'' (1957) as Ensign Quinlan *'' Rock All Night'' (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/ comedy horror film produced by James H. Nicholson for release by Amer ...

'' (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 (actor), William Talman, Donna Martell, Jean Willes, Rex Ingram (actor), Rex Ingram ...

'' (1957) as Guard No. 2 *'' Teenage Doll'' (1957) as Police Officer 'Dutch' / Blind Man *'' Carnival Rock'' (1957) as Cannon *'' Street of Darkness'' (1958) as Slavo *'' Teenage Caveman'' (1958) as Blond Tribe Member *'' She Gods of Shark Reef'' (1958) as Guard *'' Devil's Partner'' (filmed in 1958, released in 1961) as Nick Richards / Pete Jensen *'' Night of the Blood Beast'' (1958) as Dave Randall *'' The Cry Baby Killer'' (1958) as Rick Connor *'' Hot Car Girl'' (1958) as Second Cop at Soda Bar *'' The Brain Eaters'' (1958) as Dr. Paul Kettering *'' I Mobster'' (1959) as Sid - Henchman *'' The Young Captives'' (1959) as Norm Britt *'' T-Bird Gang'' (1959) as Alex Hendricks *'' A Bucket of Blood'' (1959) as Art Lacroix *'' Valley of the Redwoods'' (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 onese ...

'' (1960) as Paul Lane *''

Elmer Gantry ''Elmer Gantry'' is a 1927 satirical novel written by Sinclair Lewis that presents aspects of the religious activity of the United States in fundamentalist and evangelistic circles and the attitudes of the 1920s public toward it. Reverend Dr. ...

'' (1960) as Man on Phone at Sister Sharon Headquarters *'' Judgment at Nuremberg'' (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, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 a ...

'' (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 *'' The Screaming Woman'' (1972) as Carl Nesbitt *''Time to Run'' (1973) as Warren Cole *''

'' (1974) as Major John Alexander *''

'' (1975) as Carlton James *'' Acapulco Gold'' (1976) as Ray Hollister *'' Midway'' (1976) as Admiral Harry Pearson *''

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

'' (1989) as General Stone *'' The Boneyard'' (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 *'' Runaway Jury'' (2003) as George Dressler

Selected television

*''

'' (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" *''

'' (1961) as Outlaw Browder *''

'' (1961) as Lieutenant Cory Clemens in S3:E26, "Incident of the Painted Lady" *''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American Western (genre), Western anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was ...

'' (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 *''

'' (1977) as Edgar 'Bud' Clement in "Trouble in Chapter 17"

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