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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
December 21, 1928
Died
August 9, 2014
Place of Birth
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Also Known As
- Edwin Stafford Nelson
Ed Nelson
1.5 Popularity
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Edwin Stafford Nelson (born December 21, 1928) is an American actor. Nelson has appeared in numerous television shows, more than fifty motion pictures, and hundreds of stage productions. Until 2005, he was teaching acting and screenwriting in his native New Orleans at two local universities there. Hurricane Katrina prompted him to move his family to Sterlington near Monroe in Ouachita Parish in northeastern Louisiana. Nelson 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. After graduating, he took a position as a director at WDSU-TV in New Orleans. By 1956, acting became his central focus and he moved to the Los Angeles area. Early in his career he worked with famed B-movie producer Roger Corman on such Corman films as Cry Baby Killers, A Bucket of Blood, Teenage Cave Man and Attack of the Crab Monsters. In 1958 he participated in Bruno VeSota's science fiction horror film The Brain Eaters. His early television career featured many guest starring roles in such series as The Fugitive, Gunsmoke, Harbor Command, Tombstone Territory, Tightrope, The Blue Angels (as arrogant flight instructor Lieutenant Dayl Martin), Laramie, COronado 9, The Eleventh Hour, Bonanza, Thriller (US TV series), and Channing, an ABC drama about college life. In 1964 he won his most famous role portraying Dr. Michael Rossi on the ABC drama Peyton Place, which ran from 1964 to 1969. Nelson's fellow cast members included Mia Farrow, Ryan O'Neal, and Dorothy Malone. Dr. Rossi proved to be so popular that by 1968, he became the lead actor on the show. Nelson reprised his role in two made-for-TV movies, Murder in Peyton Place and Peyton Place: The Next Generation. After Peyton Place ended, Nelson worked in many more productions of all varieties, including starring role in many movies of the week, a second TV series, "The Silent Force," and a popular morning talk show which he hosted for three years. Soon after, Nelson struck gold with his critically acclaimed portrayal of elusive pit crew chief Robert Denby in the hit film Riding with Death (1976), earning him several prestigious accolades and legions of devoted fans. He portrayed a dangerous impostor in the adventure movie For the Love of Benji (1977). During the 1980s, Nelson took on the role of Senator Mark Denning in the daytime soap Capitol. Nelson also spent a couple of years as Harry Truman onstage replacing James Whitmore for the National Tour of "Give 'Em Hell, Harry." While living in Los Angeles, Nelson was an active member of the Screen Actors Guild and was elected to the union board for many years. Nelson is a long-standing member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and continues a long tradition of participation in voting for the Academy Awards. In 1999, Nelson returned to Tulane University to finish credits toward his undergraduate degree, which he completed the following year at the age of seventy-one. Nelson continues to act as the opportunity arises. He and his wife of fifty-eight years, Patsy, enjoy semi-retirement visiting his six children and fourteen grandchildren. Description above from the Wikipedia article Ed Nelson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
6.9
George Dressler
Runaway Jury
2003
7.1
General Sharman
Who Am I?
1998
7.5
Dr. August Claiborne
Cries of Silence
1996
5.7
Jersey Callum
The Boneyard
1991
4.0
General Stone
Deadly Weapon
1989
6.2
D.A. Marcus Packard
Jake and the Fatman
1987
5.0
J.J. Starbuck
1987
6.0
Victor Handler
Sworn to Silence
1987
5.8
Governor Neilson
Police Academy 3: Back in Training
1986
7.7
Arthur Bandel
MacGyver
1985
Credits
Runaway Jury
as George Dressler
2003
6.9
Who Am I?
as General Sharman
1998
7.1
Cries of Silence
as Dr. August Claiborne
1996
7.5
The Boneyard
as Jersey Callum
1991
5.7
Deadly Weapon
as General Stone
1989
4.0
Jake and the Fatman
as D.A. Marcus Packard
1987
6.2
J.J. Starbuck
1987
5.0
Sworn to Silence
as Victor Handler
1987
6.0
Police Academy 3: Back in Training
as Governor Neilson
1986
5.8
MacGyver
as Arthur Bandel
1985
7.7
Peyton Place: The Next Generation
as Dr. Michael Rossi
1985
0.0
Murder, She Wrote
as Raymond 'Ray' Bascomb
1984
7.5
Murder, She Wrote
as Judge Willard Clinton
1984
7.5
Murder, She Wrote
as Henry Post
1984
7.5
Murder, She Wrote
as Mayor Albert Simpson
1984
7.5
Murder, She Wrote
as Carl Turnball
1984
7.5
Finder of Lost Loves
as Bill Garnett
1984
5.7
Matt Houston
1982
6.2
Hotel
1982
6.8
Capitol
1982
5.7
Cagney & Lacey
as Sgt. Steingrove
1982
7.0
Help Wanted: Male
as George Dobbs
1982
5.0
Born to Be Sold
as Carl Strickland
1981
3.8
Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb
as President Harry S. Truman
1980
5.7
The Return of Frank Cannon
as Mike Danvers
1980
6.2
The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything
as Joseph Locordolos
1980
5.1
🎬
Hagen
1980
5.0
Trapper John, M.D.
1979
6.5
Anatomy of a Seduction
as Mark Kane
1979
5.5
🎬
Doctors' Private Lives
1979
0.0
The Crash of Flight 401
as Philip Mulwray
1978
7.5
Vega$
1978
7.0
Leave Yesterday Behind
as Mr. Clarkson
1978
4.9
Dallas
as Jeb Amos
1978
6.8
Doctors' Private Lives
as Dr. Mike Wise
1978
0.0
Superdome
as George Beldridge
1978
4.4
Murder in Peyton Place
as Dr. Michael Rossi
1977
5.0
Lou Grant
1977
7.3
Logan's Run
as Dr. Rowan
1977
6.7
CHiPs
1977
6.8
A Little Game
as Paul Hamilton
1977
6.7
For the Love of Benji
as Chandler Dietrich
1977
5.7
Gibbsville
1976
0.0
Quincy, M.E.
1976
7.5
Charlie's Angels
as George Starrett
1976
6.7
Midway
as Admiral Harry Pearson
1976
6.6
Acapulco Gold
as Ray Hollister
1976
3.3
The Bionic Woman
1976
6.9
Riding with Death
as Robert Denby
1976
2.6
That's the Way of the World
as Carlton James
1975
6.2
The Missing Are Deadly
1975
5.0
Airport 1975
as Major John Alexander
1974
5.7
The Rockford Files
as Edgar 'Bud' Clement
1974
7.6
The Rockford Files
as Blake Sternlight
1974
7.6
Police Woman
1974
6.2
Police Headquarters
as Lt. Calvin Zenger
1974
0.0
Houston, We've Got a Problem
as Gene Kranz, Flight Director
1974
6.0
Linda
as Paul Reston
1973
6.0
Runaway!
as Nick Staffo
1973
5.3
Barnaby Jones
as Larry Kinner
1973
6.9
Time to Run
as Warren Cole
1973
3.8
Kung Fu
as Sheriff Walter Raha
1972
7.7
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
7.0
Search
1972
6.9
The Screaming Woman
as Carl Nesbitt
1972
6.8
The Sixth Sense
1972
5.9
Brink of Disaster!
as Dr. Harden
1972
6.0
Cannon
1971
6.6
Alias Smith and Jones
1971
7.0
Night Gallery
as Tom Burke (segment “Little Girl Lost”)
1970
7.8
The Silent Force
1970
5.0
Along Came a Spider
as Dr. Martin Becker
1970
5.2
Medical Center
as Hank
1969
6.1
The Mod Squad
1968
6.2
Adam-12
as Abe Strayhorn
1968
7.0
Ironside
1967
6.8
Mission: Impossible
as Van Cleve
1966
7.6
The F.B.I.
as Walter Swenson
1965
5.4
The F.B.I.
as Hamilton
1965
5.4
Peyton Place
as Michael Rossi
1964
6.1
The Man from Galveston
as Cole Marteen
1963
5.2
Soldier in the Rain
as James Priest
1963
6.3
Redigo
1963
5.0
Channing
as Deke Allison
1963
7.0
The Fugitive
as Paul Clements
1963
7.2
The Fugitive
as Steve Edson
1963
7.2
The Outer Limits
as Col. Luke Stone
1963
7.8
Arrest and Trial
1963
7.7
The Dakotas
1963
5.7
The Gallant Men
1962
6.0
Stoney Burke
1962
5.7
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
as Tom Keller
1962
7.8
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
as Alex Trevor
1962
7.8
The Virginian
as Ralph Slocum
1962
6.4
Saints and Sinners
as Ray
1962
6.0
Sam Benedict
as Neil Bracket
1962
6.0
Judgment at Nuremberg
as Captain at Nightclub Announcing Call-up of Officers (uncredited)
1961
8.0
The New Breed
as Jefty Bright
1961
7.0
The New Breed
as Roger Sykes
1961
7.0
Dr. Kildare
as Dr. Keith Judge
1961
5.5
87th Precinct
1961
7.5
Devil's Partner
as Nick Richards / Pete Jensen
1961
5.3
Cain's Hundred
as Peter Stull
1961
4.7
The Fatal Impulse
as Brundage
1960
1.0
Surfside 6
1960
5.0
Checkmate
as Gil Stoneham
1960
4.1
Checkmate
as Chuck Palmer
1960
4.1
The Aquanauts
as Chris Garland
1960
5.5
Thriller
as Brundage
1960
6.6
Thriller
as Charlie
1960
6.6
Thriller
as Tom Ellison / Daniel Le Jean
1960
6.6
The Tall Man
1960
6.3
Coronado 9
1960
6.0
Code of Silence
1960
5.0
Valley of the Redwoods
as Dino Michaelis
1960
5.0
A Bucket of Blood
as Art Lacroix
1959
6.6
The Detectives
1959
6.1
T-Bird Gang
as Alex Hendricks
1959
4.7
The Rebel
as Chad
1959
4.7
The Rebel
as Doug
1959
4.7
The Rebel
as The Stalker
1959
4.7
The Rebel
as Clint Mowbree
1959
4.7
The Twilight Zone
as Philip Redfield
1959
8.5
Johnny Ringo
as Kirk
1959
5.7
Johnny Ringo
as Tomstedter
1959
5.7
Laramie
as Sable
1959
6.6
Riverboat
as Jim Tyler
1959
6.2
Tightrope
1959
5.5
I, Mobster
as Sid - Henchman (uncredited)
1959
6.5
The Young Captives
as Norm Britt
1959
5.0
Black Saddle
as Lee Coogan
1959
6.0
Black Saddle
as Roy Corey
1959
6.0
Rawhide
as Lt. Cory Clemens
1959
7.2
Rawhide
as Sam Weber
1959
7.2
Rawhide
as Chuck Whittaker
1959
7.2
77 Sunset Strip
1958
6.7
Bat Masterson
as Jedrow
1958
6.1
Bat Masterson
as Browder
1958
6.1
The Rifleman
1958
7.1
The Brain Eaters
as Dr. Paul Kettering
1958
4.8
Hot Car Girl
as Cop #2
1958
6.0
Cry Baby Killer
as Rick Connor
1958
5.5
Night of the Blood Beast
as Dave Randall
1958
3.7
She Gods of Shark Reef
as Guard (uncredited)
1958
3.0
Teenage Cave Man
as Blonde Tribe Member
1958
3.8
Tombstone Territory
as Cowboy
1957
6.2
Harbor Command
1957
4.0
Maverick
1957
6.9
Maverick
as 2nd Classmate (uncredited)
1957
6.9
Perry Mason
as Ward Nichols
1957
7.7
Perry Mason
as Dirk Blake
1957
7.7
M Squad
as Lenny Maston
1957
5.2
Teenage Doll
as Police Officer 'Dutch' / Blind Man
1957
5.0
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957
7.3
Carnival Rock
as Cannon
1957
4.4
Invasion of the Saucer-Men
as Tom
1957
4.8
Bayou
as Etienne (as Edwin Nelson)
1957
2.6
Rock All Night
as Pete
1957
5.4
Attack of the Crab Monsters
as Ensign Quinlan
1957
5.2
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
as Nelson
1956
6.0
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
as Jack Bowen
1956
6.0
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
as Albie
1956
6.0
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
as Tantasi
1956
6.0
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
as Vince Harwell
1956
6.0
Swamp Women
as Police Sergeant
1956
3.4
Highway Patrol
1955
5.8
Gunsmoke
as Lee Prentice
1955
6.6
Gunsmoke
as Rusk
1955
6.6
Gunsmoke
as Perce
1955
6.6
Gunsmoke
as Seth
1955
6.6
Gunsmoke
as Burt Cury
1955
6.6
Gunsmoke
as Tom
1955
6.6
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
1955
6.8
New Orleans Uncensored
as Charlie
1955
4.5
The Steel Trap
as Man in Ticket Line at Airport (uncredited)
1952
6.4