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Ed Nelson

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.


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Born:
Dec 21, 1928 In New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
126
First Appeared:
In the series Peyton Place: The Next Generation
Latest Project:
Movie Runaway Jury 2003-01-16
Known For
Poster of Capitol
Poster of The Twilight Zone
Poster of Bat Masterson
Poster of Maverick
Filmography
Series Peyton Place: The Next Generation Unknown 2025
Movie Runaway Jury George Dressler 2003-01-16
Movie There's Something About Mary Jailbird 1998-07-15
Movie Who Am I? General Sharman 1998-01-17
Movie Cries of Silence Dr. August Claiborne 1996-05-01
Movie The Boneyard Jersey Callum 1991-06-12
Movie Deadly Weapon General Stone 1989-08-15
Movie Sworn to Silence Victor Handler 1987-04-06
Series Jake and the Fatman Unknown 1987-09-26
Series J.J. Starbuck Unknown 1987-09-26
Movie Police Academy 3: Back in Training Governor Neilson 1986-03-20
Series MacGyver Unknown 1985-09-29
Series Murder, She Wrote Unknown 1984-09-30
Series Cagney & Lacey Unknown 1982-03-25
Movie Help Wanted: Male George Dobbs 1982-01-16
Series Hotel Unknown 1982-08-21
Series Matt Houston Unknown 1982-09-26
Series Capitol 1982-03-26
Movie Born to Be Sold Carl Strickland 1981-11-02
Series Hagen Unknown 1980-03-15
Movie The Return of Frank Cannon Mike Danvers 1980-10-31
Movie The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything Joseph Locordolos 1980-06-13
Movie Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb President Harry S. Truman 1980-11-23
Series Doctors' Private Lives 1979-04-05
Movie Anatomy of a Seduction Mark Kane 1979-05-08
Series Trapper John, M.D. Unknown 1979-09-23
Movie Superdome George Beldridge 1978-01-09
Movie The Crash of Flight 401 Philip Mulwray 1978-10-29
Movie Doctors' Private Lives Dr. Mike Wise 1978-03-20
Movie Leave Yesterday Behind Mr. Clarkson 1978-05-14
Series Vega$ Unknown 1978-09-20
Movie For the Love of Benji Chandler Dietrich 1977-06-10
Series CHiPs Unknown 1977-09-15
Series Lou Grant Unknown 1977-09-20
Movie Murder in Peyton Place Dr. Michael Rossi 1977-10-03
Series Logan's Run Unknown 1977-09-16
Series Gemini Man Unknown 1976-05-10
Movie Riding with Death Robert Denby 1976-01-01
Movie Acapulco Gold Ray Hollister 1976-06-01
Series The Bionic Woman Unknown 1976-01-14
Series Gibbsville Unknown 1976-11-11
Series Quincy, M.E. Unknown 1976-10-03
Series Charlie's Angels Unknown 1976-09-22
Movie Midway Admiral Harry Pearson 1976-06-18
Movie The Missing Are Deadly 1975-01-08
Movie That's the Way of the World Carlton James 1975-06-01
Movie Houston, We've Got a Problem Gene Kranz, Flight Director 1974-03-02
Series Police Woman Unknown 1974-09-13
Movie Airport 1975 Major John Alexander 1974-10-18
Movie Linda Paul Reston 1973-11-03
Movie Runaway! Nick Staffo 1973-09-29
Series Kung Fu Unknown 1972-10-14
Series The Sixth Sense Unknown 1972-01-15
Movie The Screaming Woman Carl Nesbitt 1972-01-29
Series The Streets of San Francisco Unknown 1972-09-23
Series Search Unknown 1972-09-13
Series Alias Smith and Jones Unknown 1971-01-05
Series Cannon Unknown 1971-09-14
Movie A Little Game Paul Hamilton 1971-10-31
Series The Silent Force 1970-09-21
Movie Along Came a Spider Dr. Martin Becker 1970-02-03
Series Medical Center Unknown 1969-09-24
Series The Mod Squad Unknown 1968-09-24
Series Ironside Unknown 1967-03-28
Series Mission: Impossible Unknown 1966-09-17
Series The F.B.I. Unknown 1965-09-19
Series Peyton Place Michael Rossi 1964-09-15
Series The Dakotas Unknown 1963-01-07
Series The Outer Limits Unknown 1963-09-16
Series Arrest and Trial Unknown 1963-09-15
Series The Fugitive Unknown 1963-09-17
Movie Soldier in the Rain James Priest 1963-11-27
Series Redigo Unknown 1963-09-24
Movie The Man from Galveston Cole Marteen 1963-12-18
Series Sam Benedict Unknown 1962-09-15
Series Stoney Burke Unknown 1962-10-01
Series The Virginian Unknown 1962-09-19
Series The Gallant Men Unknown 1962-10-05
Movie Devil's Partner Nick Richards / Pete Jensen 1961-09-19
Series Cain's Hundred Unknown 1961-09-19
Series Dr. Kildare Unknown 1961-09-27
Series 87th Precinct Unknown 1961-09-25
Series The New Breed Unknown 1961-10-03
Movie Judgment at Nuremberg Captain at Nightclub Announcing Call-up of Officers (uncredited) 1961-12-18
Movie Valley of the Redwoods Dino Michaelis 1960-05-08
Series The Tall Man Unknown 1960-09-10
Series Coronado 9 Unknown 1960-09-06
Series Thriller Unknown 1960-09-13
Series Surfside 6 Unknown 1960-10-06
Series The Aquanauts Unknown 1960-09-14
Series Riverboat Unknown 1959-09-13
Series Tightrope Unknown 1959-09-08
Series Rawhide Unknown 1959-01-09
Series Black Saddle Unknown 1959-01-10
Movie The Young Captives Norm Britt 1959-02-01
Series Johnny Ringo Unknown 1959-10-02
Movie A Bucket of Blood Art Lacroix 1959-10-21
Series The Twilight Zone Unknown 1959-10-02
Series The Detectives Unknown 1959-10-16
Movie T-Bird Gang Alex Hendricks 1959-10-16
Series The Rebel Unknown 1959-10-04
Movie She Gods of Shark Reef Guard (uncredited) 1958-08-01
Movie Teenage Cave Man Blonde Tribe Member 1958-07-01
Movie Night of the Blood Beast Dave Randall 1958-08-01
Movie The Cry Baby Killer Rick Connor 1958-08-15
Series 77 Sunset Strip Unknown 1958-10-10
Series Bat Masterson Unknown 1958-10-08
Series The Rifleman Unknown 1958-09-30
Movie The Brain Eaters Dr. Paul Kettering 1958-09-01
Movie Bayou Etienne (as Edwin Nelson) 1957-06-01
Movie Invasion of the Saucer-Men Tom 1957-06-01
Movie Attack of the Crab Monsters Ensign Quinlan 1957-02-10
Movie Carnival Rock Cannon 1957-09-01
Movie Rock All Night Pete 1957-04-01
Series Perry Mason Unknown 1957-09-21
Series Harbor Command Unknown 1957-10-11
Series Maverick Unknown 1957-09-22
Series M Squad Unknown 1957-09-20
Movie Teenage Doll Police Officer 'Dutch' / Blind Man 1957-09-19
Series Have Gun, Will Travel Unknown 1957-09-14
Movie Swamp Women Police Sergeant 1956-04-01
Series Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre Unknown 1956-10-05
Movie New Orleans Uncensored Charlie 1955-03-01
Series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Unknown 1955-09-06
Series Gunsmoke Unknown 1955-09-10
Series Highway Patrol Unknown 1955-10-03