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.
Born to Be Sold
(Carl Strickland)
A Bucket of Blood
(Art Lacroix)
Code of Silence
Attack of the Crab Monsters
(Ensign Quinlan)
Airport 1975
(Major John Alexander)
Time to Run
(Warren Cole)
Carnival Rock
(Cannon)
New Orleans Uncensored
(Charlie)
The Brain Eaters
(Dr. Paul Kettering)
Invasion of the Saucer-Men
(Tom)
The Boneyard
(Jersey Callum)
Devil's Partner
(Nick Richards / Pete Jensen)
Night of the Blood Beast
(Dave Randall)
The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything
(Joseph Locordolos)
Houston, We've Got a Problem
(Gene Kranz, Flight Director)
Deadly Weapon
(General Stone)
The Man from Galveston
(Cole Marteen)
The Screaming Woman
(Carl Nesbitt)
The Young Captives
(Norm Britt)
Anatomy of a Seduction
(Mark Kane)
Along Came a Spider
(Dr. Martin Becker)
A Little Game
(Paul Hamilton)
Runaway!
(Nick Staffo)
T-Bird Gang
(Alex Hendricks)
Valley of the Redwoods
(Dino Michaelis)
Murder in Peyton Place
(Dr. Michael Rossi)
Superdome
(George Beldridge)
Linda
(Paul Reston)
Who Am I?
(General Sharman)
Midway
(Admiral Harry Pearson)
Brink of Disaster!
Bayou
(Etienne (as Edwin Nelson))
Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb
(President Harry S. Truman)
Riding with Death
(Robert Denby)
Doctors' Private Lives
(Dr. Mike Wise)
Sworn to Silence
(Victor Handler)
Judgment at Nuremberg
(Captain at Nightclub Announcing Call-up of Officers (uncredited))
Leave Yesterday Behind
(Mr. Clarkson)
I, Mobster
(Sid - Henchman (uncredited))
Cries of Silence
(Dr. August Claiborne)
Swamp Women
(Police Sergeant)
Acapulco Gold
(Ray Hollister)
The Fatal Impulse
(Brundage)
The Crash of Flight 401
(Philip Mulwray)
The Return of Frank Cannon
(Mike Danvers)
The Missing Are Deadly
Teenage Cave Man
(Blonde Tribe Member)
For the Love of Benji
(Chandler Dietrich)
Police Headquarters
(Lt. Calvin Zenger)
Peyton Place: The Next Generation
(Dr. Michael Rossi)
Runaway Jury
(George Dressler)
Help Wanted: Male
(George Dobbs)
The Cry Baby Killer
(Rick Connor)
Soldier in the Rain
(James Priest)
That's the Way of the World
(Carlton James)
Police Academy 3: Back in Training
(Governor Neilson)
Rock All Night
(Pete)
Teenage Doll
(Police Officer 'Dutch' / Blind Man)
She Gods of Shark Reef
(Guard (uncredited))
Lou Grant
Murder, She Wrote
(Raymond 'Ray' Bascomb)
CHiPs
The Gallant Men
77 Sunset Strip
Cain's Hundred
(Peter Stull)
Trapper John, M.D.
Kung Fu
The F.B.I.
(Walter Swenson)
The Bionic Woman
Quincy, M.E.
The Streets of San Francisco
Alias Smith and Jones
Charlie's Angels
(George Starrett)
Hotel
MacGyver
(Arthur Bandel)
Surfside 6
The Mod Squad
Medical Center
(Hank)
Gunsmoke
(Lee Prentice)
Perry Mason
(Ward Nichols)
Arrest and Trial
Cagney & Lacey
(Sgt. Steingrove)
Johnny Ringo
(Kirk)
Dallas
(Jeb Amos)
Mission: Impossible
Jake and the Fatman
(D.A. Marcus Packard)
Cannon
Saints and Sinners
(Ray)
Black Saddle
(Lee Coogan)
The Twilight Zone
(Philip Redfield)
Ironside
The Tall Man
87th Precinct
Sam Benedict
Redigo
Rawhide
(Lt. Cory Clemens)
Vega$
Police Woman
Have Gun, Will Travel
Highway Patrol
The Fugitive
(Paul Clements)
The Virginian
(Ralph Slocum)
Capitol
Thriller
(Brundage)
Search
The Aquanauts
(Chris Garland)
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
Matt Houston
M Squad
(Lenny Maston)
Peyton Place
(Michael Rossi)
The Sixth Sense
Black Saddle
(Roy Corey)
The Rebel
(Chad)
The Dakotas
The Rifleman
Bat Masterson
(Jedrow)
Riverboat
(Jim Tyler)
The New Breed
(Jefty Bright)
The Detectives
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
(Nelson)
Stoney Burke
Johnny Ringo
(Tomstedter)
Tightrope
Dr. Kildare
(Dr. Keith Judge)
Coronado 9
The Outer Limits
(Col. Luke Stone)
The Silent Force
Harbor Command
Gibbsville
Doctors' Private Lives
The Fugitive
(Steve Edson)
Channing
(Deke Allison)
Hagen
J.J. Starbuck
Logan's Run
Maverick
Laramie
(Sable)
Tombstone Territory
(Cowboy)
Murder, She Wrote
(Judge Willard Clinton)
Murder, She Wrote
(Henry Post)
Night Gallery
(Tom Burke (segment “Little Girl Lost”))
Rawhide
(Sam Weber)
The F.B.I.
(Hamilton)
Gunsmoke
(Rusk)
The New Breed
(Roger Sykes)
Gunsmoke
(Perce)
Gunsmoke
(Seth)
Gunsmoke
(Burt Cury)
Gunsmoke
(Tom)
Adam-12
(Abe Strayhorn)
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
(Jack Bowen)
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
(Tantasi)
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
(Vince Harwell)
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
(Albie)
Murder, She Wrote
(Mayor Albert Simpson)
Checkmate
(Chuck Palmer)
Checkmate
(Gil Stoneham)
Thriller
(Charlie)
Thriller
(Tom Ellison / Daniel Le Jean)
The Rebel
(The Stalker)
The Rebel
(Clint Mowbree)
The Rebel
(Doug)
Perry Mason
(Dirk Blake)
Bat Masterson
(Browder)
Maverick
(2nd Classmate (uncredited))
The Rockford Files
(Edgar 'Bud' Clement)
Finder of Lost Loves
(Bill Garnett)
Banacek
(Geoff Holden)
Barnaby Jones
(Larry Kinner)
The Rockford Files
(Blake Sternlight)
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
(Tom Keller)
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
(Alex Trevor)
Murder, She Wrote
(Carl Turnball)
Rawhide
(Chuck Whittaker)