Warren Stevens  

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Warren Stevens (born November 2, 1919 - March 27, 2012) was an American stage, screen, and television actor.

Personal Life

Born in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, Stevens began his acting career after serving in the U.S. Army Air Force as a pilot during World War II. He trained at The Actor's Studio in New York, received notice on Broadway, and thereafter was offered a Hollywood contract at 20th Century Fox. His first credited movie role was a bit part in The Frogmen in 1951. As a young studio player Stevens had little choice of material, and his feature film appearances in the 1950s ranged from the undistinguished (Phone Call from a Stranger, Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie, both 1952) to the execrable Gorilla at Large (1954). Stevens' most memorable movie role was probably the ill-fated "Doc" Ostrow in the classic science fiction film Forbidden Planet (1956). He also had a supporting role in The Barefoot Contessa (1954) with Humphrey Bogart.

Despite occasional parts in big films, Stevens was unable to break out consistently into A-list movies, so he carved out a durable career in television as a reliable journeyman dramatic actor of considerable versatility.

Career

He co-starred in Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers (NBC, 1956 - 1957) as Lt. William Storm, a prime-time adventure series set in India.

He appeared in over 150 prime time shows from the 1950s to the early 1980s, including:

• Golden Age anthology series (Actor's Studio, Campbell Playhouse, Justice, Philco Television Playhouse, Studio One, The United States Steel Hour, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Route 66),

• Mysteries (Hawaiian Eye (4 episodes), Perry Mason, The Untouchables, Climax!, Checkmate (2 episodes), Surfside 6 (2 episodes), 77 Sunset Strip (2 episodes), Behind Closed Doors, I Spy, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Ironside (3 episodes), The Mod Squad, Cannon (3 episodes), Griff,

• Horror and Sci Fi Inner Sanctum (3 episodes), Alfred Hitchcock Presents (2 episodes), The Twilight Zone (episode "Dead Man's Shoes"), One Step Beyond (episode "The Riddle"), Mission: Impossible (4 episodes), The Outer Limits (episode Keeper of the Purple Twilight), Star Trek (episode By Any Other Name), Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (3 episodes), The Time Tunnel, Science Fiction Theater, Land of the Giants (2 episodes)

• Westerns (Laramie, The Rebel, Wagon Train (2 episodes), Gunsmoke (3 episodes), Bonanza (4 episodes), Daniel Boone (3 episodes), The Virginian (3 episodes), Rawhide, and Have Gun, Will Travel (3 episodes)).

It was his appearances on Have Gun, Will Travel that introduced him to Richard Boone, which resulted in Stevens's only continuing TV role as one of the "regulars" in The Richard Boone Show, an award-winning anthology series which lasted for one season (1963–64).

His appearances have been infrequent since the mid 1980s, but he made a guest appearance on ER as recently as March 2006, and had two roles in 2007.

Death

Stevens died on March 27, 2012, from complications of lung disease in his home in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California.

Television