William Schallert, prolific character actor and star of The Patty Duke Show, has passed away, Variety reports.
The former SAG president was 93 years old.
Born in Los Angeles, Schallert got his start in acting as a student at the University of Southern California. From there, he co-founded the Circle Theatre with Sydney Chaplin, son of the famous Charlie Chaplin. In the ’50s, he appeared in minor roles in several films like The Red Badge of Courage and Pillow Talk.
In 1963, Schallert began what is likely his most memorable role, that of Martin Lane on The Patty Duke Show. The ABC sitcom ran for three seasons and ended in 1966 after a total of 104 episodes.
Throughout the rest of his life, the actor continued to work on a variety of movies and TV shows like The Twilight Zone, The Waltons, Hawaii Five-O, and True Blood. In the ’60s, he even appeared on the original Star Trek as Nilz Baris, an irate agriculture undersecretary.
Between 1979 and 1981, Schallert served as president of the Screen Actors Guild, overseeing a major strike in 1980. He last appeared on CBS’ 2 Broke Girls.
What do you think? Do you remember Schallert from The Patty Duke Show? What’s your favorite role of his?
You are currently viewing the mobile version of our site. View the full site to get free email alerts, vote on your favorite shows, comment, and more.