
William Schallert
1 FOLLOWER • 117 CREDITS • JUL 6, 1922 - MAY 8, 2016 • 93
Biography
William Joseph Schallert (July 6, 1922 – May 8, 2016, Height 6 feet 1 inch [1.85 meters]) was an American character actor who appeared in dozens of television shows and films over a career spanning more than 60 years. He is known for his roles on Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1957–1959), Death Valley Days (1955–1962), and The Patty Duke Show (1963–1966).
Schallert was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Edwin Francis Schallert, a longtime drama critic for the Los Angeles Times, and Elza Emily Schallert (née Baumgarten), a magazine writer and radio host. He began acting while a student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) but left to become an Army Air Corps fighter pilot in World War II. He returned to UCLA after the war and graduated in 1946.
After graduating from UCLA, Schallert began his acting career in the theater. He appeared in several productions at the Circle Theatre in Los Angeles, including a staging of W. Somerset Maugham's Rain in 1948, which was directed by Charlie Chaplin.
Schallert made his television debut in 1951, and he quickly became a familiar face on the small screen. He appeared in numerous guest roles on shows such as The Adventures of Superman, The Twilight Zone, and The Dick Van Dyke Show. He also had recurring roles on The Patty Duke Show, The Nancy Drew Mysteries, and The Torkelsons.
In addition to his work on television, Schallert also appeared in several films, including The Bridges of Toko-Ri (1954), The Apartment (1960), and The Sting (1973).
Schallert died in Pacific Palisades, California, in 2016, at the age of 93. He was survived by his wife, Leah Waggner, and their four children.
Known For

Gunsmoke

The F.B.I.

Lux Video Theatre

Perry Mason

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Four Star Playhouse

General Electric Theater

Hawaii Five-O

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre

Rawhide

Mission: Impossible

Close to Home

Wagon Train

ER

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

Police Story

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

CHiPs

St. Elsewhere

Melrose Place

Dream On

Simon & Simon

Dr. Kildare

Wanted: Dead or Alive

Little House on the Prairie

Have Gun, Will Travel

Switch

Murphy Brown

Peter Gunn

Letter to Loretta

Kung Fu

The Dick Van Dyke Show

Desperate Housewives

Lou Grant

Johnny Ringo

Scarecrow and Mrs. King

Quantum Leap

Star Trek

Banacek

What's New, Scooby-Doo?

Get Smart

Matinee Theater

The Texan

Thriller

The Twilight Zone

Hazel

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Sam Benedict

Lassie

How I Met Your Mother

The DuPont Show with June Allyson

The Virginian

The Waltons

Family Law

The Six Million Dollar Man

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show

The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries

My Name Is Earl

Magnum, P.I.

Ensign O'Toole

87th Precinct

Son of the Beach

The Zeta Project

Wichita Town

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis

Dinosaurs

The Rat Patrol

Leave It to Beaver

Land of the Giants

The Manhunter

The Andy Griffith Show

The Good Life

CBS Playhouse

True Blood

A Year in the Life

Mr. & Mrs. North

Medium

The Lloyd Bridges Show

Pistols 'n' Petticoats

The Wild Wild West

Climax!

Matlock

The Angry Beavers

Grandpa Goes to Washington

The Twilight Zone

The Suite Life of Zack & Cody

Ironside

The Debbie Reynolds Show

Richard Diamond, Private Detective

Highway to Heaven

All's Fair

Ellery Queen

The Lucy Show

Gremlins

Beethoven's 2nd

The Jerk

Shake, Rattle and Rock!

Blind Ambition

The Raid

Singin' in the Rain

War and Remembrance

The Second Civil War

Will Penny

House Party 2

Little Women

Cross of Fire

Circle of the Day

Charley Varrick

The Torkelsons

Forbidden Area

Green Lantern: First Flight

Harvey

Escape

Massacre at Sand Creek

Colossus: The Forbin Project

Legends of the Superheroes

Bat Masterson
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