Career Ray Walston

1 career

1.1 stage work
1.2 film , television work

1.2.1 favorite martian
1.2.2 television comeback


1.3 family
1.4 later years

career
stage work

walston popular margo jones s team of actors before traveled cleveland, ohio, spent 3 years cleveland play house. traveled new york city, made broadway debut in 1945 production of hamlet. 3 years later, walston became 1 of first members admitted newly formed actors studio.

in 1949, appeared in short-lived play mrs. gibbons boys, directed george abbott, later cast him satan (who bore name mr. applegate ) in 1955 musical damn yankees opposite gwen verdon sexy aide lola. chemistry between 2 such both garnered critical success , won awards roles. after decade in new york theater, won tony award.

he starred luther billis in 1951 london production of south pacific. reprised role in 1958 film adaptation. , juanita hall (as bloody mary) cast members appear in both stage , movie versions. additional broadway credits included front page, summer , smoke, king richard iii, wish here, , house of flowers. in 1957, actress , producer katharine cornell placed him in role on broadway in robert e. sherwood s pulitzer prize winning play hungarian revolution of 1956, there shall no night. play adapted television hallmark hall of fame production. had prominent role in rodgers & hammerstein musical me , juliet, portraying stage manager of musical-within-the-musical, character did not participate in of musical numbers.

film , television work

walston reprised role in 1958 film version of damn yankees. other films included kiss them me, south pacific, 1 me, tall story, portrait in black, apartment, convicts 4, wives , lovers, s minding store?, kiss me, stupid, caprice, paint wagon, sting, , silver streak. walston landed 1 of 3 leading roles in billy wilder s comic farce kiss me, stupid opposite dean martin , kim novak because, after 6 weeks of filming, peter sellers had withdraw cast due heart attack.

he narrated many united states department of defense , atomic energy commission (now united states department of energy) films nuclear experiment, including operation hardtack nuclear test film series of 1958. guest starred on numerous television programs, including shirley temple show , outlaws, americans, , television version of going way.

my favorite martian

walston, pictured in 1963, uncle martin in favorite martian.

walston achieved greatest success title character (uncle martin) on favorite martian 1963 1966, alongside co-star bill bixby. 2 became close friends. although show gained large audience in syndication, favorite martian typecast walston , had difficulty finding serious roles after show s cancellation. returned character actor status in 1970s–80s, , guest starred in such series custer, wild wild west, love, american style, rookies, mission: impossible, ellery queen, 6 million dollar man, little house on prairie, , incredible hulk, again bill bixby, in walston played jasper magician in episode called favorite magician .

television comeback

walston mr. hand in fast times @ ridgemont high, 1982

from 1980–1992, walston starred in 14 films, including galaxy of terror , fast times @ ridgemont high (as 1986 television adaptation) mr. hand. in 1999 interview, walston said happy , relieved when walked down street, young fans shouted @ him mr. hand because had torn away martian role. in 1984, walston played judge on episode of night court. 6 years later, made guest appearance on episode of l.a. law. later hired role of judge henry bone on picket fences; character recurring role, walston proved popular character later upgraded starring role.

he made appearance in star trek: next generation boothby, head groundskeeper @ starfleet academy in san francisco, , reprised character twice on star trek: voyager, despite series being set in distant part of galaxy. (the first time, played alien participating in simulation of academy; second appearance in dream sequence.) during appearance on star trek: voyager in in flesh , had trouble remembering lines during long one-shot dialogue scenes, while cameraman changing film scene in briefing room, quoted line hamlet. robert beltran quoted next line, , walston next. 2 went on several minutes, amazing entire cast , crew. in twist of fate beltran had starred in role of luther billis while in high school

in 1985, walston made brief appearance in opening credits of steven spielberg s series amazing stories, caveman acting out story tribe. few seconds long, performance began every episode of subsequent series. in 1992, walston played role of candy in big-screen remake of john steinbeck s of mice , men gary sinise , john malkovich. work alongside sinise again 2 years later in miniseries adaptation of stephen king s stand.

walston nominated 3 times best supporting actor in drama series work on picket fences, winning twice, in 1995 , 1996. cbs cancelled show after 4 seasons in 1996. walston made guest appearance in episode of dr. quinn, medicine woman entitled remember me , in portrayed father of jake slicker, stricken alzheimer s disease.

family

walston married ruth calvert (march 15, 1916 – january 26, 2004), great-granddaughter of former governor oran roberts of texas, on november 3, 1943. couple had 1 daughter, katharine ann.

later years

in 1994, walston diagnosed lupus , result, career began winding down. appeared in at&t long distance tv commercial in 1995, in dialogue implied uncle martin mars, looking rates talk fellow martians living in united states.

walston played grandfather walter addams in addams family reunion (1998), reboot blockbuster 1991 film addams family. next year, appeared in movie remake of hit series, favorite martian (1999). appeared in touched angel episode, face on barroom floor , aired on october 15, 2000.

walston made cameo in 7th heaven episode, 1 hundred , aired on january 29, 2001, 28 days after death. final movie role in independent film, bird special, released later year.