Served in the U․S․ Army during World War II as a Japanese translator
First began acting on the radio in Portland, Ore․, at the age of 8 in a performance of "David Copperfield․"
Worked as a Broadway actor throughout the 1940s, appearing in productions of "The Assassin" and "The Winslow Boy․"
Made his screen acting debut in the film "The Big Sky" in 1952
Quote: "Most people, especially children, I think, are actors․ You enjoy pretending to be somebody else, sort of hiding behind another personality․ It seemed to take with me․"
Best known for his role as Dr․ Watson in "Norma Rae" and as Dr․ Zaius in the TV series "Planet of the Apes․"
Played Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol" every year for 16 straight years at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Detroit