Made his first of 27 Broadway appearances at the age of 7 in Tapestry in Gray
Named his second child Nels after his role in the CBS sitcom Mama, which ran from 1949 to '57, and told the story of a Norwegian family living in San Francisco in the 1910s
Developed a friendship with Mel Brooks after meeting on the tennis courts, and went on to act in three of the director's films
Played the ship's doctor in the original 1976 two-hour pilot for The Love Boat, and was later a frequent guest star on the show
A love of animals led to his founding Natural Balance Pet Foods in 1989
Had cameos in the "Weird Al" Yankovic videos "Smells Like Nirvana" and "Bedrock Anthem
" Started National Guide Dog Month in 2008 to raise awareness and money for nonprofit guide dog schools in the U
S
Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009