Ed Nelson Biography

Fast Facts

• Served in the U․S․ Navy as a radioman on the Dayton light cruiser
• Studied at Tulane University for two years before moving to New York to study acting, and later returned to Tulane to complete his degree in 1972
• Made his screen acting debut in the film "The Steel Trap" in 1952
• Quote: "(On "Peyton Place" being labeled a soap opera): "That kind of cheapens it․ Not only were we on film, but we were outside all the time․ You never see that on a soap․""
• Played President Harry S․ Truman three times: in the 1980 TV movie "Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb," the 1989 film "Brenda Starr," and the national touring production of "Give 'Em Hell, Harry!"
• Best known for his role as Michael Rossi in "Peyton Place" and as General Sherman in "Who Am I?"
• Published his autobiography "Beyond Peyton Place: My Fifty Years on Stage, Screen, and Television" in 2008
• Appeared on several western TV series during the height of the genre's popularity, including "Gunsmoke," "Rawhide," "Bat Masterson," and "Have Gun - Will Travel․"