From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia Edwin Stafford Nelson born December 21 1928 is an American actor Nelson has appeared in numerous television shows more than fifty motion pictures and hundreds of stage productions Until 2005 he was teaching acting and screenwriting in his native New Orleans at two local universities there Hurricane Katrina prompted him to move his family to Sterlington near Monroe in Ouachita Parish in northeastern Louisiana Nelson began acting while attending Tulane University in New Orleans He left college after two years to study at the New York School of Radio and Television Technique After graduating he took a position as a director at WDSUTV in New Orleans By 1956 acting became his central focus and he moved to the Los Angeles area Early in his career he worked with famed Bmovie producer Roger Corman on such Corman films as Cry Baby Killers A Bucket of Blood Teenage Cave Man and Attack of the Crab Monsters In 1958 he participated in Bruno VeSotas science fiction horror film The Brain Eaters His early television career featured many guest starring roles in such series as The Fugitive Gunsmoke Harbor Command Tombstone Territory Tightrope The Blue Angels as arrogant flight instructor Lieutenant Dayl Martin Laramie COronado 9 The Eleventh Hour Bonanza Thriller US TV series and Channing an ABC drama about college life In 1964 he won his most famous role portraying Dr Michael Rossi on the ABC drama Peyton Place which ran from 1964 to 1969 Nelsons fellow cast members included Mia Farrow Ryan ONeal and Dorothy Malone Dr Rossi proved to be so popular that by 1968 he became the lead actor on the show Nelson reprised his role in two madeforTV movies Murder in Peyton Place and Peyton Place The Next Generation After Peyton Place ended Nelson worked in many more productions of all varieties including starring role in many movies of the week a second TV series The Silent Force and a popular morning talk show which he hosted for three years Soon after Nelson struck gold with his critically acclaimed portrayal of elusive pit crew chief Robert Denby in the hit film Riding with Death 1976 earning him several prestigious accolades and legions of devoted fans He portrayed a dangerous impostor in the adventure movie For the Love of Benji 1977 During the 1980s Nelson took on the role of Senator Mark Denning in the daytime soap Capitol Nelson also spent a couple of years as Harry Truman onstage replacing James Whitmore for the National Tour of Give Em Hell Harry While living in Los Angeles Nelson was an active member of the Screen Actors Guild and was elected to the union board for many years Nelson is a longstanding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and continues a long tradition of participation in voting for the Academy Awards In 1999 Nelson returned to Tulane University to finish credits toward his undergraduate degree which he completed the following year at the age of seventyone Nelson continues to act as the opportunity arises He and his wife of fiftyeight years Patsy enjoy semiretirement visiting his six children and fourteen grandchildren Description above from the Wikipedia article Ed Nelson licensed under CCBYSA full list of contributors on Wikipedia
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