Born: December 21, 1928 – Died: August 9, 2014
Ed Nelson, born on December 21, 1928, in New Orleans, Louisiana, was originally set on a path towards a legal career. However, the acting bug bit him during his second year of college. In 1952, he made his way to New York City, where he honed his skills in direction and production at the School of Radio Technique. Returning to his hometown of New Orleans, he began working as an assistant director at WDSU-TV. Notably, Ed Nelson crossed paths with the maverick filmmaker Roger Corman when Corman came to Louisiana to shoot a feature film. This meeting led to his involvement in various Corman movies. Over the years, Ed Nelson became a prominent figure on TV, particularly through the nighttime soap opera genre. He left a lasting impact on the entertainment industry, showcasing his versatility and dedication to his craft.
Early Life and Career
Ed Nelson's early life and upbringing remain relatively unknown, but his journey into the world of entertainment took a unique turn during his college years. While details about his childhood and university attendance are scarce, it's clear that his decision to pursue acting instead of a legal career was a pivotal moment.
His first professional break came when he returned to New Orleans and began working as an assistant director at WDSU-TV. However, it was his encounter with Roger Corman that set the stage for his film career. Ed Nelson's involvement in various Corman movies, including roles like playing a crab, showcased his versatility and commitment to the craft.
Nelson's initial success paved the way for him to become a recognizable face on television. While specific details about his personal life, such as his marital status and family, are not readily available, his impact on Hollywood is notable. He made significant contributions to the entertainment industry, particularly in the realm of nighttime soap operas.
Though not widely celebrated as an iconic figure, Ed Nelson's dedication to his work and his ability to transition seamlessly between film and television roles solidified his place in the annals of Hollywood history. His career may not have been marked by numerous awards or controversies, but his talent and commitment to his craft left a lasting impression on the entertainment world.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Heartless (TV Movie) | Lawyer |
| 2003 | Runaway Jury | George Dressler |
| 2000 | Tony Bravo in Scenes from a Forgotten Cinema | Ghost of Mary's Dad |
| 1998 | Who Am I? | General Sherman |
| 1996 | Sister Island | Dr. August Claiborne |
| 1985–1995 | Murder, She Wrote (TV Series) | Henry Post | Judge Willard Clinton | Raymond 'Ray' Bascomb ... |
| 1991 | The Boneyard | Jersey Callum |
| 1988–1990 | Jake and the Fatman (TV Series) | D.A. Marcus Packard | Harrison Dole |
| 1989 | Deadly Weapon | General Stone |
| 1989 | Brenda Starr | President Harry S. Truman |
| 1989 | MacGyver (TV Series) | Arthur Bandel |
| 1988 | J.J. Starbuck (TV Series) | Ted Fuller |
| 1988 | Cagney & Lacey (TV Series) | Sgt. Steingrove |
| 1988 | The Law and Harry McGraw (TV Series) | Jefferson Randolph |
| 1987 | Hotel (TV Series) | Mr. Harper |
| 1987 | Sworn to Silence (TV Movie) | Victor Handler |
| 1987 | Dynasty (TV Series) | Sam Dexter |
| 1982–1986 | Capitol (TV Series) | Sen. Mark Denning |
| 1986 | Police Academy 3: Back in Training | Governor Neilson |
| 1985 | Peyton Place: The Next Generation (TV Movie) | Dr. Michael Rossi |
| 1984 | Finder of Lost Loves (TV Series) | Bill Garnett |
| 1983 | The Fall Guy (TV Series) | Mr. Jason |
| 1983 | Matt Houston (TV Series) | Fred Boethig |
| 1983 | The Shaft of Love (TV Movie) | Dr. John Burns |
| 1982 | Help Wanted: Male (TV Movie) | George Dobbs |
| 1982 | Bret Maverick (TV Series) | Andrew J. Tendall |
| 1981 | Quincy M.E. (TV Series) | Captain Edwards | Capt. Edwards |
| 1981 | CHiPs (TV Series) | Brian King |
| 1981 | Born to Be Sold (TV Movie) | Carl Strickland |
| 1981 | Walking Tall (TV Series) | Edwin Campbell |
| 1978–1981 | Vega$ (TV Series) | Phillip Landauer | Jonathan Stockwood |
| 1981 | Trapper John, M.D. (TV Series) | Albert Ryker |
| 1980 | Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb (TV Movie) | President Harry S Truman |
| 1980 | The Return of Frank Cannon (TV Movie) | Mike Danvers |
| 1980 | Lou Grant (TV Series) | Jim Carlisle |
| 1980 | The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything (TV Movie) | Joseph Locordolos |
| 1980 | Hagen (TV Series) | Dr. Sanger |
| 1980 | Charlie's Angels (TV Series) | George Starrett |
| 1974–1979 | Barnaby Jones (TV Series) | Richard Gibson | Ed Simmons | Larry Kinner |
| 1977–1979 | The Rockford Files (TV Series) | Blake Sternlight | Edgar 'Bud' Clement |
| 1979 | Anatomy of a Seduction (TV Movie) | Mark Kane |
| 1979 | Doctors' Private Lives (TV Series) | Dr. Michael Wise |
| 1979 | Salvage 1 (TV Series) | General Macklin |
| 1978 | David Cassidy - Man Undercover (TV Series) | Densmore |
| 1978 | Crash (TV Movie) | Philip Mulwray |
| 1978 | Dallas (TV Series) | Jeb Amos |
| 1978 | Leave Yesterday Behind (TV Movie) | Mr. Clarkson |
| 1978 | Doctors' Private Lives (TV Movie) | Dr. Mike Wise |
| 1978 | Superdome (TV Movie) | George Beldridge |
| 1977 | Logan's Run (TV Series) | Dr. Rowan |
| 1977 | Murder in Peyton Place (TV Movie) | Dr. Michael Rossi |
| 1977 | For the Love of Benji | Chandler Dietrich |
| 1977 | McMillan & Wife (TV Series) | Captain Glen Wyler |
| 1976 | Riding with Death (TV Movie) | Robert Denby |
| 1976 | Gibbsville (TV Series) | Farley |
| 1976 | Gemini Man (TV Series) | Robert Denby |
| 1976 | Most Wanted (TV Series) | Moose Watson |
| 1976 | The Bionic Woman (TV Series) | Lucky Harrison |
| 1976 | Midway | Admiral Harry Pearson |
| 1976 | Acapulco Gold | Ray Hollister |
| 1975 | That's the Way of the World | Carlton James |
| 1975 | Get Christie Love! (TV Series) | Charles Bettman |
| 1973–1975 | Police Surgeon (TV Series) | Andy Fane | Max Ziegler | Jonathan Frye |
| 1971–1975 | Medical Center (TV Series) | Wesley Stockwood | Cal | Hank |
| 1975 | The Missing Are Deadly (TV Movie) | Dr. Margolin |
| 1974 | Police Woman (TV Series) | Lieutenant John Hess |
| 1974 | Ironside (TV Series) | Joe Lynch |
| 1974 | Airport 1975 | Major John Alexander |
| 1974 | Police Headquarters (TV Movie) | Lt. Cavin Zenger |
| 1974 | Adam-12 (TV Series) | Abe Strayhorn |
| 1974 | Houston, We've Got a Problem (TV Movie) | Gene Kranz, Flight Director |
| 1971–1973 | The F.B.I. (TV Series) | Hamilton | Walter Swenson | Vincent Paquette |
| 1973 | Linda (TV Movie) | Paul Reston |
| 1973 | Runaway! (TV Movie) | Nick Staffo |
| 1973 | Kung Fu (TV Series) | Sheriff Walter Raha |
| 1973 | The Streets of San Francisco (TV Series) | Robert Alan Hobbes |
| 1973 | Mission: Impossible (TV Series) | Van Cleve |
| 1973 | Mod Squad (TV Series) | Johnny Stringer |
| 1973 | Tenafly (TV Series) | Ted Harris |
| 1973 | Escape (TV Series) | Frank Wyatt |
| 1973 | Search (TV Series) | Commander William Parker |
| 1973 | Time to Run | Warren Cole |
| 1972 | Brink of Disaster! (Short) | Dr. Harden |
| 1971–1972 | Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law (TV Series) | Vincent Thayer | Todd |
| 1972 | Alias Smith and Jones (TV Series) | Sheriff Frank Canton |
| 1972 | The Sixth Sense (TV Series) | The Pilot |
| 1972 | Banacek (TV Series) | Geoff Holden |
| 1972 | Night Gallery (TV Series) | Tom Burke (segment "Little Girl Lost") |
| 1972 | The Screaming Woman (TV Movie) | Carl Nesbitt |
| 1972 | O'Hara, U.S. Treasury (TV Series) | Lester Martin |
| 1971 | Cannon (TV Series) | Andy Carver |
| 1971 | A Little Game (TV Movie) | Paul Hamilton |
| 1971 | Marcus Welby, M.D. (TV Series) | Todd |
| 1971 | The Man and the City (TV Series) | Principal Eastman |
| 1970–1971 | The Silent Force (TV Series) | Ward Fuller |
| 1970 | Along Came a Spider (TV Movie) | Dr. Martin Becker |
| 1964–1969 | Peyton Place (TV Series) | Michael Rossi |
| 1961–1964 | Perry Mason (TV Series) | Dirk Blake | Ward Nichols |
| 1964 | This Is the Life (TV Series) | Paul Barstow |
| 1964 | Arrest and Trial (TV Series) | Jeff Collins |
| 1959–1964 | Gunsmoke (TV Series) | Tom | Burt Cury | Seth ... |
| 1963–1964 | The Fugitive (TV Series) | Steve Edson | Paul Clements |
| 1964 | Combat! (TV Series) | Burgess |
| 1963 | The Man from Galveston | Cole Marteen |
| 1963 | Channing (TV Series) | Deke Allison |
| 1963 | Redigo (TV Series) | Danny Kilpatrick |
| 1961–1963 | Wagon Train (TV Series) | Al Bleecker | Burke Clayton | Sheriff Donovan |
| 1963 | The Outer Limits (TV Series) | Col. Luke Stone |
| 1963 | Dr. Kildare (TV Series) | Dr. Keith Judge |
| 1963 | Soldier in the Rain | MP Sgt. James Priest |
| 1961–1963 | The Untouchables (TV Series) | Marty Pulaski | Johnny Prebble | Marty Stoke |
| 1963 | 77 Sunset Strip (TV Series) | Dave Murcott |
| 1963 | The Eleventh Hour (TV Series) | Jack Page |
| 1963 | The Gallant Men (TV Series) | Maj. Ross |
| 1963 | The Dakotas (TV Series) | Lt. John Schwimmer |
| 1962–1963 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (TV Series) | Alex Trevor | Tom Keller |
| 1960–1963 | Laramie (TV Series) | Gil Harrison | Sable | Cal Mason ... |
| 1963 | The Twilight Zone (TV Series) | Philip Redfield |
| 1962–1963 | Alcoa Premiere (TV Series) | Brick Avery | Eddie Norman |
| 1963 | The Virginian (TV Series) | Ralph Slocum |
| 1963 | Saints and Sinners (TV Series) | Ray |
| 1962 | Stoney Burke (TV Series) | Nick Martin |
| 1959–1962 | Rawhide (TV Series) | Sam Weber | Lt. Cory Clemens | Chuck Wittaker ... |
| 1962 | Sam Benedict (TV Series) | Neil Bracket |
| 1962 | Wide Country (TV Series) | Paul Corbello |
| 1962 | Death Valley Days (TV Series) | Frank Girard |
| 1961–1962 | Checkmate (TV Series) | Chuck Palmer | Gil Stoneham | Carson |
| 1962 | The New Breed (TV Series) | Roger Sykes | Jefty Bright |
| 1962 | Bonanza (TV Series) | Garth |
| 1962 | The Tall Man (TV Series) | Dr. Wade Parsons |
| 1962 | Hawaiian Eye (TV Series) | Mark Hollis |
| 1962 | The Law and Mr. Jones (TV Series) | Frank Skinner |
| 1961–1962 | The Detectives (TV Series) | George | Stanley Bolen | Al Kramer |
| 1962 | Cain's Hundred (TV Series) | Peter Stull |
| 1959–1962 | Maverick (TV Series) | Gary Harrison | Bill Parker | 2nd Classmate |
| 1962 | 87th Precinct (TV Series) | Bill Miller |
| 1961 | Shotgun Slade (TV Series) | Sheriff Clyde Perdito |
| 1959–1961 | Hennesey (TV Series) | Cmdr. Pete Judson | Navy officer |
| 1961 | Judgment at Nuremberg | Captain at Nightclub Announcing Call-up of Officers (uncredited) |
| 1960–1961 | Thriller (TV Series) | Tom Ellison | Daniel Le Jean | George Parker ... |
| 1961 | Tales of Wells Fargo (TV Series) | Frisco Kid | Andy Thorpe |
| 1960–1961 | The Rifleman (TV Series) | Ben Vargas | Ben Travis | Stacey Beldon |
| 1959–1961 | Bat Masterson (TV Series) | Browder | Jedrow |
| 1959–1961 | Have Gun - Will Travel (TV Series) | Rack | Carl - Gambler | Pierre 'Pete' Deverell ... |
| 1961 | Surfside 6 (TV Series) | Eddie Grant |
| 1958–1961 | Zane Grey Theatre (TV Series) | Vince Harwell | Tantasi | Albie ... |
| 1961 | The Aquanauts (TV Series) | Chris Garland |
| 1959–1961 | The Rebel (TV Series) | Clint Mowbree | The Stalker | Doug ... |
| 1960 | The Deputy (TV Series) | Pete McCurdy |
| 1960 | The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (TV Series) | Hal Babcock |
| 1960 | Outlaws (TV Series) | Elmer Foss |
| 1960 | The Blue Angels (TV Series) | Lt Dayl Martin |
| 1960 | Coronado 9 (TV Series) | Doug Forbes |
| 1960 | Elmer Gantry | Man on Phone at Sister Sharon Headquarters (uncredited) |
| 1960 | Code of Silence | Paul Lane |
| 1957–1960 | Tombstone Territory (TV Series) | Kansas Joe Barton | Chris | Charlie ... |
| 1960 | Valley of the Redwoods | Dino Michaelis |
| 1958–1960 | M Squad (TV Series) | Jerry Howes | Lenny Maston |
| 1960 | Riverboat (TV Series) | Jim Tyler |
| 1960 | Devil's Partner | Nick Richards | Pete Jensen |
| 1960 | Johnny Ringo (TV Series) | Kirk | Tomstedter |
| 1957–1959 | Highway Patrol (TV Series) | Paul Herrick | Bill Gibson | Monty |
| 1959 | Black Saddle (TV Series) | Lee Coogan | Roy Corey |
| 1959 | A Bucket of Blood | Art Lacroix |
| 1959 | Tightrope (TV Series) | Smiley |
| 1959 | The Walter Winchell File (TV Series) | Lt. Rizzo |
| 1959 | T-Bird Gang | Alex Hendricks (as Edwin Nelson) |
| 1959 | The Lawless Years (TV Series) | Paramedic (uncredited) |
| 1959 | The Young Captives | Norm Britt |
| 1959 | I Mobster | Sid - Henchman (uncredited) |
| 1958 | Target (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1958 | Flight (TV Series) | Tower Operator |
| 1957–1958 | The Silent Service (TV Series) | Lou Hole | Lookout | Sonarman ... |
| 1958 | She Gods of Shark Reef | Guard (uncredited) |
| 1958 | Night of the Blood Beast | Dave Randall |
| 1958 | Hot Rod Gang | Mark's Gang Buddy (uncredited) |
| 1958 | Hot Car Girl | Second Cop at Soda Bar - Driver |
| 1958 | The Cry Baby Killer | Rick Connor |
| 1958 | Teenage Cave Man | Blond Tribe Member |
| 1958 | The Brain Eaters | Dr. Paul Kettering (as Edwin Nelson) |
| 1958 | Street of Darkness | Slavo (as Edwin Nelson) |
| 1957 | Harbor Command (TV Series) | Arrested Craps Game Participant |
| 1957 | Carnival Rock | Cannon |
| 1957 | Teenage Doll | Police Officer 'Dutch' | Blind Man |
| 1957 | Hell on Devil's Island | Guard No. 2 (uncredited) |
| 1957 | Bayou | Etienne (as Edwin Nelson) |
| 1957 | Invasion of the Saucer Men | Tom |
| 1957 | Rock All Night | Pete |
| 1957 | Attack of the Crab Monsters | Lt. Quinlan |
| 1957 | Men of Annapolis (TV Series) | Anderson |
| 1956 | Swamp Women | Police Sergeant (as Edward Nelson) |
| 1955 | New Orleans Uncensored | Charlie (as Edward Stafford Nelson) |
| 1952 | The Steel Trap | Man in Ticket Line at Airport (uncredited) |
General:
Posted Using InLeo Alpha
