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{{short description|American actor and comedian (1914–2001)}}
{{Infobox actor
{{Infobox person
| name = Ray Walston | name = Ray Walston
| image = | image = My Favorite Martian Ray Walston 1963.JPG
| caption = | caption = Walston in '']'', 1963
| alt = A black-and-white photo of Walston as a Martian, with a shiny suit and antenna on his head
| birthname = Herman Walston
| birth_name = Herman Ray Walston
| birthdate = {{birth date|1914|12|2|df=y}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1914|11|2}}
| birthplace = ], ]
| birth_place = ], U.S.
| deathdate = {{death date and age|2001|1|1|1914|12|2|mf=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|2001|1|1|1914|11|2}}
| deathplace = ]
| death_place = ], U.S.
| emmyawards = ''']''' <br> 1995 '']''<br>1996 '']''
| other_names =
| tonyawards = ''']''' <br> 1956 '']''
| spouse = Ruth | alma_mater =
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|comedian}}
| years_active = 1940s–2000
| spouse = {{marriage|Ruth Calvert Walston|1943}}
| children = 1
| signature =
| website =
}} }}


'''Ray Walston''' (] ] – ] ]) was an American ], ] and ] ] who played the title character on the ] '']'' and Judge Henry Bone on the ] series '']''. '''Herman Ray Walston''' (November 2, 1914 – January 1, 2001) was an American actor and comedian. Walston started his career on ] earning the ] for his performance as Mr. Applegate in '']'' (1956).


He appeared in the films '']'' (1958), '']'' (1958), '']'' (1960), '']'' (1964), '']'' (1969), '']'' (1973), '']'' (1980), '']'' (1982), and '']'' (1992). Walston also starred as the title character on '']'' and as Glen Bateman in the miniseries '']'' (1994). For his role as Judge Henry Bone in '']'' he earned two ].<ref name=WalstonObituary/>
==Biography==
===Early life===
He was born '''Herman Walston''' in ] (some sources indicate ]) to middle-class parents Mittie (] Kimball) and Harry Norman Walston, a ] man.<ref></ref> He started acting at an early age, beginning his tenure as a "]" rounding out productions at many New Orleans theaters. He mostly played small roles with stock companies, where he not only starred in travelling shows but also worked at a ], selling tickets and cleaning the stage floors. His family moved to ], where he joined the ]'s repertory company under ], debuting in ].


==Early life and education ==
===Stage work===
Walston was born on November 2, 1914, in ], the second son and youngest of three children born to ] Harry Rex Walston and Camilla "Mittie" (née Kimbrell) Walston.<ref name="WalstonDOB">{{Cite news|title=Birth certificate for Herman Ray Walston |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/File:Herman_Raymond_Walston_birth_certificate.jpg|publisher=]|date=August 9, 1951}}</ref><ref>The New York Times obituary states "Mr. Walston was born in New Orleans", which is contradicted by his Mississippi birth certificate and the ]. The certificate was issued in 1951 and was based on the presentation of his school records from 1925 showing his date of birth as "November 2, 1914" and place of birth as "Mississippi". An identification card was also used as evidence, which also used "Mississippi" as his place of birth. The ], and his Social Security application filed in November of 1936, both cite "November 2, 1914" as his date of birth. Some sources cited "December 2, 1914", incorrectly.</ref>
Walston was very popular with ]'s team of actors before he travelled to ], ], where he spent three years with the ]. He then traveled to ], where he made his ] debut in a ] production of '']''. In 1949 he appeared in the short-lived play '']'' directed by ], who later cast him as Satan in the musical '']'' opposite ] as his sexy aide Lola. The chemistry between the two was such that they both garnered critical success and won awards for their roles. After a decade in New York theater, he won a ], and he and Verdon were invited to reprise their roles in the 1958 film version.


He started acting at an early age, beginning his tenure as a ] rounding out productions at many New Orleans theaters. He mostly played small roles with stock companies, where he not only starred in traveling shows, but also worked at a movie theater, selling tickets and cleaning the stage floors. His family moved to ], Texas, where he joined a ] company under ] in 1938.<ref name=aebio>{{cite web |title=Ray Walston Biography |url=https://www.biography.com/people/ray-walston-9542216 |url-status=live |website=Biography |publisher=A&E |access-date=24 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119112846/https://www.biography.com/people/ray-walston-9542216 |archive-date=19 January 2019}}</ref> He stayed at the Houston Civic Theater six years, "averaging 12 roles a year."<ref>"Theater Notes." Chicago Tribune, 4 April 1954.</ref>
Additional Broadway credits included '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']''.


==Career==
===Film and television work===
===1945–1957===
Walston had a successful movie career in addition to ''Damn Yankees!'', beginning with '']'' in ], and then '']'' (]), where he played Luther Billis; '']'' (]); '']'', '']'', and '']'' (all in ]); '']'' (]); '']'', and '']'' (both in ]); '']'' (]); '']'' (]); and '']'' (]). Walston is also featured in the ] Best-Picture-Winner '']'', in which he is crucial to the successful swindling of an unsuspecting griftee (played by Robert Shaw). He was also among many of the actors who played themselves in cameos for ]'s '']'', although Walston along with several other stars, are actually in character for a movie within a movie sequence.
Walston was popular with ]' team of actors before he traveled to ], Ohio, where he spent three years with the ]. He then traveled to New York City, where he made his ] debut in a 1945 production of ]'s ''The G.I. ]''. Three years later, Walston became one of the first members admitted to the newly formed ].<ref>Dick Kleiner: , ''The Sarasota Journal'' (December 21, 1956), p. 26. "That first year, they interviewed about seven hundred actors and picked fifty. In that first group were people like ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], Ray Walston and ]."</ref>
Walston went on to some of his greatest success on the small screen. He starred as the Martian, alias Uncle Martin, on ''My Favorite Martian'' from ] to ]. His co-star was ].
===After ''Martian''===
]


In 1949, he appeared in the short-lived play '']'', directed by ], who later cast him as Satan (who bore the name "Mr. Applegate") in the 1955 musical '']'' opposite ] as his sexy aide Lola. The chemistry between the two was such that they both garnered critical success and won awards for their roles. After a decade in New York theater, he won a ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Winners |url=https://www.tonyawards.com/winners/?q=walston |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=www.tonyawards.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
Although ''Martian'' had somewhat typecast him and he had difficulty finding more serious roles after the show's cancellation, he managed to return to beloved ] status in television of the ] and ], appearing as a guest star in numerous shows, such as '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']'' with Bill Bixby (in which he played Jasper the Magician in an episode called "My Favorite Magician"), among many others. In 1976 he played the part of Edgar Whiney in the film ].
From ] to ], Walston starred in fourteen movies. Perhaps most notable{{Fact|date=October 2007}} was his performance as ] in ]'s '']'', as well as its ] television adaptation.


He starred as Luther Billis in the 1951 London production of '']''. He reprised that role in the 1958 film adaptation. He and ] (as Bloody Mary) were the only cast members to appear in both the stage and movie versions. Additional Broadway credits included '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']''. In 1957, actress and producer ] placed him in a role on Broadway in ]'s ] winning play about the ], '']''. The play was adapted for television for a '']'' production. He had a prominent role in the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical '']'', portraying the stage manager of the musical-within-the-musical, but his character did not participate in any of the musical numbers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Me And Juliet |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/me-and-juliet-2235 |url-status=live |website=Me And Juliet - Broadway Musical |publisher=Internet Broadway Database |access-date=24 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224022829/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/me-and-juliet-2235 |archive-date=24 February 2019}}</ref>
===Television comeback===
]
In 1984, Walston played a judge on an episode of '']''. Six years later, he would work with ] while guest-starring on '']'' as a suffering father. These roles led to his work as Judge Henry Bone on '']'', which began production in 1992 for CBS. Judge Bone was originally a recurring role on the show, but Walston proved to be so popular that he was given a starring role the following year. In his late 70s, he was nominated for an ] for the first time. Walston made an appearance in '']'' as ], head groundskeeper at ] in San Francisco, and then reprised the character twice on '']'', despite the series being set in a distant part of the galaxy. (The first time, he actually played an alien participating in a simulation of the Academy; the second appearance was in a dream sequence.) During his appearance on ''Star Trek: Voyager'' in "]", he often had trouble with remembering his lines during long ], but while the cameraman was changing the film for the scene in the briefing room, he stated a line from '']''. ] then stated the next line, and Walston the next. The two went on for several minutes, amazing the entire cast and crew. ] remembered in an interview for the special features of the Voyager Season 5 DVD that it was so quiet beside them, you could hear a pin drop, and that when they were done, everyone broke out in applause.
In 1992, Walston played the role of Candy in the big-screen ] of ]'s '']'' with ]. The film starred Sinise as George and ] as Lennie.
Walston was nominated three times for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work on ''Picket Fences'', winning twice, in ] and ]. Though Walston enjoyed his work in the series, its ratings were beginning to slip, and CBS cancelled the show after four seasons in 1996.


===Later years=== ===1958–1979===
Walston reprised his role in the ] of ''Damn Yankees''.<ref name=WalstonObituary/> His other films included '']''; '']''; '']''; '']''; '']''; '']''; '']''; '']''; '']''; '']''; '']''; '']''; '']''; '']''; and '']''.
After gaining popularity both as the Martian and as the judge on the small screen, his career was coming to an end when he played Grandfather Walter Addams in '']'' (]), the straight-to-video second sequel to the blockbuster ] film '']'', this time starring ] as Gomez Addams and ] as Morticia Addams. One year later, he appeared in the movie remake of his hit series, ''My Favorite Martian'' (]). His final movie role was in the independent film '']''. He also appeared in an ] ] TV commercial in which his dialogue implied he was Uncle Martin from Mars, looking for good rates to talk to fellow Martians living in the United States. Just before his death, his final TV guest appearance was on '']''.


He narrated many ] and ] (now ]) films about nuclear experiments, including the ] nuclear test film series of 1958.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/OperationHARDTACK_UnderwaterTests1958|title=Operation HARDTACK Military Effects Studies: Underwater Tests: United States Department of Defense: Free Download & Streaming|access-date=2012-04-04}}</ref> He guest starred on numerous television programs, including '']'', '']'', and a television version of '']''.
Walston died on ] ] in ], just one month after his 86th birthday, after a 6-year battle with ]. He was survived by his widow, Ruth, his daughter, Katherine Ann, and two grandchildren.
[[File:Ray Walston My Favorite Martian 1963.JPG|thumb|left|170px|Walston as Uncle Martin in the ''My Favorite Martian'' episode "There Is No Cure for the Common Martian"
(1963, S1E3)]]
Walston achieved his greatest success as the title character (Uncle Martin) on '']'' from 1963 to 1966, alongside co-star ]. The two immediately became close friends.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://members.tripod.com/~jhh_2/interview.htm|title=A 1964 Interview with Ray Walston and Bill Bixby|website=Members.tripod.com}}</ref> The show was a top ten hit in its first season,still in the top 30 in its second, dropping to 45th in its third and final season.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|last2=|last3=|first3=|last4=|last5=|last6=|last7=|last8=|first8=|last9=|date=1993-07-25|title=Retro : TV's Favorite Martian Returns : TNT STAYS UP ALL NIGHT FOR 10 EPISODES OF '60S SERIES|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-07-25-tv-16600-story.html|access-date=2021-05-29|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref> The success of ''My Favorite Martian'' typecast Walston and he had difficulty finding serious roles after the show's cancellation. He returned to character actor status in the 1970s and 1980s, and guest starred in such series as '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']'', again with Bixby, in which Walston played Jasper the Magician in an episode called "My Favorite Magician".


=== 1980–1992 ===
Walston tended to play characters that could be described as "]ly." His Martian was constantly ridiculing the primitiveness of the earth's populace, and his attitude was exacerbated by his inability to fix his spacecraft. His forced earthbound existence clearly seemed like a Martian version of ] to him&mdash;an ironic comparison as his first major role, Mr. Applegate in ''Damn Yankees!'', was an especially ]ish character. He occasionally broke out of this typecast, however, most visibly as the amiable yet pessimistic Glen Bateman in the television miniseries adaptation of ]'s '']'' in ].
From 1980 to 1992, Walston starred in 14 films, including '']'' and '']'' (as well as the 1986 television adaptation) as Mr. Hand. In a 1999 interview, Walston said that he was happy and relieved that when he walked down the street, young fans shouted at him "Mr. Hand" because he had finally torn away from his ''Martian'' role. In 1984, Walston played a judge on an episode of '']''. Six years later, he made a guest appearance on an episode of '']''. He later was hired for the role of Judge Henry Bone on '']''; the character was originally a recurring role, but Walston proved to be so popular the character was later upgraded to a starring role.<ref>{{cite web |title=Judge Gives Walston a Measure of Justice |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-09-21-ca-48194-story.html |url-status=live |website=Los Angeles Times Collections |date=21 September 1995 |access-date=23 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224010431/http://articles.latimes.com/1995-09-21/entertainment/ca-48194_1_picket-fences-role |archive-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> In the first season episode, "Remembering Rosemary", Judge Bone wears a Martian costume with antennae to a Halloween party as a nod to Walston's infamous role as Uncle Martin.

In 1985, Walston made a brief appearance in the opening credits of ]'s series '']'', as a caveman acting out a story for his tribe. He appeared in '']'' as ], head groundskeeper at ] in San Francisco, and reprised the role twice on '']''. In 1988, he guest starred in an episode of the popular horror-fantasy show '']'', as a bitter, elderly comic-book artist who uses a demonically cursed comic book to transform himself into a killer robot and murder his erstwhile enemies. In 1992, Walston played the role of Candy in the big-screen ] of ]'s '']'' with ] and ]. He also made a cameo appearance as a barman in ]'s ] video.

=== 1993–2000 ===
Walston reunited with Sinise in the miniseries adaptation of ]'s '']''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ray Walston List of Movies and TV Shows |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ray-walston/credits/171010/ |url-status=live |website=TV Guide |access-date=23 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224025905/https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ray-walston/credits/171010/ |archive-date=24 February 2019}}</ref>
He appeared in an ] ] TV commercial in 1995, in which his dialogue implied he was Uncle Martin from Mars, looking for good rates to talk to fellow ] living in the United States.<ref>{{YouTube|BpoVwK3_Mso|1995 AT&T commercial featuring Ray Walston}}</ref>

Walston received three ] nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work on ''Picket Fences'', winning twice, in 1995 and 1996.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ray Walston |url=https://www.emmys.com/bios/ray-walston |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=Television Academy |language=en}}</ref> CBS cancelled the show after four seasons in 1996. Walston made a guest appearance in an episode of '']'' entitled "Remember Me", in which he portrayed the father of Jake Slicker, who was stricken with ]. Walston played Grandfather Walter Addams in '']'' (]). The next year, he appeared in the film remake of his hit series, '']'' (]) in the role of Armitan. He appeared in the '']'' episode, "]",<ref>{{YouTube|r7gAJJHlhp8|''The Face on the Barroom Floor'': Walston appears around 6:15}}</ref> which aired on October 15, 2000.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://movieactors.com/actors/raywalston.htm|title=Ray Walston – MovieActors.com|website=Movieactors.com}}</ref>

Walston made a cameo in the '']'' episode, "]",<ref>{{YouTube|zruJ4S8hVNE|''7th Heaven:'' "One Hundred", in which Walston makes a cameo}}</ref> which aired on January 29, 2001, four weeks after his death. His final film role was in the independent film ''Early Bird Special'', which was released later that year.

==Personal life and death==
Walston married Ruth Calvert on November 3, 1943.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Palmer |first1=Ann |title=Letters to the Dead: Things I Wish I'd Said |date=Jun 20, 2014 |publisher=CCB Publishing |isbn=9781771431262 |page=109 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MyTdAwAAQBAJ&q=ruth+calvert+walston+1943&pg=PA109}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Who's who in Entertainment, Volume 1 |date=1989 |publisher=Marquis Who's Who, Inc |page=668}}</ref> The couple had one daughter, Katharine Ann.<ref name=aebio/>

In 1994, Walston was diagnosed with ], and as a result, worked less frequently in his final years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.masterworksbroadway.com/artist/ray-walston/|title=Ray Walston|website=Masterworksbroadway.com}}</ref> On January 1, 2001, Walston died at his home at ], at the age of 86.<ref name=WalstonObituary>{{cite news|first=Mel|last=Gussow|title=Ray Walston, Broadway Star And TV Martian, Dies at 86|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9503EFDC103BF930A35752C0A9679C8B63|work=]|date=January 3, 2001|access-date=2013-03-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308061344/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/03/arts/ray-walston-broadway-star-and-tv-martian-dies-at-86.html |archive-date=March 8, 2021}}</ref>


==Filmography== ==Filmography==
=== Film ===
{{div col|cols=3}}
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* '']'' (1957)
* '']'' (1958) * 1957: '']'' as Lt. (j.g.) McCann
* 1958: '']'' as Luther Billis
* '']'' (1958)
* 1958: '']'' as ]
* '']'' (1959)
* '']'' (1960) * 1959: '']'' as Phil Stanley
* '']'' (1960) * 1960: '']'' as Professor Leo Sullivan
* '']'' (1960) * 1960: '']'' as Joe Dobisch
* '']'' (1962) * 1960: '']'' as Cobb
* 1961: '']'' as Whit Bristow
* '']'' (1963)
* '']'' (1963–1966) * 1962: '']'' as Iggy
* 1963: '']'' as Wylie Driberg
* '']'' (1963)
* '']'' (1964) * 1963: '']'' as Mr. Quimby
* '']'' (1967) * 1964: '']'' as Orville J. Spooner
* '']'' (1969) * 1967: '']'' as Stuart Clancy
* 1969: '']'' as Mad Jack Duncan
* '']'' (1973)
* 1973: '']'' as J.J. Singleton
* '']'' (1976)
* 1976: '']'' as Mr. Whiney
* '']'' (1977)
* 1977: '']'' as Senator Sturges
* '']'' (1979)
* '']'' (late 1970s) * 1979: '']'' as Frank Anders
* '']'' (1980) * 1980: '']'' as ]*
* '']'' (1981) * 1981: '']'' as Kore
* '']'' (1982) * 1982: '']'' as Walter Tatum
* '']'' (1982) * 1982: '']'' as Mr. Hand
* '']'' (1983) * 1983: '']'' as Chauncey
* '']'' (1984} * 1984: '']'' as Andy
* '']'' (1984) * 1984: '']'' as Diesel
* '']'' (1985) * 1984: '']'' as Vendor
* '']'' (1982) * 1985: '']'' as Gramps
* '']'' (1986) * 1986: '']'' as Matt
* '']'' (1986) * 1986: '']'' as Burton Timmer
* '']'' (1987) * 1987: '']'' as 1st Judge
* 1988: '']'' as Heart Attack Victim
* '']'' (1987)
* 1988: '']'' as Charles McLeod
* '']'' (1987)
* 1988: '']'' as Gramps Baxter
* '']'' (1988)
* 1989: ''A Man of Passion'' as Basilio
* '']'' (1988)
* 1989: '']'' as Cappy Connors
* '']'' (1989) (TV movie)
* '']'' (1989) * 1989: '']'' as Sacacorchos
* '']'' (1989) * 1990: '']'' as Pops
* '']'' (1990) * 1991: ''Blood Salvage'' as Mr. Stone
* '']'' (1990) * 1991: '']'' as Dr. Mnesyne
* '']'' (1991) * 1992: '']'' as Ray Walston
* 1992: '']'' as Candy
* '']'' (1992)
* '']'' (1992) * 1996: '']'' as Chief Rocco
* '']'' (1992–1996) * 1998: '']'' as Walter Addams
* 1999: '']'' as Armitan
* '']'' (1994)
* 1999: '']'' as Justice Clore Cawley
* '']'' (1996)
* '']'' (1992)
* '']'' (1998–1999)
* '']'' (1998)
* '']'' (1999)
* '']'' (2001)
{{div col end}} {{div col end}}


=== Television ===
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* 1963-66: '']'' (TV series) as The Martian/Uncle Martin
* 1970s: '']'' as Lionel Hardway
* 1972: '']'' as Mr. Temura
* 1972: '']'' as Dr. Victor Flory
* 1976: '']'' as Horton Budge
* 1978: '']'' as a cruise ship passenger
* 1979: '']'' as Roderick Zale
* 1979: '']'' (11 episodes) as Bob Richards
* 1979: '']'' (S4,Ep13) as Tommy Reese
* 1979: '']'' (S3,Ep5) as Jasper the Magician
* 1979: '']'' (The King is Dead) as Jimmy Hart
* 1982: '']'' (NBC) as Birdie Whelan
* 1982: '']'' (TV series) as Elliott Laurence
* 1982: '']'' S3 E16 as Charlie
* 1984: '']'' S8 E13 as Max Phelps in the Christmas-themed vignette "Santa, Santa, Santa"
* 1984: '']'' as Mr. Bottoms
* 1984: '']'' (TV series) as Judge Martin A. Landis
* 1984: '']'' as Claude Darling
* 1985: '']'' (TV series)
* 1985: '']'' (TV series) as Uncle Harry
* 1985: '']'' (TV series) as Barney
* 1987: '']'' (episode "State of the Art") as Matthew O'Meara
* 1988: '']'' (TV series) as Jay Star (episode: "Tales of the Undead")
* 1989: '']'' (TV movie) as Bob Augustine
* 1990: '']'' as Gus Nivens
* 1990: '']'' as Prison Librarian Jenkins
* 1991: '']'' (Season 2 Ep 12: "The Charlotte Letter") as Father Augustine
* 1991: '']'' as Matt
* 1992: '']'' as Boothby
* 1992: '']'' (episode "The Loyal Order of Corn") as Ned
* 1992: '']'' (Season 2 Ep 5: The Witches of Eastbridge) as Burt Hagstone
* 1992: '']'' as Bert
* 1992-96: '']'' (TV series) as Judge Henry Bone
* 1994: '']'' as Glen Bateman
* 1996: '']'' as Motel Manager
* 1997: '']'' (TV movie) in multiple roles
* 1998-99: '']'' (TV series) Boothby (2 episodes)
* 2000: ''] '' (TV series) as Benjamin Clay
* 2001: '']'' as Pappy
* 2001: '']'' (TV series) as Sgt. Millard Holmes
{{div col end}}

== Awards and nominations ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Association
! Category
! Nominated work
! Result
! class=unsortable|{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}}
|-
|1956 || ] || ] || '']'' || {{won}} ||
|-
|1994 || rowspan=3|] || rowspan=3|] || rowspan=5|'']'' || {{nom}} ||
|-
|1995 || {{won}} ||
|-
|1996 || {{won}} ||
|-
|1995 || rowspan=2|] || rowspan=2|] || {{nom}} ||
|-
|1996 || {{nom}} ||
|-
|1995 || colspan=3|Star on the ] || {{won|Received}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Ray Walston |url=https://walkoffame.com/ray-walston/ |website=Official Website of the Hollywood Walk of Fame |publisher=Hollywood Chamber of Commerce |access-date=September 7, 2024}}</ref> ||
|-
|}


==References== ==References==
{{reflist|2}} {{reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{commons category}}
*
* at the ]
* {{imdb|0001827}}
*{{IMDb name|0001827}}
{{memoryalpha}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{Memory Alpha}}


{{Navboxes

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{{EmmyAward DramaSupportingActor 1976-2000}} {{EmmyAward DramaSupportingActor 1976-2000}}
{{TonyAward MusicalLeadActor 1947-1975}}
{{The Life Career Award}}
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Latest revision as of 18:48, 30 December 2024

American actor and comedian (1914–2001)
Ray Walston
A black-and-white photo of Walston as a Martian, with a shiny suit and antenna on his headWalston in My Favorite Martian, 1963
BornHerman Ray Walston
(1914-11-02)November 2, 1914
Laurel, Mississippi, U.S.
DiedJanuary 1, 2001(2001-01-01) (aged 86)
Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
Years active1940s–2000
Spouse Ruth Calvert Walston ​ ​(m. 1943)​
Children1

Herman Ray Walston (November 2, 1914 – January 1, 2001) was an American actor and comedian. Walston started his career on Broadway earning the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Mr. Applegate in Damn Yankees (1956).

He appeared in the films South Pacific (1958), Damn Yankees (1958), The Apartment (1960), Kiss Me, Stupid (1964), Paint Your Wagon (1969), The Sting (1973), Popeye (1980), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), and Of Mice and Men (1992). Walston also starred as the title character on My Favorite Martian and as Glen Bateman in the miniseries The Stand (1994). For his role as Judge Henry Bone in Picket Fences he earned two Primetime Emmy Awards.

Early life and education

Walston was born on November 2, 1914, in Laurel, Mississippi, the second son and youngest of three children born to lumberjack Harry Rex Walston and Camilla "Mittie" (née Kimbrell) Walston.

He started acting at an early age, beginning his tenure as a spear carrier rounding out productions at many New Orleans theaters. He mostly played small roles with stock companies, where he not only starred in traveling shows, but also worked at a movie theater, selling tickets and cleaning the stage floors. His family moved to Dallas, Texas, where he joined a repertory theater company under Margo Jones in 1938. He stayed at the Houston Civic Theater six years, "averaging 12 roles a year."

Career

1945–1957

Walston was popular with Margo Jones' team of actors before he traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, where he spent three years with the Cleveland Play House. He then traveled to New York City, where he made his Broadway debut in a 1945 production of Maurice Evans's The G.I. Hamlet. Three years later, Walston became one of the first members admitted to the newly formed Actors Studio.

In 1949, he appeared in the short-lived play Mrs. Gibbons' Boys, directed by George Abbott, who later cast him as Satan (who bore the name "Mr. Applegate") in the 1955 musical Damn Yankees opposite Gwen Verdon as his sexy aide Lola. The chemistry between the two was such that they both garnered critical success and won awards for their roles. After a decade in New York theater, he won a Tony Award.

He starred as Luther Billis in the 1951 London production of South Pacific. He reprised that role in the 1958 film adaptation. He and Juanita Hall (as Bloody Mary) were the only cast members to appear in both the stage and movie versions. Additional Broadway credits included The Front Page, Summer and Smoke, Richard III, Wish You Were Here, and House of Flowers. In 1957, actress and producer Katharine Cornell placed him in a role on Broadway in Robert E. Sherwood's Pulitzer Prize winning play about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, There Shall Be No Night. The play was adapted for television for a Hallmark Hall of Fame production. He had a prominent role in the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Me and Juliet, portraying the stage manager of the musical-within-the-musical, but his character did not participate in any of the musical numbers.

1958–1979

Walston reprised his role in the 1958 film version of Damn Yankees. His other films included Kiss Them for Me; South Pacific; Say One for Me; Tall Story; Portrait in Black; The Apartment; Convicts 4; Wives and Lovers; Who's Minding the Store?; Kiss Me, Stupid; Caprice; Paint Your Wagon; The Sting; Silver Streak; and Get a Clue.

He narrated many United States Department of Defense and Atomic Energy Commission (now United States Department of Energy) films about nuclear experiments, including the Operation Hardtack I nuclear test film series of 1958. He guest starred on numerous television programs, including The Shirley Temple Show, The Americans, and a television version of Going My Way.

Walston as Uncle Martin in the My Favorite Martian episode "There Is No Cure for the Common Martian" (1963, S1E3)

Walston achieved his greatest success as the title character (Uncle Martin) on My Favorite Martian from 1963 to 1966, alongside co-star Bill Bixby. The two immediately became close friends. The show was a top ten hit in its first season,still in the top 30 in its second, dropping to 45th in its third and final season. The success of My Favorite Martian typecast Walston and he had difficulty finding serious roles after the show's cancellation. He returned to character actor status in the 1970s and 1980s, and guest starred in such series as Custer, The Wild Wild West, Love, American Style, The Rookies, Mission: Impossible, Ellery Queen, The Six Million Dollar Man, Little House on the Prairie, and The Incredible Hulk, again with Bixby, in which Walston played Jasper the Magician in an episode called "My Favorite Magician".

1980–1992

From 1980 to 1992, Walston starred in 14 films, including Galaxy of Terror and Fast Times at Ridgemont High (as well as the 1986 television adaptation) as Mr. Hand. In a 1999 interview, Walston said that he was happy and relieved that when he walked down the street, young fans shouted at him "Mr. Hand" because he had finally torn away from his Martian role. In 1984, Walston played a judge on an episode of Night Court. Six years later, he made a guest appearance on an episode of L.A. Law. He later was hired for the role of Judge Henry Bone on Picket Fences; the character was originally a recurring role, but Walston proved to be so popular the character was later upgraded to a starring role. In the first season episode, "Remembering Rosemary", Judge Bone wears a Martian costume with antennae to a Halloween party as a nod to Walston's infamous role as Uncle Martin.

In 1985, Walston made a brief appearance in the opening credits of Steven Spielberg's series Amazing Stories, as a caveman acting out a story for his tribe. He appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation as Boothby, head groundskeeper at Starfleet Academy in San Francisco, and reprised the role twice on Star Trek: Voyager. In 1988, he guest starred in an episode of the popular horror-fantasy show Friday the 13th: The Series, as a bitter, elderly comic-book artist who uses a demonically cursed comic book to transform himself into a killer robot and murder his erstwhile enemies. In 1992, Walston played the role of Candy in the big-screen remake of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men with Gary Sinise and John Malkovich. He also made a cameo appearance as a barman in Madonna's Deeper and Deeper video.

1993–2000

Walston reunited with Sinise in the miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's The Stand. He appeared in an AT&T long distance TV commercial in 1995, in which his dialogue implied he was Uncle Martin from Mars, looking for good rates to talk to fellow Martians living in the United States.

Walston received three Emmy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work on Picket Fences, winning twice, in 1995 and 1996. CBS cancelled the show after four seasons in 1996. Walston made a guest appearance in an episode of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman entitled "Remember Me", in which he portrayed the father of Jake Slicker, who was stricken with Alzheimer's disease. Walston played Grandfather Walter Addams in Addams Family Reunion (1998). The next year, he appeared in the film remake of his hit series, My Favorite Martian (1999) in the role of Armitan. He appeared in the Touched by an Angel episode, "The Face on the Barroom Floor", which aired on October 15, 2000.

Walston made a cameo in the 7th Heaven episode, "One Hundred", which aired on January 29, 2001, four weeks after his death. His final film role was in the independent film Early Bird Special, which was released later that year.

Personal life and death

Walston married Ruth Calvert on November 3, 1943. The couple had one daughter, Katharine Ann.

In 1994, Walston was diagnosed with lupus, and as a result, worked less frequently in his final years. On January 1, 2001, Walston died at his home at Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 86.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Nominated work Result Ref.
1956 Tony Award Best Actor in a Musical Damn Yankees Won
1994 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Picket Fences Nominated
1995 Won
1996 Won
1995 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series Nominated
1996 Nominated
1995 Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Received

References

  1. ^ Gussow, Mel (January 3, 2001). "Ray Walston, Broadway Star And TV Martian, Dies at 86". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved 2013-03-20.
  2. "Birth certificate for Herman Ray Walston". State of Mississippi. August 9, 1951.
  3. The New York Times obituary states "Mr. Walston was born in New Orleans", which is contradicted by his Mississippi birth certificate and the 1920 United States Census. The certificate was issued in 1951 and was based on the presentation of his school records from 1925 showing his date of birth as "November 2, 1914" and place of birth as "Mississippi". An identification card was also used as evidence, which also used "Mississippi" as his place of birth. The Social Security Death Index, and his Social Security application filed in November of 1936, both cite "November 2, 1914" as his date of birth. Some sources cited "December 2, 1914", incorrectly.
  4. ^ "Ray Walston Biography". Biography. A&E. Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  5. "Theater Notes." Chicago Tribune, 4 April 1954.
  6. Dick Kleiner: "The Actors Studio: Making Stars Out of the Unknown", The Sarasota Journal (December 21, 1956), p. 26. "That first year, they interviewed about seven hundred actors and picked fifty. In that first group were people like Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, Tom Ewell, John Forsythe, Julie Harris, Kim Hunter, Karl Malden, E. G. Marshall, Margaret Phillips, Maureen Stapleton, Kim Stanley, Jo Van Fleet, Eli Wallach, Ray Walston and David Wayne."
  7. "Winners". www.tonyawards.com. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  8. "Me And Juliet". Me And Juliet - Broadway Musical. Internet Broadway Database. Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  9. "Operation HARDTACK Military Effects Studies: Underwater Tests: United States Department of Defense: Free Download & Streaming". Retrieved 2012-04-04.
  10. "A 1964 Interview with Ray Walston and Bill Bixby". Members.tripod.com.
  11. "Retro : TV's Favorite Martian Returns : TNT STAYS UP ALL NIGHT FOR 10 EPISODES OF '60S SERIES". Los Angeles Times. 1993-07-25. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
  12. "Judge Gives Walston a Measure of Justice". Los Angeles Times Collections. 21 September 1995. Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  13. "Ray Walston List of Movies and TV Shows". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  14. 1995 AT&T commercial featuring Ray Walston on YouTube
  15. "Ray Walston". Television Academy. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  16. The Face on the Barroom Floor: Walston appears around 6:15 on YouTube
  17. "Ray Walston – MovieActors.com". Movieactors.com.
  18. 7th Heaven: "One Hundred", in which Walston makes a cameo on YouTube
  19. Palmer, Ann (Jun 20, 2014). Letters to the Dead: Things I Wish I'd Said. CCB Publishing. p. 109. ISBN 9781771431262.
  20. Who's who in Entertainment, Volume 1. Marquis Who's Who, Inc. 1989. p. 668.
  21. "Ray Walston". Masterworksbroadway.com.
  22. "Ray Walston". Official Website of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved September 7, 2024.

External links

Awards for Ray Walston
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
1959–1975
1976–2000
2001–present
Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical
1948–1975
1976–2000
2001–present
Life Career Award
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