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William Schallert

An astonishingly prolific character actor on television and in films for over six decades, William Schallert was an ideal Everyman and in particular, a much-loved father on shows like "The Patty Duke Show" (ABC, 1963-66) and "The Nancy Drew Mysteries" (ABC, 1977-78), as well as countless episodic television stints and features ranging from "The Man from Planet X" (1951) to "In the Heat of the Night" (1967) and "Innerspace" (1987). Like all great supporting performers, Schallert essentially disappeared into his roles, which allowed him to lend shades and variations of characters, whether kindly or cold of heart, while buffeting his leading men and women. On occasion, he would step into the spotlight for memorable parts, like his short-tempered teacher on "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" (CBS, 1959-1963), a sly government agent on "The Wild, Wild West" (NBC, 1965-69) or a futuristic government official in the "Trouble with Tribbles" episode of the original "Star Trek" (NBC, 1966-69). For the most part, Schallert brought honesty and heart to his hundreds of screen appearances, which continued to multiply as late as 2011 with a recurring turn on HBO's "True Blood" (2008-2014). His ability to provide subtle conviction to his performances remained untouched as he entered his ninth decade, which made Schallert something of a legend in the acting community, if never quite a star. William Schallert died May 8, 2016 in Pacific Palisades, California at the age of 93.