William Schallert
Known for
Across changing tastes and formats, William Schallert has stayed an American actor who has rarely been away from the screen for long. Work has kept arriving for 79 years, which is its own kind of achievement. 'Innerspace' is the entry that tends to open any account of the career. The list also holds 'In the Heat of the Night'.
William Schallert
77 Movies
104 Series
Across changing tastes and formats, William Schallert has stayed an American actor who has rarely been away from the screen for long. Work has kept arriving for 79 years, which is its own kind of achievement. 'Innerspace' is the entry that tends to open any account of the career. The list also holds 'In the Heat of the Night'.
Movies
Plays Father
Twilight Zone: The Movie
1983
Plays Dr. Greenbush
Innerspace
1987
Plays Mayor Schubert
In the Heat of the Night
1967
Plays Ambulance Attendant
Them!
1954
Plays Hotel Clerk
Pillow Talk
1959
Plays Doctor Arthur Bramson
The Incredible Shrinking Man
1957
Plays Appa Ali Apsa (voice)
Green Lantern: First Flight
2009
Plays Professor Quigley
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes
1969
Plays CIA Director Grauber
Colossus: The Forbin Project
1970
Plays Prof. Quigley
The Strongest Man in the World
1975
Plays Harry
Lonely are the Brave
1962
Plays Dr. Fraker
Will Penny
1967
Plays Dispatcher
The High and the Mighty
1954
Plays Preacher Parsons
Shotgun Wedding
1963
Plays Bill Horton
Charley Varrick
1973
Plays Professor Mills
Hangar 18
1980
Plays Horn
Teachers
1984
Plays Dean Kramer
House Party 2
1991
Plays Reporter
Written on the Wind
1956
Plays Ted Baker
The Tarnished Angels
1957
Plays Thomas G. Lamphier Jr.
The Gallant Hours
1960
Plays Court Clerk
The Tattered Dress
1957
Plays Abel Esterlake
Speedway
1968
Plays Weatherman
The Monolith Monsters
1957
Plays Mr. Perkins
Sam Whiskey
1969
Plays Captain of the Bluefin
Torpedo Run
1958
Plays Father Dinelli
The Beat Generation
1959
Plays Jim Shaney
Man in the Shadow
1957
Plays Cass
Bannerline
1951
Plays Reporter
Riot in Cell Block 11
1954
Plays Henderson, Bank Representative
Cry Terror!
1958
Plays Jacob Stalin
The Girl in the Kremlin
1957
Plays Francis X. Cody
Tunnel Vision
1976
Plays Harding
Top of the World
1955
Plays Dr. Mears
The Man from Planet X
1951
Plays Engle
Gog
1954
Plays Ben
Down Three Dark Streets
1954
Plays Willem (voice)
The Smurfs: 'Tis the Season to Be Smurfy
1987
Plays Private Livingston
Smoke Signal
1955
Plays Ens. Longfellow
Flat Top
1952
Plays Retired Man
Legends of the Super Heroes
1979
Plays Asst. Dist. Atty. Andy Tucker
Shield for Murder
1954
Plays Marshal Scott Hood
Gunslinger
1956
Plays Johnston - a Reporter
Tobor the Great
1954
Plays Inquiry Clerk
Hoodlum Empire
1952
Plays Gold Bullion Guard
Rose of Cimarron
1952
Plays Collins
Port Sinister
1953
Plays Jack Williams
Paradise Alley
1962
Plays Capt. Ben Morgan
Hell's Horizon
1955
Plays Aylen
Storm Over Tibet
1952
TV Shows
Plays Martin Lane
The Patty Duke Show
1963
Plays Russ Lawrence
The New Gidget
1986
Plays Wesley "Boarder" Hodges
The Torkelsons
1991
Plays Ted Richards
Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe
1955
Plays Harry Hopkins
War and Remembrance
1988
Plays Carson Drew
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
1977
Plays Herbert Kalmbach
Blind Ambition
1979
Plays Judith's Father
Dream On
1990
Plays Admiral Hargrade
Get Smart
1965
Plays Mr. Leander Pomfritt
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
1959
Plays Gen. Mark Clark
Ike
1979
Plays Olan Standley
St. Elsewhere
1982
Plays Ken
Desperate Housewives
2004
Plays Defense Counsel Herbert
Hawaii Five-O
1968
Plays Mr. Cresant
The Lucy Show
1962
Plays Frank Harper
The Wild Wild West
1965
Plays Gen. Robert E. Lee
North and South
1985
Plays Maire Norris
True Blood
2008
Plays Retired Man/Scarlet Cyclone
Legends of the Superheroes
1979
Plays Max Devore
Bag of Bones
2011
Plays Jonathan March
Little Women
1978
Plays Reverend
Cross of Fire
1989
Plays Bert Wilkins
Coach
1989
Plays J. Donald Kessinger
Medium
2005
Plays Sam Becker
The Andy Griffith Show
1960
Plays Bob
Magnum, P.I.
1980
Plays Brady
How I Met Your Mother
2005
Plays Nilz Baris
Star Trek
1966
Plays Snell
Little House on the Prairie
1974
Plays Paul Ganz
The F.B.I.
1965
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Green Lantern: First Flight
Full Filmography
Bag of Bones
Max Devore · 2 episodes
2011–
TV
Medium
J. Donald Kessinger · 1 episode
2009–2010
TV
The Deep End
Hal Douglas · 1 episode
2010–
TV
Desperate Housewives
Ken · 2 episodes
2008–2009
TV
Green Lantern: First Flight
Appa Ali Apsa (voice)
2009
Film
True Blood
Maire Norris · 2 episodes
2008–
TV
How I Met Your Mother
Brady · 1 episode
2006–2007
TV
My Name Is Earl
Dr. Rudin · 1 episode
2006
TV
Close to Home
Harold Jensen · 1 episode
2005–
TV
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is William Schallert still alive?
William Schallert passed away on May 8, 2016 at age 93.
What are the most famous roles of William Schallert?
William Schallert is best known for roles in Gremlins, Singin' in the Rain, Innerspace.
How many movies has William Schallert been in?
Over a 69-year career (since 1947), William Schallert has appeared in 77 movies and 103 TV shows.
What was William Schallert's first movie?
The career of William Schallert began with Doctor Jim (1947).
What is William Schallert's most recent movie or series?
William Schallert's most recent release is Monster Madness: Mutants, Space Invaders, and Drive-Ins, which premiered on October 12, 2014.
What TV shows has William Schallert appeared in?
On television, William Schallert has appeared in How I Met Your Mother, Desperate Housewives, True Blood, Star Trek.
William Schallert
1922-07-06 · Los Angeles, California, U.S.
William Joseph Schallert (July 6, 1922 – May 8, 2016) was an American character actor who appeared in dozens of television shows and films over a career spanning more than 60 years. He is known for his roles on Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1957–1959), Death Valley Days (1955–1962), and The Patty Duke Show (1963–1966).
Schallert was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Edwin Francis Schallert, a longtime drama critic for the Los Angeles Times, and Elza Emily Schallert (née Baumgarten), a magazine writer and radio host. He began acting while a student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) but left to become an Army Air Corps fighter pilot in World War II. He returned to UCLA after the war and graduated in 1946.
After graduating from UCLA, Schallert began his acting career in the theater. He appeared in several productions at the Circle Theatre in Los Angeles, including a staging of W. Somerset Maugham's Rain in 1948, which was directed by Charlie Chaplin.
Schallert made his television debut in 1951, and he quickly became a familiar face on the small screen. He appeared in numerous guest roles on shows such as The Adventures of Superman, The Twilight Zone, and The Dick Van Dyke Show. He also had recurring roles on The Patty Duke Show, The Nancy Drew Mysteries, and The Torkelsons.
In addition to his work on television, Schallert also appeared in several films, including The Bridges of Toko-Ri (1954), The Apartment (1960), and The Sting (1973).
Schallert died in Pacific Palisades, California, in 2016, at the age of 93. He was survived by his wife, Leah Waggner, and their four children.