Actor. He was best known as a character actor who frequently played "the heavy" or villainous type roles on both television and "the big screen" during a career that span five decades. Born Jan Wasylewski, he served during the Second World War in the United States Navy as a torpedoman. He served on the famous and tragic USS Indianapolis and was one of the survivors. After the war, he studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York and later worked on the theatrical stage. He was a part of the original 1948 Broadway production of "Mister Roberts." He made his television debut in 1951 on the television series "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet" and went on to appear on the series for the next four years. He would go on to appear on numerous television series during his career such as "Passport to Danger," "West Point," "The Rough Riders," "Perry Mason," "Laramie," "12 O'Clock High," "The F.B.I." "The A-Team," and "Dallas." His film debut came in 1954 in a uncredited role in "Them!." He went on to appear in such films as "Hell Bent for Leather" (1960), "Guns of Diablo" (1965), "The St. Valentine's Day Massacre" (1967), "Take the Money and Run" (1969), "The Twilight People" (1972), "I Escaped from Devil's Island" (1973), "The Slams" (1973), "The Hindenburg" (1975) and "Time Trackers" (1989). He usually played "the heavy" in the television programs and films he appeared in. He was also a writer in both non-fiction and fiction novels. He also wrote for television and earned a Daytime Emmy Award in 1975 for Outstanding Writing for a Daytime Drama Series for his work on the NBC soap opera "Another World."
Actor. He was best known as a character actor who frequently played "the heavy" or villainous type roles on both television and "the big screen" during a career that span five decades. Born Jan Wasylewski, he served during the Second World War in the United States Navy as a torpedoman. He served on the famous and tragic USS Indianapolis and was one of the survivors. After the war, he studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York and later worked on the theatrical stage. He was a part of the original 1948 Broadway production of "Mister Roberts." He made his television debut in 1951 on the television series "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet" and went on to appear on the series for the next four years. He would go on to appear on numerous television series during his career such as "Passport to Danger," "West Point," "The Rough Riders," "Perry Mason," "Laramie," "12 O'Clock High," "The F.B.I." "The A-Team," and "Dallas." His film debut came in 1954 in a uncredited role in "Them!." He went on to appear in such films as "Hell Bent for Leather" (1960), "Guns of Diablo" (1965), "The St. Valentine's Day Massacre" (1967), "Take the Money and Run" (1969), "The Twilight People" (1972), "I Escaped from Devil's Island" (1973), "The Slams" (1973), "The Hindenburg" (1975) and "Time Trackers" (1989). He usually played "the heavy" in the television programs and films he appeared in. He was also a writer in both non-fiction and fiction novels. He also wrote for television and earned a Daytime Emmy Award in 1975 for Outstanding Writing for a Daytime Drama Series for his work on the NBC soap opera "Another World."
Bio by: Mr. Badger Hawkeye
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