William Schallert

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William Schallert
William Schallert at the 1990 Academy Awards. (Photo by Alan Light)
Born	July 6, 1922 (1922-07-06) (age 85) Los Angeles, California, USA
Years active	1947– present
Spouse(s)	Rosemarie D. Waggner (1949-present)

William Schallert (born July 6, 1922, in Los Angeles, California), is an actor who has appeared in many movies and television series such as The Smurfs, The Rat Patrol, Gunsmoke, and Get Smart.

He is best known as patriarch Martin Lane on The Patty Duke Show and as teacher Leander Pomfritt on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. Coincidentally, on both shows, he worked opposite the late actress Jean Byron.

He is also very well known for playing the role of Nilz Baris on the Star Trek episode entitled "The Trouble with Tribbles". He also appeared in the archive footage of that episode which was used in the popular Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Trials and Tribble-ations". Schallert appeared in DS9 himself, in the second season episode "Sanctuary", in which he played Varani, a Bajoran musician.

Schallert starred in an innovative 1964 TV pilot for ABC called Philbert, which combined live action camera work and animation. Created by Friz Freleng and directed by Richard Donner, ABC backed out of the series shortly before full production was to begin, though the completed pilot was released in theatres as a short subject.

He was president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1979 to 1981 (his former co-star and TV daughter, Patty Duke would succeed him between from 1985 to 1988).

He continues to work steadily, appearing most recently in a 2007 episode of How I Met Your Mother, the 2008 HBO made for television movie Recount (film) as U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, and his distinctive voice continues to bring him work for commercial and animation voiceovers.

[edit] Career

Schallert has appeared in supporting roles on numerous television programmes since the early 1950s. He has also appeared in several movies, including The Tarnished Angels with Robert Stack, In the Heat of the Night with Rod Steiger, The Jerk with Steve Martin, Speedway with Elvis Presley, and Innerspace with Martin Short.