David Ogden Stiers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Ogden Stiers
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Stiers as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III in M*A*S*H, 1977
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David Allen Ogden Stiers
October 31, 1942 Peoria, Illinois, U.S.
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| Died | March 3, 2018 (aged 75) Newport, Oregon, U.S.
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| Years active | 1971–2018 |
| Awards | TV Land Impact Award (2009) |
David Ogden Stiers (October 31, 1942 – March 3, 2018) was an American actor and a conductor. He was known for his many roles on stage, in movies, and on TV. Kids especially remember his voice acting in popular animated films.
Stiers became famous for playing Major Charles Emerson Winchester III on the TV show M*A*S*H from 1977 to 1983. He also voiced many beloved Disney characters. These included Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast and Governor Ratcliffe in Pocahontas. He also voiced Dr. Jumba Jookiba in the Lilo & Stitch movies. Later in his life, Stiers also conducted orchestras.
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Early Life and Education
David Allen Ogden Stiers was born in Peoria, Illinois, on October 31, 1942. His parents were Margaret Elizabeth and Kenneth Truman Stiers. He grew up in different towns in Illinois. Later, his family moved to Eugene, Oregon.
After high school, Stiers briefly attended the University of Oregon. He then moved to New York City to study acting at the Juilliard School. He graduated from Juilliard in 1972. While studying, he was guided by the famous actor John Houseman. Stiers later joined Houseman's acting group, the City Center Acting Company.
Acting Career
Early Roles
Stiers began his acting career on Broadway. His first role was Feldman in The Magic Show in 1974. He also appeared in other Broadway plays like The Three Sisters.
He also started acting on television. Some of his early TV appearances were on shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Kojak. He even appeared in the pilot episode of Charlie's Angels.
Starring in M*A*S*H
In 1977, Stiers joined the cast of the popular TV show M*A*S*H. He played Major Charles Emerson Winchester III. This character was a very smart and fancy surgeon. He was different from the other doctors, Alan Alda's Hawkeye Pierce and Mike Farrell's B.J. Hunnicutt.
Winchester was often the target of jokes from his fellow surgeons. But he was also very skilled and often outsmarted them. Stiers played this role until the show ended in 1983. His performance earned him two Emmy Award nominations.
Other TV Shows
After M*A*S*H, Stiers appeared in many other TV shows. He was in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Murder, She Wrote, and Frasier. He also had a regular role as Reverend Gene Purdy in The Dead Zone from 2002 to 2007.
Voice Acting Roles
David Ogden Stiers was also a very busy voice actor. He lent his voice to many animated movies and TV shows. For many kids, his voice is very familiar!
He worked with Disney on eight animated movies. He was the voice of Cogsworth, the talking clock, in Beauty and the Beast. He also voiced Governor Ratcliffe and Wiggins in Pocahontas. Other Disney roles included the Archdeacon in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He was also Jumba Jookiba in Lilo & Stitch and its sequels.
Stiers also voiced characters in other animated films. He was Kamaji in the English version of Spirited Away. He was Nicky Flippers, the frog detective, in Hoodwinked. On TV, he voiced Mr. Maellard in Regular Show. He also voiced the Penguin in Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman.
He also voiced characters in several video games. These included Icewind Dale and Kingdom Hearts II.
Music Career
Even though he didn't have formal music training, Stiers loved music. He became an associate conductor for the Newport Symphony Orchestra in Oregon. He also helped start the Newport Symphony.
He was a guest conductor for over 70 orchestras around the world. These included orchestras in Vancouver, San Francisco, and Chicago. Stiers' love for music began when he saw a performance by the Cleveland Orchestra in the 1950s.
Later Life and Death
David Ogden Stiers passed away at his home in Newport, Oregon, on March 3, 2018. He was 75 years old. He died from problems related to bladder cancer. In his will, he left money to several arts groups in his area. These included the Newport Symphony and the Newport Public Library.
Images for kids
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Stiers as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III in M*A*S*H, 1977
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Cast photo from M*A*S*H for 1977: Front row from left – Loretta Swit, Harry Morgan, Alan Alda, Mike Farrell. Back row from left – William Christopher, Gary Burghoff, David Ogden Stiers, and Jamie Farr
