Ray Walston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ray Walston
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Walston in My Favorite Martian, 1963
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Herman Raymond Walston
November 2, 1914 Laurel, Mississippi, U.S.
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| Died | January 1, 2001 (aged 86) |
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| Years active | 1940s–2000 |
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Ruth Calvert Walston
(m. 1943) |
| Children | 1 |
Herman Raymond Walston (November 2, 1914 – January 1, 2001) was an American actor and comedian. He was best known for playing the main character, Uncle Martin, in the TV show My Favorite Martian. He also had many other important roles. These included Luther Billis in South Pacific, Mr. Hand in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and Judge Henry Bone in Picket Fences.
Contents
Ray Walston: A Star on Screen and Stage
Early Life and First Steps in Acting
Ray Walston was born on November 2, 1914, in Laurel, Mississippi. He was the second son and youngest of three children. His father, Harry Norman Walston, was a lumberjack. His family moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, around 1925.
Ray started acting when he was young. He began with small roles in plays in New Orleans. He often played minor parts with acting groups. He even worked at a movie theater, selling tickets and cleaning the stage. Later, his family moved to Dallas, Texas. In 1938, he joined a theater company there. He stayed with the Houston Civic Theater for six years. During this time, he acted in about 12 different roles each year.
Becoming a Stage Star
Walston was a popular actor with Margo Jones's theater group. After that, he moved to Cleveland, Ohio. He spent three years acting at the Cleveland Play House. Then, he went to New York City. He made his Broadway debut in 1945. This was in a play called The G.I. Hamlet. Three years later, Walston became one of the first actors to join the new Actors Studio.
In 1949, he acted in a play called Mrs. Gibbons' Boys. Later, in 1955, he played Satan (named "Mr. Applegate") in the musical Damn Yankees. He acted alongside Gwen Verdon. Their performances were a big hit. They both won awards for their roles. After ten years in New York theater, he won a Tony Award.
He also played Luther Billis in the 1951 London show of South Pacific. He played the same role in the 1958 movie version. He and Juanita Hall were the only actors from the stage show to be in the movie. Walston also appeared in other Broadway plays. These included The Front Page and Richard III. In 1957, he was in a Broadway play about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. This play was later made into a TV show.
From Stage to Screen: Early Roles
Walston also starred in the 1958 movie version of Damn Yankees. He appeared in many other films too. Some of these were South Pacific, The Apartment, and The Sting. He got a main role in the comedy Kiss Me, Stupid. This happened because the original actor, Peter Sellers, had to leave due to a heart attack.
He also narrated many films for the U.S. government. These films were about nuclear experiments. He was a guest star on several TV shows. These included The Shirley Temple Show and The Americans.
My Favorite Martian: A Big Hit!
Ray Walston became very famous for his role as Uncle Martin. This was the main character in My Favorite Martian. The show ran from 1963 to 1966. His co-star was Bill Bixby. They quickly became good friends. The show was very popular in its first season.
After My Favorite Martian ended, it was hard for Walston to find serious roles. People often saw him only as the Martian. In the 1970s and 1980s, he went back to playing supporting characters. He guest starred in many TV series. These included The Wild Wild West, Mission: Impossible, and Little House on the Prairie. He even reunited with Bill Bixby on The Incredible Hulk. In that episode, Walston played a magician named Jasper.
Television Comeback and Later Roles
From 1980 to 1992, Walston acted in 14 films. One of his notable roles was Mr. Hand in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. He also played this role in the TV version. In 1999, Walston shared that he was happy when young fans called him "Mr. Hand." This meant he was finally known for more than just his Martian role.
In 1984, Walston played a judge on an episode of Night Court. Six years later, he appeared on L.A. Law. He then got the role of Judge Henry Bone on Picket Fences. This role was supposed to be small at first. But Walston was so popular that his character became a main part of the show.
In 1985, Walston made a brief appearance in Steven Spielberg's show Amazing Stories. He played a caveman telling a story to his tribe. He also appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation as Boothby. Boothby was the head groundskeeper at Starfleet Academy. Walston played Boothby again twice on Star Trek: Voyager.
In 1992, Walston played Candy in the movie Of Mice and Men. He worked with Gary Sinise and John Malkovich in this film. Two years later, he worked with Sinise again. This was in the TV miniseries The Stand.
Walston was nominated for three Emmy Awards for his work on Picket Fences. He won twice, in 1995 and 1996. The show ended in 1996. Walston also guest starred on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. He played the father of a character named Jake Slicker. His character had Alzheimer's disease.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1994, Walston was diagnosed with lupus. This health issue caused his acting career to slow down. In 1995, he appeared in an AT&T TV commercial. In the ad, he hinted that he was Uncle Martin from Mars. He was looking for good phone rates to talk to other Martians.
Walston played Grandfather Walter Addams in Addams Family Reunion in 1998. The next year, he appeared in the movie remake of My Favorite Martian. He played a different character named Armitan. He also appeared in an episode of Touched by an Angel in October 2000.
Walston made a short appearance in the 7th Heaven episode "One Hundred". This episode aired in January 2001, a few weeks after he passed away. His last movie role was in the film Early Bird Special, released later that year.
Personal Life
Ray Walston married Ruth Calvert on November 3, 1943. They had one daughter, Katharine Ann.
Walston passed away on New Year's Day, January 1, 2001. He was 86 years old. He died at his home in Beverly Hills, California.
Film and TV Roles
Walston had many roles in movies and TV shows. Here are some of his most well-known appearances:
- 1958: South Pacific as Luther Billis
- 1958: Damn Yankees! as Mr. Applegate
- 1960: The Apartment as Joe Dobisch
- 1963-66: My Favorite Martian (TV series) as The Martian
- 1964: Kiss Me, Stupid as Orville J. Spooner
- 1969: Paint Your Wagon as Mad Jack Duncan
- 1973: The Sting as J.J. Singleton
- 1980: Popeye as Poopdeck Pappy
- 1982: Fast Times at Ridgemont High as Mr. Hand
- 1992: Of Mice and Men as Candy
- 1992-96: Picket Fences (TV series) as Judge Henry Bone
- 1994: The Stand as Glen Bateman
- 1999: My Favorite Martian as Armitan
See also
In Spanish: Ray Walston para niños
