David Ogden Stiers

David Ogden Stiers

Name

David Allen Ogden Stiers

Birthplace

Peoria, Illinois, U.S.

Birth date

(1942-10-31)October 31, 1942

Death place

Newport, Oregon, U.S.

Death date

March 3, 2018(2018-03-03) (aged 75)

Occupation

Actor, musician

Active Years

1971–2016

David Ogden Stiers (October 31, 1942 – March 3, 2018) was an American actor, voice actor, and musician, noted for his roles in Disney animated films, the television series M*A*S*H as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III and the supernatural fiction drama The Dead Zone as Reverend Gene Purdy. He was also known for the role of District Attorney Michael Reston in several Perry Mason TV movies.

Early life and education

Stiers was born in Peoria, Illinois, the son of Margaret Elizabeth (née Ogden) and Kenneth Truman Stiers. He attended Urbana High School at the same time as film critic Roger Ebert. He moved to Eugene, Oregon where he graduated from North Eugene High School and briefly attended the University of Oregon. He later moved to San Francisco, where he performed with the California Shakespeare Theater, San Francisco Actors Workshop, and the improv group The Committee, whose members included Rob Reiner, Howard Hesseman and Peter Bonerz. Stiers studied at the Juilliard School (Drama Division Group 1: 1968–1972). During his studies, Stiers was mentored by actor John Houseman and would later join his City Center Acting Company.

Career

Early acting credits

Stiers first appeared in the Broadway production The Magic Show in 1974 in the minor role of Feldman. Subsequent early credits include The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Kojak, and Rhoda. Stiers also appeared in the pilot of Charlie's Angels as the team's chief back-up.

M*A*S*H (1977–1983)

In 1977, Stiers joined the cast of the CBS-TV sitcom M*A*S*H. As Major Charles Emerson Winchester III, Stiers filled the void created by the departure of actor Larry Linville's Frank Burns character. In contrast to the buffoonish Burns, Winchester was a well-spoken and talented surgeon who presented a different type of foil to Alan Alda's Hawkeye Pierce and Mike Farrell's B.J. Hunnicutt. Burns usually served as the butt of practical jokes instigated by Pierce or Hunnicutt, and his surgical skills were often harshly criticized. Winchester, however, presented a challenge to his colleagues' displays of irreverence because his surgical skills could match or even outshine theirs; his aristocratic manner and aversion to puerile behavior served as the target for his fellow surgeons' barbs and jokes. At times, however, Winchester could align himself with Pierce and Hunnicutt and held considerable admiration for his commanding officer, Col. Sherman T. Potter. For his portrayal of the pompous but nonetheless multifaceted Boston aristocrat, Stiers received two Emmy Award nominations.

Other television work

After M*A*S*H completed its run in 1983, Stiers expanded his work on television with regular guest appearances on North and South; Star Trek: The Next Generation; Murder, She Wrote; Matlock; Touched by an Angel; Wings; and Frasier, along with a recurring role in Season 1 of Two Guys and a Girl as Mr. Bauer. In 1984, he portrayed United States Olympic Committee founder, William Milligan Sloane in the NBC miniseries, The First Olympics: Athens 1896. Beginning in 1985, Stiers made his first of eight appearances in Perry Mason made-for-TV movies as District Attorney Michael Reston. He had guest appearances on ALF and Matlock. He appeared in two unsuccessful television projects, Love & Money and Justice League of America (as the Martian Manhunter). In 2002, Stiers started a recurring role as the Reverend Purdy on the successful USA Network series The Dead Zone with Anthony Michael Hall. In 2006, he was cast as the recurring character Oberoth in Stargate Atlantis.

Vocal work

Stiers has provided voice work for dozens of film and television projects. His first work was on one of George Lucas' earliest films, the critically acclaimed THX 1138, in which he was incorrectly billed as "David Ogden Steers". Stiers has voiced PBS documentary films such as Ric Burns' project New York: A Documentary Film, 2010 Peabody Award winner The Lord is Not on Trial Here Today and several episodes of the documentary television series The American Experience, including Ansel Adams (2002), also directed by Ric Burns. In 1992, he voiced Mr. Piccolo in the animated English-dubbed version of Porco Rosso. He collaborated with Disney on eight animated features, including 1991's Beauty and the Beast (as Cogsworth, also opening narration), 1995's Pocahontas (as Governor Ratcliffe and Wiggins), 1996's The Hunchback of Notre Dame (as the Archdeacon), 2001's Atlantis: The Lost Empire (as Mr. Harcourt), and 2002's Lilo & Stitch (as Jumba Jookiba). He lent his voice to the direct-to-video Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003) as the Penguin. Stiers did voice work for Solovar in a two-part episode "The Brave and The Bold" in Justice League and voiced Solovar again in a Justice League Unlimited episode "Dead Reckoning". He voiced characters in two of Disney's animated TV series: Gryzlikoff from Darkwing Duck, and Mr. Jolly from Teacher's Pet. He voiced the king and prime minister in the 2004 short film The Cat That Looked at a King. In Hoodwinked (2005), the animated movie partly based on Little Red Riding Hood, Stiers voiced the role of Nicky Flippers, the frog detective who is dispatched to Granny's house. He voiced Pop's father, Mr. Maellard, in the animated TV series Regular Show, which debuted in 2010. Stiers had voices in several video games, including Icewind Dale, Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, as Jeff Zandi in Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, and as Esher in Myst V: End of Ages.

Music

Stiers is the associate conductor for the Newport (Oregon) Symphony Orchestra and the Ernest Bloch Music Festival. He has guest conducted over 70 orchestras around the world, including the Oregon Mozart Players, the Vancouver Symphony, the Oregon Chamber Players, the Yaquina (Oregon) Chamber Orchestra, as well as orchestras in San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Chicago and Toronto.

Death

Stiers died on March 3, 2018 at his home in Newport, Oregon at the age of 75 from bladder cancer.

Filmography

Genre	Year	Title	Episodes	Role	Notes
Film	1971	Drive, He Said		Pro Owner
Film	1971	THX 1138		Announcer	voice actor
TV series	1975	Kojak	"Money Back Guarantee"	Bryan LeBlanc / Mr. Roberts	Template:Hs1 episode
TV series	1976	Charlie's Angels	"Charlie's Angels" (Pilot)	Scott Woodville	Template:Hs1 episode
TV series	1976	Doc	Template:Hs"A Little Night Visitor" "And Stanley Makes Three" "Carry on Nurse, Please" "Come Scrub with Me" "EKG and Vote for Me" "Mama Doc" "The Westside Clinic and Deli"	Stanley Moss	Template:Hs7 episodes
TV series	1976	Template:HsThe Mary Tyler Moore Show	"Look at Us, We're Walking"	Mel Price	Template:Hs3 episodes total
TV series	1976	Phyllis	Template:Hs"The Wrong Box"	Mr. Raymond	Template:Hs1 episode
TV series	1976	Rhoda	"If You Want to Shoot the Rapids, You Have to Get Wet"	George	Template:Hs2 episodes total
Film	1977	Oh, God!		Mr. McCarthy, District Produce Manager
TV series	1977	This Is the Life	Template:Hs"Undertow"	Harry	Template:Hs1 episode
TV series	1977	Template:HsThe Mary Tyler Moore Show	Template:Hs"The Critic" "The Ted and Georgette Show"	Mel Price	Template:Hs3 episodes total
TV series	1977	Rhoda	"Nose Job"	Dr. Curt Dreiser	Template:Hs2 episodes total
TV series	1977	Template:HsThe Tony Randall Show	"Case: The People Speak"	Cleaver	Template:Hs1 episode
TV series	1977–1983	M*A*S*H		Major Charles Emerson Winchester III	131 episodes total
Film	1978	Template:HsThe Cheap Detective		Captain
Film	1978	Magic		Todson
TV series	1978	Template:HsThe Paper Chase	Template:Hs"An Act of Desperation"	Woodrow Tullis	Template:Hs1 episode
TV film	1979	Breaking Up Is Hard to Do		Howard Freed
TV series	1981	Template:HsCBS Afternoon Playhouse	"Me and Mr. Stenner"	Peter Stenner	Template:Hs1 episode
Film	1981	Harry's War		Ernie
TV series	1983	American Playhouse	Template:Hs"The Innocents Abroad"	Doc	based on the travel book by Mark Twain
TV miniseries	1984	Template:HsThe First Olympics: Athens 1896		William Milligan Sloane
TV film	1985	Template:HsThe Bad Seed		Emory Breedlove
Film	1985	Better Off Dead...		Al Meyer
Film	1985	Creator		Dr. Sid Kullenbeck
Film	1985	Template:HsThe Man with One Red Shoe		Template:HsThe Conductor
TV miniseries	1985	North and South		Congressman Sam Greene	Template:Hs6 episodes
TV film	1986	Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry		Horton Delafield
TV series	1986	Murder, She Wrote	"Corned Beef and Carnage"	Aubrey Thornton	Template:Hs3 episodes total
TV miniseries	1986	North and South, Book II		Congressman Sam Greene	Template:Hs6 episodes
TV film	1987	Template:HsThe Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory		Colonel Black
TV film	1987	J. Edgar Hoover		Franklin D. Roosevelt
TV series	1987	Matlock	"Blind Justice"	Arthur Hampton	Template:Hs3 episodes total
TV film	1987	Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love		D.A. Michael Reston
TV film	1987	Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam		D.A. Michael Reston
TV film	1987	Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun		D.A. Michael Reston
TV film	1987	Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel		D.A. Michael Reston
TV film	1987	Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star		D.A. Michael Reston
TV film	1987	Perry Mason: The Case of the Sinister Spirit		D.A. Michael Reston
Film	1988	Template:HsThe Accidental Tourist		Porter Leary
TV series	1988	ALF	"Turkey in the Straw: Part 1" "Turkey in the Straw: Part 2"	Flakey Pete	Template:Hs2 episodes
Film	1988	Another Woman		Young Marion's Father
TV series	1988	Matlock	Template:Hs"The Ambassador: Part 1" "The Ambassador: Part 2"	Thomas Baldwin	Template:Hs3 episodes total
TV film	1988	Perry Mason: The Case of the Avenging Ace		D.A. Michael Reston
TV film	1988	Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake		D.A. Michael Reston
TV film	1989	Day One		Franklin D. Roosevelt
TV film	1989	Template:HsThe Final Days		Alexander Haig
TV series	1989	Template:HsThe Ray Bradbury Theater	Template:Hs"The Pedestrian"	Leonard Mead	Template:Hs1 episode
TV series	1990	CBS Schoolbreak Special	"American Eyes"	Jack Henderson	Template:Hs1 episode
TV series	1990	Married People	"Term Paper"	Dr. Cashin	Template:Hs1 episode
TV series	1990	Wings	Template:Hs"A Little Nightmare Music"	Edward Tinsdale	Template:Hs1 episode
Animated film	1991	Beauty and the Beast		Template:HsCogsworth / Narrator	voice actor
Film	1991	Doc Hollywood		Mayor Nick Nicholson
Film	1991	Shadows and Fog		Hacker
TV series	1991	Star Trek: The Next Generation	"Half a Life"	Timicin	Template:Hs1 episode
TV film	1991	Wife, Mother, Murderer		John Homan
Film	1992	Template:HsThe Last of His Tribe		Dr. Saxton Pope
Animated film	1992	Porco Rosso		Grandpa Piccolo	voice actor; English version
TV series	1993	Jack's Place	"Forever and Ever"	Flower Man	Template:Hs1 episode
TV series	1994	Template:HsThe Boys Are Back	Template:Hs"A Tree Dies in Portland"	George Spivack	Template:Hs1 episode
Film	1994	Iron Will		J.W. Harper
TV series	1994	Murder, She Wrote	Template:Hs"An Egg to Die For"	Sergei Nemiroff	Template:Hs3 episodes total
TV film	1994	Past Tense		Dr. Bert James
Film	1995	Bad Company		Judge Beach
Film	1995	Mighty Aphrodite		Laius
Film	1995	Napoleon		Koala / Owl	voice actor
Animated film	1995	Pocahontas		Governor Ratcliffe / Wiggins	voice actor
Film	1995	Steal Big Steal Little		Judge Winton Myers
TV documentary series	1995–2011	American Experience		Narrator	voice actor; Template:Hs32 episodes
TV series	1996	Cybill	"Educating Zoey"	Val	Template:Hs1 episode
Film	1996	Everyone Says I Love You		Holden's Parent
Animated film	1996	Template:HsThe Hunchback of Notre Dame		Archdeacon	voice actor
TV series	1996	Murder, She Wrote	"Death by Demographics"	Howard Deems	Template:Hs3 episodes total
TV series	1996	Poltergeist: The Legacy	Template:Hs"The Twelfth Cave"	Randolph Hitchcock	Template:Hs1 episode
TV film	1996	To Face Her Past		Ken Bradfield
Animated film	1997	Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas		Template:HsCogsworth	voice actor; direct-to-video
TV series	1997	Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman	"Farewell Appearance"	Theodore Quinn	Template:Hs1 episode
TV film	1997	Justice League of America		J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter
Film	1997	Jungle 2 Jungle		Alexei Jovanovic
Film	1997	Meet Wally Sparks		Governor Floyd Preston
Animated TV series	1998	101 Dalmatians: The Series	"Out to Launch/Prophet and Loss"	VLAD	voice actor
TV series	1998	Ally McBeal	"They Eat Horses, Don't They?"	Judge Andrew Peters	Template:Hs1 episode
Animated film	1998	Belle's Magical World		Template:HsCogsworth	voice actor; direct-to-video
Film	1998	Krippendorf's Tribe		Henry Spivey
Animated film	1998	Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World		Governor Ratcliffe/Duke of Buckingham	voice actor; direct-to-video
TV series	1998	Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place		Mr. Bauer	Template:Hs13 episodes
Animated TV series	1999	Template:HsThe Angry Beavers	"Kreature Komforts/Oh, Brother?"	Byron Beaver	voice actor
Animated film	1999	My Neighbors the Yamadas		Narrator	voice actor; English version
TV series	1999	Template:HsThe Outer Limits	Template:Hs"The Shroud"	Reverend Dr. Thomas Tilford	Template:Hs1 episode
TV series	1999	Template:HsThe Practice	"Infected"	Judge Hollings	Template:Hs1 episode
TV series	1999–2000	Love & Money		Nicholas Conklin	Template:Hs13 episodes
TV series	2000	Bull	"How Green Is Your Mail?" "Who's Afraid of Chairman Al" "Monday, Bloody Monday" "White Knight"	Gardner Blackstone	Template:Hs4 episodes
TV series	2000	Template:HsThe Trouble With Normal	"Say Cheese"	Mr. Harrington	Template:Hs1 episode
Animated TV series	2000	Template:HsThe Wild Thornberrys	"Luck Be an Aye-Aye"	Karroo	voice actor; 1 episode
Animated TV series	2000–2002	Teacher's Pet		Mr. Jolly / Narrator / Congressman	voice actor; 13 episodes
Film	2001	Tomcats		Dr. Crawford
Animated film	2001	Atlantis: The Lost Empire		Fenton Q. Harcourt	voice actor
Film	2001	Template:HsThe Curse of the Jade Scorpion		Voltan
Film	2001	Template:HsThe Majestic		Doc Stanton
Animated film	2001	Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse		Template:HsCogsworth	voice actor; direct-to-video
TV film	2001	Template:HsMurder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man		Stanford Thornton	Murder, She Wrote TV series
Animated film	2001	Spirited Away		Kamajii	voice actor; English version
Animated TV series	2001–2002	Disney's House of Mouse	"Thanks to Minnie" "Mickey and Minnie's Big Vacation" "Donald and the Aracuan Bird"	Template:HsCogsworth	voice actor; 3 episodes
TV series	2002	Arli$$	"It's All in the Game"	Eli	Template:Hs1 episode
Animated TV series	2002	Justice League	Template:Hs"The Brave and the Bold" "The Brave and the Bold: Part II"	Solovar / Car Owner	voice actor; 3 episodes total
Animated film	2002	Lilo & Stitch		Dr. Jumba Jookiba	voice actor
TV series	2002–2007	Template:HsThe Dead Zone		Reverend Eugene 'Gene' Purdy	Template:Hs40 episodes
Animated film	2003	Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman		Penguin	voice actor; direct-to-video
TV series	2003	Frasier	"Fathers and Sons"	Dr. Leland Barton	Template:Hs1 episode
Animated film	2003	Stitch! The Movie		Template:Hs Dr. Jumba Jookiba	voice actor; direct-to-video
TV series	2003	Touched by an Angel	"I Will Walk with You: Part 1" "I Will Walk with You: Part 2"	Jones	Template:Hs2 episodes
Animated TV series	2003–2006	Lilo & Stitch: The Series		Template:Hs Dr. Jumba Jookiba	Template:Hs66 episodes
TV film	2004	Cable Beach		Doc McWhirter
Template:HsLive-action/animated short film	2004	Template:HsThe Cat That Looked at a King		Template:HsThe King / The Prime Minister	voice actor
Animated film	2004	Springtime with Roo		Narrator	voice actor; direct-to-video
Animated TV series	2004	Static Shock	"Hoop Squad"	Dr. Odium	voice actor
Animated film	2004	Teacher's Pet		Mr. Jolly	voice actor
Animated TV series	2005	American Dragon: Jake Long	Template:Hs"The Talented Mr. Long"	Narrator / Crew Man	voice actor
Animated film	2005	Hoodwinked!		Nicky Flippers	voice actor
Animated film	2005	Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch		Template:HsDr. Jumba Jookiba	voice actor; direct-to-video
TV documentary series	2005	Nova	Template:Hs"A Daring Flight"	Narrator	voice actor
Animated short video	2005	Template:HsThe Origin of Stitch		Template:HsDr. Jumba Jookiba	voice actor; 4:35 minutes uncredited
Animated film	2005	Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie		Narrator	voice actor; direct-to-video
Animated TV series	2006	Justice League	"Dead Reckoning"	Solovar	voice actor; 3 episodes total
Film	2006	Lady in the Water		Narrator	uncredited
Animated film	2006	Leroy & Stitch		Template:HsDr. Jumba Jookiba	voice actor; direct-to-video
TV series	2006	Stargate Atlantis	"Progeny"	Oberoth	Template:Hs3 episodes total
TV series	2006	Template:HsWorst Week of My Life	"Pilot"	Jenson	Template:Hs1 episode; American TV series
TV series	2007	Stargate Atlantis	Template:Hs"First Strike" "Lifeline"	Oberoth	Template:Hs3 episodes total
TV documentary series	2007	The Power of Choice: The Life and Ideas of Milton Friedman		Narrator
TV film	2008	Together Again for the First Time		Max Frobisher
TV series	2010	Dino Dan		Wandering Oaken
TV series	2011	Leverage	Template:Hs"The Lonely Hearts Job"	Walt Whitman Wellesley IV	Template:Hs1 episode
Animated TV series	2011–2016	Regular Show	18 episodes total	Mr. Maellard	voice actor; recurring role, 18 episodes to date
Feature Film	2015	Neil Stryker and the Tyrant of Time		The Admiral	actor;

External links

• David Ogden Stiers on Wikipedia