Actor. He is best remembered for his recurring portrayal of the level-headed Father Lewis on the daytime soap opera "Days of Our Lives." After serving in the United States Army during World War II, upon returning to civilian life following the end of the war, after re-settling in his native California, he attained his degree in theatrical arts under the G.I. Bill from the UCLA and began his career appearing as a leading man on the stage in stock companies. Upon being introduced to director Leslie Goodwins while attending a luncheon at the prestigious Frank & Musso's Grille Restuarant, he was so impressed by his distinctive voice, slim physique, and remarkable wit, that he took notice of his potential and arranged for him to begin a career in the television industry beginning with him appearing in a supporting role per his supervision on an episode of "China Smith." From there, he would go on to flourish as a notable character actor appearing in over 180 features; often typecast as husbands, fathers, uncles, boyfriends, soldiers, sailors, doctors, policemen, city slickers, detectives, reporters, bellhops, doormen, waiters, bartenders, chauffeurs, clergymen, cowboys, sheriffs, bailiffs, educators, retail clerks, businessmen, eccentrics, landlords, neighbors, curmudgeons, foreigners, gangsters, henchmen, jailbirds, managers, bankers, pawnbrokers, athletes, photographers, gigolos, chefs, janitors, conmen, barbers, mechanics, vendors, aristocrats, and patriarchs. He appeared in such feature films as "The Enemy Below" (1957), "I Married a Monster from Outer Space" (1958), "Too Soon to Love" (1960), "Dear Heart" (1964), "What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?" (1966), "The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again" (1979), "Fatso" (1980), "The Philadelphia Experiment" (1984), "Retribution" (1987), "Dave" (1993), "Get Shorty" (1995), "Hollywood Boulevard" (1996), "Godzilla" (1998), "Can't Be Heaven" (1999), and "What's Cooking?" (2000). On television, he became an even more familiar face appearing in various guest spots on such syndicated sitcoms as "Highway Patrol," "Front Row Center," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Hey, Jeannie!," "Dragnet," "Sugarfoot," "The Twilight Zone," "Surfside 6," "The Gallant Men," "Wide Country," "Alcoa Premiere," "77 Sunset Strip," "Breaking Point," "Perry Mason," "Honey West," "McHale's Navy," "Batman," "Gomer Pyle: USMC," "General Hospital," "Please Don't Eat the Daisies," "Laredo," "Gunsmoke," "Petticoat Junction," "Get Smart," "Adam-12," "Insight," "Ironside," "The Odd Couple," "Night Gallery," "Police Woman," "Banacek," "Spencer's Pilots," "Chico and the Man," "WKRP in Cincinatti," "Soap," "Barney Miller," "Hill Street Blues," "Benson," "One Day at a Time," "Simon & Simon," "Little House on the Prairie," "Fantasy Island," "Hart to Hart," "Blue Thunder," "Mama Malone," "Scarecrow and Mrs. King," "The Golden Girls," "Mama's Family," "Highway to Heaven," "Knots Landing," "Punky Brewster," "Growing Pains," "Have Faith," "Newhart," "Murder, She Wrote," "Night Court," "Who's the Boss?," "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "Seinfeld," "Santa Barbara," "Home Improvement," "The Nanny," "Northern Exposure," "Sister, Sister," "Dave's World," "Living Single," "Mad About You," "Charmed," "Friends," and "Boy Meets World." During his career, he was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, was supportive of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, had been a regular parishioner of the Catholic church, was a member of the Hollywood Democratic Committee, presided as a chairman for his local charters of the American Red Cross and the Boys & Girls Clubs, had been a commercial model for the Forbes Agency, was one of the founding members of the Canyon Theatre Guild, had been a theatrical instructor for the Pasadena Playhouse, was the celebrity spokesman for Winston Cigars, and he was married to homemaker Catherine Manza from 1948 to 2000 (their union ended upon his death and produced four children).