Gregory Walcott

For the American academic and minister, seeGregory Dexter Walcott.

Gregory Walcott
Walcott inPlan 9 from Outer Space(1957)
Born	Bernard Wasdon Mattox (1928-01-13)January 13, 1928 Wendell, North Carolina,U.S.
Died	March 20, 2015(2015-03-20)(aged 87) Canoga Park, Los Angeles,California,U.S.
Other names	Greg Walcott
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1952–1994
Spouse	Barbara May Watkins ​ ​ (m.1954; died 2010)​
Children	3

Gregory Walcott(bornBernard Wasdon Mattox,January 13, 1928 – March 20, 2015) was an American television and film actor. Although he had roles in many Hollywood films and television series, he is perhaps best known for having appeared in the 1994 filmEd Woodand Wood'sPlan 9 from Outer Spacefrom 1957.

Early years

Walcott was born Bernard Wasdon Mattox inWendell, North Carolina,on January 13, 1928.He was raised inWilson, North Carolina.Walcott served in theUnited States Armytowards the end ofWorld War IIand theKorean War.

Career

While serving in theUnited States Army,Walcott appeared as a marine corps drill instructor in the filmBattle Cry(1955), then as a shore patrolman in 1955's war-themed classicMister Roberts,again as a marine corps drill instructor inThe Outsider(1961), and later inMidway(1976) as Capt. Elliott Buckmaster.

He appeared in Western films, beginning with an uncredited role inRed Skies of Montana(1952), then later more prominently as a gunslinger who tries to romanceClaudette Colbertin 1955'sTexas Lady.

Walcott had roles in many television series, including that of Stone Kenyon in two episodes of theNBCsitcom,The People's ChoicewithJackie Cooper.He was frequently cast inwesternslikeBonanza(seven times),Maverick,Frontier Doctor,Wagon Train,The High Chaparral,26 Men,Sugarfoot(in the 1958 episode "Bullet Proof" ),Laramie,The Rifleman,The Tall Man,The Dakotas,and in several episodes ofCBS'sRawhide,through which he began a long collaboration withClint Eastwood.Walcott had featured roles in Eastwood's filmsJoe Kidd(1972),Thunderbolt and Lightfoot(1974),The Eiger Sanction(1975), andEvery Which Way But Loose(1978).

Walcott made a guest appearance onPerry Masonas Bill Johnson in the 1959 episode, "The Case of the Howling Dog." He also was one of the stars of a 1961–1962NBCtelevision series,87th Precinct,asDetectiveRoger Havilland. Walcott had guest roles on other television series, such asCHiPSand CBS'sDennis the Menace.He had recurring roles too in the originalDallasandMurder, She Wrote,and he appeared as Captain Diggs on the 1970s seriesLand of the Lost.He also made a guest appearance in 1984 on the TV seriesAlicein the episode titled "House Full of Hunnicutts". He played Jolene Hunnicutt's father, Big Jake Hunnicutt.

His theatrical film work included the comedyOn the Double(1961),Captain Newman, M.D.(1963),Prime Cut(1972),The Last American Hero(1973), and the chase filmThe Sugarland Express(1974). Walcott played a sheriff in the 1979 filmNorma Rae,and appeared in the filmTiltthe same year. He made a cameo appearance in the 1994Ed Woodbio-pic starringJohnny Depp,directed byTim Burton,which was Walcott's final role.

Walcott long regretted having anything to do withPlan 9,but in a September 10, 2000,Los Angeles Timesinterview, he said, "It's better to be remembered for something than for nothing, don't you think?"

Personal life and death

Walcott married Barbara May Watkins, and they had a son and two daughters. They were married for 55 years until her death in 2010.He died of natural causes on March 20, 2015, in his home inCanoga Park,California, aged 87.

Filmography

List of acting performances in film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1952	Red Skies of Montana	Randy O'Neill	Uncredited
	Fearless Fagan	MP at Gate	Uncredited
	Battle Zone	Rifleman	Uncredited
	Above and Beyond	Burns	Uncredited
1955	Battle Cry	Sgt. Jim Beller
	Strange Lady in Town	Scanlon
	Mister Roberts	Shore Patrolman
	The McConnell Story	Military Policeman
	Texas Lady	Deputy Jess Folley
	The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell	Howard Millikan	Uncredited
1956	The Lieutenant Wore Skirts	Lt. Sweeney
	The Steel Jungle	Guard Weaver
	Thunder Over Arizona	Mark Warren
1957	The Persuader	Jim Cleery
	Plan 9 from Outer Space	Jeff Trent
1958	Jet Attack	Lt. Bill Clairbone
	Badman's Country	Bat Masterson
1960	Simon Lash: The Black Book	Lt. Wile	TV movie
1961	On the Double	Colonel Rock Houston
	The Outsider	Sgt. Kiley
1963	Captain Newman, M.D.	Capt. Howard
1967	Bill Wallace of China	Bill Wallace
1969	Changes	Businessman / Job Interviewer	Uncredited
1972	Prime Cut	Weenie
	Joe Kidd	Sheriff Mitchell
	Man of the East	Bull Schmidt
1973	The Last American Hero	Cleve Morley
1974	The Sugarland Express	Officer Mashburn
	Thunderbolt and Lightfoot	Used Car Salesman
	Chi ha rubato il tesoro dello scia?
1975	The Eiger Sanction	Pope
1976	The Quest	Blacksmith	Episode: "Pilot"
	Midway	CaptainElliott Buckmaster
1978	Donner Pass: The Road to Survival	Will McKutcheon	TV movie
	Every Which Way but Loose	Putnam
1979	Norma Rae	Lamar Miller
	Tilt	Mr. Davenport
1980	To Race the Wind	Don Summerfun
1987	House II: The Second Story	Sheriff
1994	Ed Wood	Potential Backer	(final film role)

List of acting performances in television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1958	Sugarfoot	Duke McKlintock	Episode: "Bullet Proof"
1958–1959	The Rifleman	Sid Halpern/Blade Kelby	2 episodes
1959	Perry Mason	Bill Johnson	Episode: "The Case of the Howling Dog."
1960	The Magical World of Disney	Henderson	2 episodes
1960-1972	Bonanza	Farmer Perkins / Danny Morgan / Capt. John Fenner / Sheriff Crowley / Wade Turner / Ed Thornton / Will Cooper	7 episodes
1961–1962	87th Precinct	Detective Roger Havilland	30 episodes
1963	The Dakotas	Tom Davis
1977	Eight Is Enough	Dr. Richard Neil Hammer	Episode: "The Gipper Caper"
1975–1977	The Young and the Restless	Ralph Olson	Unknown episodes
1979	CHiPs	Derk	Episode: "The Matchmakers"
1984	Alice	Big Jake Hunnicutt	Episode: "House Full of Hunnicutts"

External links

• Gregory WalcottatIMDb