John Anderson
Acting Born Oct 20, 1922 Died Aug 7, 1992 Clayton, Illinois, USA 228 credits
Biography
John Robert Anderson was a character actor born in Clayton, Illinois, on October 20, 1922, and he died on August 7, 1992, at the age of sixty-nine. Standing tall and sinewy with silver hair, rugged features, an austere look, and a distinctive voice, he appeared in hundreds of films and television episodes with a total of 183 known acting credits on The Movie Database. He was versatile and particularly skilled at portraying historical figures who strongly resembled him, including Abraham Lincoln three times and baseball commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis twice. Frequently appearing in westerns and science-fiction serials, he usually played upstanding, dignified, and benign citizens, with a rare exception being his role as an Ebonite interrogator in an episode of The Outer Limits titled Nightmare.
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Career overview
John Robert Anderson was a character actor born in Clayton, Illinois, on October 20, 1922, and he passed away on August 7, 1992, at the age of sixty-nine. Standing tall and sinewy with silver hair, rugged features, and a distinctive voice, he cultivated an austere look that made him a familiar presence across hundreds of films and television episodes. His known credits on the Movie Database total 183 acting appearances.
Immensely versatile, Anderson was particularly adept at submerging himself into the roles of historical figures whom he strongly resembled. Throughout his career, he portrayed Abraham Lincoln three times and baseball commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis twice. As a familiar presence in westerns and science-fiction serials, he usually portrayed upstanding, dignified, and generally benign citizens. A rare exception to this typecasting was his performance as an Ebonite interrogator in an episode of the television series The Outer Limits titled Nightmare.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
John, 316 · Story Editor
Wyatt Earp: Return to Tombstone
Bed of Lies
DaddyIn Broad DaylightBabe Ruth
Follow Your Heart
Quantum LeapFull Exposure: The Sex Tapes ScandalDeadly Innocents
Aaron's WayEight Men OutAnnie McGuire
Star Trek: The Next GenerationJake and the FatmanAmerican Harvest
MatlockHeart of the CityNever Too Young to DieDream WestI-Man
MacGyverNorth and South
Murder, She WroteHunterSins of the Past
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
Matt HoustonSilver SpoonsVoyagers!The First TimeMissing Children: A Mother's Story
Bret MaverickOut of the BlueZoot Suit
Tenspeed and Brown ShoeSmokey and the Bandit II
Hart to HartThe Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo$weepstake$Backstairs at the White HouseIn Search of Historic Jesus
DallasDonner Pass: The Road to SurvivalThe Deerslayer
Lou GrantThe Incredible HulkQuinn Martin's Tales of the UnexpectedThe Lincoln ConspiracyThe Force of Evil
Quincy, M.E.Quincy, M.E.Quincy, M.E.Rich Man, Poor Man - Book IIThe Quest
BronkThe SpecialistDeath Among FriendsDead Man on the Run
Little House on the PrairieThe Rockford FilesPetrocelliManhunterSmile Jenny, You're Dead
Executive ActionCounselor at CrimeSet This Town on FireCall to DangerHitched
M*A*S*HEmergency!The Bob Newhart ShowThe Sixth SenseThe Stepmother
CannonBearcats!Man and Boy
Soldier BlueCotton Comes to HarlemThe Andersonville TrialThe Animals
Young Billy YoungThe Great Bank RobberyHeaven with a Gun
Hawaii Five-OLancerHere Come the Brides5 Card StudDay of the Evil Gun
MannixCimarron StripWelcome to Hard TimesA Covenant with Death
Felony SquadThe Rat PatrolThe Rat PatrolTarzanThe Fortune Cookie
The F.B.I.The F.B.I.The Big ValleyThe Legend of Jesse JamesThe Hallelujah Trail
Full Filmography
228 titles- John, 316 (2021) Story Editor
- Wyatt Earp: Return to Tombstone (1994) as Virgil Earp (flashback sequence) (archive footage)
- Bed of Lies (1992) as Price Daniel, Sr.
- Daddy (1991) as George Watson
- In Broad Daylight (1991) as Wes Westerman
- Babe Ruth (1991) as Judge Landis
- Follow Your Heart (1990) as Josh Lowe
- Quantum Leap (1989) as Pat Knight
- Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal (1989) as George Dutton
- Deadly Innocents (1989) as Gus
- Aaron's Way (1988)
- Eight Men Out (1988) as Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis
- Annie McGuire (1988)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) as Kevin Uxbridge
- Jake and the Fatman (1987) as Ace Thompson
- American Harvest (1987) as Judge Meriweather
- Matlock (1986) as Sam Chandler
- Heart of the City (1986) as Warren
- Never Too Young to Die (1986) as Arliss
- Dream West (1986) as Brig. Gen. Brooke
- I-Man (1986) as Holbrook
- Scorpion (1986) as Noel G. Koch
- MacGyver (1985) as Harry Jackson
- North and South (1985) as William Hazard
- Murder, She Wrote (1984) as Andrew Dixon
- Hunter (1984) as Winston Taggert
- Sins of the Past (1984) as Rev. Donald Randolph
- Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1983)
- Matt Houston (1982)
- Silver Spoons (1982) as Captain Stark
- Voyagers! (1982)
- The First Time (1982) as Paul Cooper
- Missing Children: A Mother's Story (1982) as Stanley Willard
- Bret Maverick (1981) as General Frye
- Out of the Blue (1981) as T.V. Interviewer
- Zoot Suit (1981) as Judge F.W. Charles
- Tenspeed and Brown Shoe (1980)
- Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) as Governor
- Hart to Hart (1979)
- The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo (1979) as Col. Clayborn
- $weepstake$ (1979) as Thomas Singer
- Backstairs at the White House (1979) as Pres. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
- In Search of Historic Jesus (1979) as Caiaphas
- Dallas (1978) as Dr. Herbert Styles
- Donner Pass: The Road to Survival (1978) as Patrick Breen
- The Deerslayer (1978) as Hutter
- Lou Grant (1977) as Russell Grainger
- The Incredible Hulk (1977) as Mike Calahan
- Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected (1977) as Floyd Carrington
- The Lincoln Conspiracy (1977) as Abraham Lincoln
- The Force of Evil (1977) as Sheriff John Carrington
- Peter Lundy and the Medicine Hat Stallion (1977) as Alexander Majors
- The Last Hurrah (1977) as Amos Force
- Quincy, M.E. (1976) as Justin DeWilde
- Quincy, M.E. (1976) as Chief Frank Ollano
- Quincy, M.E. (1976) as Movie Director
- Rich Man, Poor Man - Book II (1976) as Scotty
- The Quest (1976)
- Bridger (1976) as President Andrew Jackson
- The Quest (1976) as Army Officer
- The Dark Side of Innocence (1976) as Stephen Hancock
- Bronk (1975) as Colonel Hecker
- The Specialist (1975) as Pike Smith
- Death Among Friends (1975) as Capt. Lewis
- Dead Man on the Run (1975) as Jason Monroe
- Little House on the Prairie (1974) as Amos Pike
- The Rockford Files (1974) as Gerald A. O'Malley
- Petrocelli (1974) as Joshua Forbes
- Manhunter (1974) as Aaron Denver
- Smile Jenny, You're Dead (1974) as Col. John Lockport
- The Dove (1974) as Mike Turk
- Lincoln: Trial by Fire (1974) as President Lincoln
- Heatwave! (1974) as Toler
- Executive Action (1973) as Halliday
- Counselor at Crime (1973) as Don Vito Albanese
- Set This Town on Fire (1973) as Henry Kealey
- Call to Danger (1973) as Edward McClure
- Hitched (1973) as Jomer Cruett
- M*A*S*H (1972) as General Collins
- Emergency! (1972) as Captain Bob Roberts
- The Bob Newhart Show (1972) as Mr. Charlie Colton
- The Sixth Sense (1972)
- The Stepmother (1972) as Inspector Darnezi
- Kung Fu (1972) as Jack Youngblood
- Kung Fu (1972) as Wray
- Kung Fu (1972) as Benjamin Dundee
- Molly and Lawless John (1972) as Sheriff Marvin Parker
- Cannon (1971)
- Bearcats! (1971) as Judge Juan O'Brien
- Man and Boy (1971) as Stretch
- Soldier Blue (1970) as Col. Iverson
- Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) as Capt. Bryce
- The Andersonville Trial (1970) as Ambrose Spencer
- The Animals (1970) as Sheriff Allan Pierce
- Young Billy Young (1969) as Boone
- The Great Bank Robbery (1969) as Mayor Kincaid
- Heaven with a Gun (1969) as Ase Beck
- Hawaii Five-O (1968) as Brig. General Earl Rigney
- Lancer (1968)
- Here Come the Brides (1968)
- 5 Card Stud (1968) as Marshal Dana
- Day of the Evil Gun (1968) as Captain Jefferson Addis
- A Man Called Gannon (1968) as Capper
- Mannix (1967) as George Blake
- Cimarron Strip (1967)
- Welcome to Hard Times (1967) as Ezra Maple / Isaac Maple
- A Covenant with Death (1967) as Dietrich
- Felony Squad (1966) as Lt. Mike Reineck
- The Rat Patrol (1966) as Major Indrus
- The Rat Patrol (1966) as Gen. Owen Lansbury
- Tarzan (1966)
- The Fortune Cookie (1966) as Abraham Lincoln (uncredited)
- Occasional Wife (1966)
- Namu, the Killer Whale (1966) as Joe Clausen
- Scalplock (1966) as Standish
- The F.B.I. (1965) as Adam MacDonald
- The F.B.I. (1965) as Bollin
- The Big Valley (1965) as Matt Bentell
- The Legend of Jesse James (1965) as Moss Canby
- The Hallelujah Trail (1965) as Sgt. Buell
- The Guide (1965) Producer's Assistant
- The Satan Bug (1965) as Agent Reagan
- For the Love of Willadean (1964) as Farmer Wills
- The Fugitive (1963) as Justin Briggs
- The Fugitive (1963) as Ed Shrader
- The Outer Limits (1963) as Ebonite Interrogator
- My Favorite Martian (1963) as Capt. Farrow
- Kraft Suspense Theatre (1963) as Rankin
- The Great Adventure (1963) as Colonel Knowlton
- The Lieutenant (1963) as Joe Hammond
- Redigo (1963)
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) as Luke Hunter
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) as Adam
- The Virginian (1962) as Major Cass
- The Virginian (1962) as Adam Tercell
- The Virginian (1962) as Jeremiah Chilton
- The Virginian (1962) as Deputy Sheriff Sam Morrell
- The Virginian (1962) as Sam McLain
- The Virginian (1962) as Seth James
- Stoney Burke (1962)
- Sam Benedict (1962) as James Bradley
- Sam Benedict (1962) as Jim Bradley
- Ride the High Country (1962) as Elder Hammond
- Walk on the Wild Side (1962) as Preacher
- Geronimo (1962) as Jeremiah Burns
- Dr. Kildare (1961) as Vernon Hackett
- Ben Casey (1961)
- 87th Precinct (1961)
- Cain's Hundred (1961) as Kenneth Drake
- Thriller (1960) as Jacob Grant
- Route 66 (1960)
- The Tall Man (1960)
- Psycho (1960) as California Charlie
- Outlaws (1960)
- Stagecoach West (1960) as Cole Dawson
- Peter Loves Mary (1960) as Bill Horton
- Harrigan and Son (1960) as Earl
- The Westerner (1960) as Leth Ritchie
- The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960) as Sailor (uncredited)
- Bonanza (1959) as Sam Masters
- Bonanza (1959) as Gorman
- Bonanza (1959) as Tulsa Weems
- The Twilight Zone (1959) as Goldsmith
- The Twilight Zone (1959) as Capt. 'Skipper' Farver
- The Twilight Zone (1959) as Deidrich
- The Twilight Zone (1959) as Gabriel
- Rawhide (1959) as Captain James Rankin
- Rawhide (1959) as Maj. Cantwell
- The Rebel (1959) as Ezra Taber
- Adventures in Paradise (1959) as Benson
- Laramie (1959)
- The Detectives (1959)
- Black Saddle (1959) as Clyde Wicker
- Johnny Ringo (1959) as Cartwright
- Law of the Plainsman (1959) as Clyde Santee
- Law of the Plainsman (1959) as Matthew Bannock
- Law of the Plainsman (1959) as Jeb Wicken
- Last Train from Gun Hill (1959) as Salesman
- The Rifleman (1958)
- The Rifleman (1958) as Samuel Gibbs
- The Rifleman (1958) as Owny Kincaid
- Peter Gunn (1958)
- Lawman (1958) as Hassayampa Edwards
- Bat Masterson (1958) as Major Liam Mars
- Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958) as Deputy Sheriff Fix
- Sea Hunt (1958)
- Yancy Derringer (1958) as Wayne Raven
- Bronco (1958)
- Steve Canyon (1958) as Sergeant Bulla
- The True Story of Lynn Stuart (1958) as Doc
- Perry Mason (1957) as George Andrews
- Perry Mason (1957) as Bud Ferrand
- Perry Mason (1957) as Dan O'Malley
- Have Gun, Will Travel (1957)
- Have Gun, Will Travel (1957) as Fred Cooley
- Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1957) as Paul Russell
- Trackdown (1957)
- Trackdown (1957) as McCall
- The Walter Winchell File (1957)
- Panic! (1957)
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) as Fisk Madden
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) as Roy Kelsey
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) as Marshal Cal Lazenby
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) as John Duncan
- Cheyenne (1955)
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Ben Siple
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Delliver
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Yermo
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Cheevers
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Pa Gibbijohn
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Les McConnell
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Roberts
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Jess Fletcher
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Amos Sadler
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Lemuel Cleary
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Adam Kimbro
- The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955)
- The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955) as Virgil Earp
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Nicholson
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Attendant
- Lassie (1954)
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951)
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Amos Force
- The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951)
- Inside Detective (1950) as Theater manager
- Dick Tracy vs. Cueball (1946) Assistant Director
- The American Adventure as Mark Twain / Franklin D. Roosevelt (voice)
- Rebel Range as Fisk Madden
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is John Anderson best known for?
John Anderson is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Daddy (1991), Quantum Leap (1989), Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Eight Men Out (1988).
When and where was John Anderson born?
John Anderson was born on October 20, 1922 in Clayton, Illinois, USA. They passed away on August 7, 1992.
How many credits does John Anderson have?
John Anderson has accumulated over 228 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1946 to 2021.
What is John Anderson's background in cinema and television?
John Robert Anderson was a character actor born in Clayton, Illinois, on October 20, 1922, and he died on August 7, 1992, at the age of sixty-nine. Standing tall and sinewy with silver hair, rugged features, an austere look, and a distinctive voice, he appeared in hundreds of films and television episodes with a total ...