Edwin Wallace Williams (November 26, 1926 – October 2, 2025) was an American actor and comedian, who played Ted Olsen on the TV series Police Squad! and in The Naked Gun films.
Life and career Williams was born in San Jose, California, on November 26, 1926.Edwin Wallace Williams in the U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940–1947 He was a broadcasting and speech teacher at Los Angeles City College in Southern California. He retired and then took acting classes. With the help of some contacts, he started acting as a second career.
He was best known for his role as Ted Olsen on the TV series Police Squad! and in The Naked Gun films: The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988), The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991) and Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult (1994). Despite the success of The Naked Gun films, Williams only had minor roles in other films, such as The Giant of Thunder Mountain (1991), Father of the Bride (1991) and Carnosaur (1993).
Williams later lived in Los Angeles. He died there on October 2, 2025, at the age of 98.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1982 Police Squad! Ted Olsen TV series, 6 episodes1986 Ratboy Lake Reporter 1988 Going to the Chapel Reverend Morton 1988 The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! Ted Olsen 1990 L.A. Law Ed Tobias 1991 High Strung Boss 1991 The Giant of Thunder Mountain Mr. Macgruder 1991 The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear Ted Olsen 1991 Father of the Bride Reverend 1993 Carnosaur Dr. Sterling Raven 1994 Naked Gun : The Final Insult Ted Olsen
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