John Robert Anderson (October 20, 1922 – August 7, 1992) was an American character actor. He was best known for his more than 500 television roles.
Early life Anderson was born in 1922 and raised in Clayton, Illinois. He studied theatre in Minnesota and Ohio and served in the United States Coast Guard during World War II before pursuing an acting career in New York City. He held a master's degree in drama from the University of Iowa. After relocating to Los Angeles, Anderson worked as a street mime, jester, and juggler.
Career Anderson appeared on Broadway, including the musical Paint Your Wagon in 1951. He was in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof from 1955 to 1956 at the Morosco Theatre. Standing , Anderson bore a strong resemblance to Abraham Lincoln, whom he portrayed three times. He appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) as used car salesman "California Charlie", who sells a car to Marion Crane (Janet Leigh).
Anderson was cast on The Rat Patrol four times (three times as the same character). In 1966, he guested in a rare two-part Gunsmoke episode and had a recurring role in MacGyver as Harry Jackson, MacGyver's grandfather. The 1993 soundtrack album Music from the Television Series Quantum Leap was dedicated to his memory. He appeared in one episode shortly before his death.
Personal life and death On June 8, 1946, Anderson married Patricia A. Cason in the rectory of St. Boniface Catholic Church in Quincy, Illinois, and the couple moved to Iowa City, where Anderson studied in the liberal arts college at the University of Iowa and earned his master's degree in drama. Anderson was married to Cason until her death on February 18, 1989. Three years later, Anderson suffered a fatal heart attack at his home in Sherman Oaks, California, at the age of 69.
Filmography Film YearTitleRoleDirectorNotesref 1953 The Eddie Cantor Story Bobby Alfred E. Green Musical drama film 1955 Target Zero Harmon Jones War drama film 1958 The True Story of Lynn Stuart Doc Lewis Seiler Biographical crime drama film 1959 Last Train from Gun Hill Salesman In Horseshoe John Sturges Western film 1960 Psycho California Charlie Alfred Hitchcock Horror filmBased on the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch The Wackiest Ship in the Army Sailor Richard Murphy Comedy-drama War filmBased on Big Fella Wash-Wash by Herbert Carlson 1962 Walk on the Wild Side Preacher Edward Dmytryk Drama filmBased on A Walk on the Wild Side by Nelson Algren Geronimo Jeremiah Burns Arnold Laven Western film Ride the High Country Elder Hammond Sam Peckinpah Western filmReleased internationally as Guns in the Afternoon 1965 The Satan Bug Agent Reagan John Sturges Crime science fiction suspense filmBased on the 1962 novel by Ian Stuart The Hallelujah Trail Sergeant Buell John Sturges Western epic mockumentary spoofBased on The Hallelujah Trail by Bill Gulick 1966 Namu, the Killer Whale Joe Clausen László Benedek Adventure film The Fortune Cookie Abraham Lincoln Billy Wilder Black comedy filmAlso known as Meet Whiplash Willie 1967 A Covenant with Death Dietrich Lamont Johnson Legal drama filmBased on A Covenant with Death by Stephen Becker Welcome to Hard Times Ezra Maple / Isaac Maple Burt Kennedy Western filmBased on Welcome to Hard Times by E. L. Doctorow 1968 Day of the Evil Gun Captain Jefferson Addis Jerry Thorpe Western film A Man Called Gannon Capper James Goldstone Western filmRemake of Man Without a Star 5 Card Stud Marshal Dana Henry Hathaway Western mystery film Massacre Harbor Major Indrus John Peyser War action film 1969 Heaven with a Gun Asa Beck Lee H. Katzin Western film The Great Bank Robbery Mayor Kincaid Hy Averback Western comedy filmBased on The Great Bank Robbery by Frank O'Rourke Young Billy Young Boone Burt Kennedy Western filmBased on Who Rides with Wyatt by Will Henry 1970 Cotton Comes to Harlem Captain Bryce Ossie Davis Neo-noir filmBased on Cotton Comes to Harlem by Chester Himes Soldier Blue Colonel Iverson Ralph Nelson Revisionist western filmBased on Arrow in the Sun by T. V. Olsen 1971 Man and Boy Stretch E.W. Swackhamer Western film 1972 The Stepmother Inspector Darnezi Howard L. Avedis Comedy-drama film Molly and Lawless John Sheriff Marvin Parker Gary Nelson Western film 1973 Counselor at Crime Don Vito Albanese Alberto de Martino Italian-Spanish crime filmAlso known as The Counsellor Executive Action Halliday David Miller Political thriller filmFictionalized account of a conspiracy to assassinate United States President John F. KennedyBased on Executive Action by Donald Freed and Mark Lane 1974 The Dove Mike Turk Charles Jarrott Biographical filmBased on Dove by Robin Lee Graham and Derek L.T. GillProduced by Gregory Peck 1975 The Specialist Pike Smith Howard Avedis Thriller film 1977 The Lincoln Conspiracy Abraham Lincoln James L. Conway Drama filmBased on book of the same name by David W. Balsiger and Charles E. Sellier Jr. 1979 In Search of Historic Jesus Caiaphas Henning Schellerup Documentary filmBased on Lee Roddy and Charles E. Sellier Jr.'s book of the same name 1980 Out of the Blue TV Interviewer Dennis Hopper Drama filmReleased in Canada as No Looking Back Smokey and the Bandit II Governor Hal Needham Action comedy film 1981 Zoot Suit Judge F.W. Charles Luis Valdez Drama musical filmBased on Zoot Suit by Valdez 1986 Never Too Young to Die Arliss Gil Bettman Action film 1986 Scorpion Joel / Noel G. Koch William Riead Action filmAlso known as The Summons 1988 Eight Men Out Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis John Sayles Sports drama filmBased on Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series by Eliot Asinof 1989 Deadly Innocents Gus John D. PattersonHugh Parks Thriller film
Television