Died Today (January 1st): Ray Walston (1914–2001)

Ray Walston (1914–2001)

Born: December 2, 1914 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Died: January 1, 2001 (age 86) in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA

(his 1995 Emmy Award acceptance speech) I have 30 seconds to tell you I have been waiting 60 years to get on this stage.

(on being labeled a character actor) I’m an actor and that’s it — period. Producers and studios have thrown many things at me over the years: comedy, tragedy, drama, drawing-room comedy. I’ve managed to keep my head above water in most of these genres, but I don’t put myself in any one category like “comic actor” or “musical-comedy” actor.

DAMN YANKEES 1958 dir. George Abbott Stanley Donen Stars: Tab Hunter Gwen Verdon

SOUTH PACIFIC 1958 dir. Joshua Logan Starring: Rossano Brazzi Mitzi Gaynor The Sting 1973 dir. George Roy Hill starring Newman

The Apartment 1960 dir. Billy Wilder starring Jack Lemon