Actor profile

John Anderson

20th October 1922 Clayton, Illinois, USA Acting

John Robert Anderson (October 20, 1922 – August 7, 1992) A tall, sinewy, austere-looking character actor with silver hair, rugged features and a distinctive voice, John Robert Anderson appeared in hundreds of films and television episodes. Immensely versatile, he was at his best submerging himself in the role of historical figures (he impersonated Abraham Lincoln three times and twice baseball commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, men whom he strongly resembled). He was a familiar presence in westerns and science-fiction serials, usually as upstanding, dignified and generally benign citizens (a rare exception was his Ebonite interrogator in The Outer Limits (1963) episode "Nightmare"). He had a high opinion of Rod Serling and was proud to be featured in four episodes of The Twilight Zone (1959), most memorably as the tuxedo-clad angel Gabriel in "A Passage for Trumpet" (doing for Jack Klugman what Henry Travers did for James Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)).

73 Movies 108 TV Shows 181 Credits

Filmography

Movies & TV Shows

Wyatt Earp: Return to Tombstone poster

Wyatt Earp: Return to Tombstone 1st July 1994 as Virgil Earp (flashback sequence) (archive footage)

Bed of Lies poster

Bed of Lies 20th January 1992 as Price Daniel, Sr.

Daddy poster

Daddy 23rd October 1991 as George Watson

Babe Ruth poster

Babe Ruth 6th October 1991 as Judge Landis

In Broad Daylight poster

In Broad Daylight 3rd February 1991 as Wes Westerman

Follow Your Heart poster

Follow Your Heart 2nd April 1990 as Josh Lowe

Deadly Innocents poster

Deadly Innocents 1st June 1989 as Gus

Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal poster

Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal 5th February 1989 as George Dutton

Eight Men Out poster

Eight Men Out 2nd September 1988 as Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis

American Harvest poster

American Harvest 16th January 1987 as Judge Meriweather

Scorpion poster

Scorpion 1st December 1986 as Noel G. Koch

Never Too Young to Die poster

Never Too Young to Die 13th June 1986 as Arliss

I-Man poster

I-Man 6th April 1986 as Holbrook

Sins of the Past poster

Sins of the Past 2nd April 1984 as Rev. Donald Randolph

Missing Children: A Mother's Story poster

Missing Children: A Mother's Story 1st December 1982 as Stanley Willard

The First Time poster

The First Time 8th November 1982 as Paul Cooper

Zoot Suit poster

Zoot Suit 2nd October 1981 as Judge F.W. Charles

Out of the Blue poster

Out of the Blue 29th April 1981 as T.V. Interviewer

Smokey and the Bandit II poster

Smokey and the Bandit II 15th August 1980 as Governor

In Search of Historic Jesus poster

In Search of Historic Jesus 1st August 1979 as Caiaphas

The Deerslayer poster

The Deerslayer 18th December 1978 as Hutter

Donner Pass: The Road to Survival poster

Donner Pass: The Road to Survival 24th October 1978 as Patrick Breen

The Last Hurrah poster

The Last Hurrah 16th November 1977 as Amos Force

Peter Lundy and the Medicine Hat Stallion poster

Peter Lundy and the Medicine Hat Stallion 6th November 1977 as Alexander Majors

The Lincoln Conspiracy poster

The Lincoln Conspiracy 1st October 1977 as Abraham Lincoln

The Force of Evil poster

The Force of Evil 13th March 1977 as Sheriff John Carrington

Bridger poster

Bridger 10th September 1976 as President Andrew Jackson

The Dark Side of Innocence poster

The Dark Side of Innocence 20th May 1976 as Stephen Hancock

The Quest poster

The Quest 13th May 1976 as Army Officer

Death Among Friends poster

Death Among Friends 20th May 1975 as Capt. Lewis

The Specialist poster

The Specialist 1st May 1975 as Pike Smith

Dead Man on the Run poster

Dead Man on the Run 2nd April 1975 as Jason Monroe

The Dove poster

The Dove 16th June 1974 as Mike Turk

Manhunter poster

Manhunter 26th February 1974 as Aaron Denver

Smile Jenny, You're Dead poster

Smile Jenny, You're Dead 3rd February 1974 as Col. John Lockport

Heatwave! poster

Heatwave! 26th January 1974 as Toler

Lincoln: Trial by Fire poster

Lincoln: Trial by Fire 20th January 1974 as President Lincoln

Executive Action poster

Executive Action 7th November 1973 as Halliday

Counselor at Crime poster

Counselor at Crime 30th August 1973 as Don Vito Albanese

Hitched poster

Hitched 31st March 1973 as Jomer Cruett

Call to Danger poster

Call to Danger 27th February 1973 as Edward McClure

Set This Town on Fire poster

Set This Town on Fire 8th January 1973 as Henry Kealey

Molly and Lawless John poster

Molly and Lawless John 1st December 1972 as Sheriff Marvin Parker

The Stepmother poster

The Stepmother 26th October 1972 as Inspector Darnezi

Man and Boy poster

Man and Boy 23rd June 1971 as Stretch

Soldier Blue poster

Soldier Blue 12th August 1970 as Col. Iverson

Cotton Comes to Harlem poster

Cotton Comes to Harlem 27th May 1970 as Capt. Bryce

The Andersonville Trial poster

The Andersonville Trial 17th May 1970 as Ambrose Spencer

The Animals poster

The Animals 9th March 1970 as Sheriff Allan Pierce

Young Billy Young poster

Young Billy Young 15th October 1969 as Boone

The Great Bank Robbery poster

The Great Bank Robbery 24th June 1969 as Mayor Kincaid

Heaven with a Gun poster

Heaven with a Gun 20th May 1969 as Ase Beck

5 Card Stud poster

5 Card Stud 28th July 1968 as Marshal Dana

A Man Called Gannon poster

A Man Called Gannon 8th March 1968 as Capper

Day of the Evil Gun poster

Day of the Evil Gun 1st March 1968 as Captain Jefferson Addis

Welcome to Hard Times poster

Welcome to Hard Times 30th April 1967 as Ezra Maple / Isaac Maple

A Covenant with Death poster

A Covenant with Death 15th February 1967 as Dietrich

The Fortune Cookie poster

The Fortune Cookie 19th October 1966 as Abraham Lincoln (uncredited)

Namu, the Killer Whale poster

Namu, the Killer Whale 1st August 1966 as Joe Clausen

Scalplock poster

Scalplock 10th April 1966 as Standish

The Hallelujah Trail poster

The Hallelujah Trail 23rd June 1965 as Sgt. Buell

The Satan Bug poster

The Satan Bug 26th March 1965 as Agent Reagan

For the Love of Willadean poster

For the Love of Willadean 8th March 1964 as Farmer Wills

Ride the High Country poster

Ride the High Country 9th May 1962 as Elder Hammond

Geronimo poster

Geronimo 27th April 1962 as Jeremiah Burns

Walk on the Wild Side poster

Walk on the Wild Side 21st February 1962 as Preacher

The Wackiest Ship in the Army poster

The Wackiest Ship in the Army 29th December 1960 as Sailor (uncredited)

Psycho poster

Psycho 22nd June 1960 as California Charlie

Last Train from Gun Hill poster

Last Train from Gun Hill 29th July 1959 as Salesman

The True Story of Lynn Stuart poster

The True Story of Lynn Stuart 3rd March 1958 as Doc

The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel poster

The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel 16th October 1951

Rebel Range poster

Rebel Range as Fisk Madden

The American Adventure poster

The American Adventure as Mark Twain / Franklin D. Roosevelt (voice)

Quantum Leap poster

Quantum Leap 26th March 1989 as Pat Knight

Annie McGuire 26th October 1988

Aaron's Way 9th March 1988

Star Trek: The Next Generation poster

Star Trek: The Next Generation 28th September 1987 as Kevin Uxbridge

Jake and the Fatman poster

Jake and the Fatman 26th September 1987 as Ace Thompson

Heart of the City poster

Heart of the City 20th September 1986 as Warren

Dream West poster

Dream West 13th April 1986 as Brig. Gen. Brooke

Matlock poster

Matlock 3rd March 1986 as Sam Chandler

North and South poster

North and South 3rd November 1985 as William Hazard

MacGyver poster

MacGyver 29th September 1985 as Harry Jackson

Murder, She Wrote poster

Murder, She Wrote 30th September 1984 as Andrew Dixon

Hunter poster

Hunter 18th September 1984 as Winston Taggert

Scarecrow and Mrs. King poster

Scarecrow and Mrs. King 3rd October 1983

Voyagers! poster

Voyagers! 3rd October 1982

Matt Houston poster

Matt Houston 26th September 1982

Silver Spoons poster

Silver Spoons 25th September 1982 as Captain Stark

Bret Maverick poster

Bret Maverick 1st December 1981 as General Frye

Tenspeed and Brown Shoe poster

Tenspeed and Brown Shoe 27th January 1980

The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo poster

The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo 25th September 1979 as Col. Clayborn

Hart to Hart poster

Hart to Hart 22nd September 1979

Backstairs at the White House poster

Backstairs at the White House 29th January 1979 as Pres. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

$weepstake$ 26th January 1979 as Thomas Singer

Dallas poster

Dallas 2nd April 1978 as Dr. Herbert Styles

The Incredible Hulk poster

The Incredible Hulk 4th November 1977 as Mike Calahan

Lou Grant poster

Lou Grant 20th September 1977 as Russell Grainger

Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected poster

Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected 2nd February 1977 as Floyd Carrington

Quincy, M.E. poster

Quincy, M.E. 3rd October 1976 as Movie Director

Rich Man, Poor Man - Book II poster

Rich Man, Poor Man - Book II 21st September 1976 as Scotty

The Quest poster

The Quest 13th May 1976

Bronk poster

Bronk 17th April 1975 as Colonel Hecker

The Rockford Files poster

The Rockford Files 13th September 1974 as Gerald A. O'Malley

Little House on the Prairie poster

Little House on the Prairie 11th September 1974 as Amos Pike

Petrocelli poster

Petrocelli 11th September 1974 as Joshua Forbes

Kung Fu poster

Kung Fu 14th October 1972 as Benjamin Dundee

M*A*S*H poster

M*A*S*H 17th September 1972 as General Collins

The Bob Newhart Show poster

The Bob Newhart Show 16th September 1972

Emergency! poster

Emergency! 22nd January 1972 as Captain Bob Roberts

The Sixth Sense poster

The Sixth Sense 15th January 1972

Bearcats! poster

Bearcats! 16th September 1971 as Judge Juan O'Brien

Cannon poster

Cannon 14th September 1971

Here Come the Brides poster

Here Come the Brides 25th September 1968

Lancer poster

Lancer 24th September 1968

Hawaii Five-O poster

Hawaii Five-O 20th September 1968 as Brig. General Earl Rigney

Mannix poster

Mannix 16th September 1967 as George Blake

Cimarron Strip poster

Cimarron Strip 7th September 1967

Occasional Wife poster

Occasional Wife 13th September 1966

Felony Squad poster

Felony Squad 12th September 1966 as Lt. Mike Reineck

The Rat Patrol poster

The Rat Patrol 12th September 1966 as Gen. Owen Lansbury

Tarzan poster

Tarzan 8th September 1966

The F.B.I. poster

The F.B.I. 19th September 1965 as Bollin

The Big Valley poster

The Big Valley 15th September 1965 as Matt Bentell

The Legend of Jesse James poster

The Legend of Jesse James 13th September 1965 as Moss Canby

Kraft Suspense Theatre poster

Kraft Suspense Theatre 10th October 1963 as Rankin

My Favorite Martian poster

My Favorite Martian 29th September 1963 as Capt. Farrow

The Great Adventure poster

The Great Adventure 27th September 1963 as Colonel Knowlton

Redigo poster

Redigo 24th September 1963

The Fugitive poster

The Fugitive 17th September 1963 as Ed Shrader

The Outer Limits poster

The Outer Limits 16th September 1963 as Ebonite Interrogator

The Lieutenant poster

The Lieutenant 14th September 1963 as Joe Hammond

Stoney Burke poster

Stoney Burke 1st October 1962

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour poster

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour 20th September 1962 as Adam

The Virginian poster

The Virginian 19th September 1962 as Seth James

Sam Benedict poster

Sam Benedict 15th September 1962 as Jim Bradley

Ben Casey poster

Ben Casey 2nd October 1961

Dr. Kildare poster

Dr. Kildare 27th September 1961 as Vernon Hackett

87th Precinct poster

87th Precinct 25th September 1961

Cain's Hundred poster

Cain's Hundred 19th September 1961 as Kenneth Drake

Harrigan and Son poster

Harrigan and Son 14th October 1960 as Earl

Peter Loves Mary 12th October 1960 as Bill Horton

Route 66 poster

Route 66 7th October 1960

Stagecoach West poster

Stagecoach West 4th October 1960 as Cole Dawson

The Westerner poster

The Westerner 30th September 1960 as Leth Ritchie

Outlaws poster

Outlaws 26th September 1960

Thriller poster

Thriller 13th September 1960 as Jacob Grant

The Tall Man poster

The Tall Man 10th September 1960

The Detectives poster

The Detectives 16th October 1959

Adventures in Paradise poster

Adventures in Paradise 5th October 1959 as Benson

The Rebel poster

The Rebel 4th October 1959 as Ezra Taber

Johnny Ringo poster

Johnny Ringo 2nd October 1959 as Cartwright

The Twilight Zone poster

The Twilight Zone 2nd October 1959 as Gabriel

Law of the Plainsman poster

Law of the Plainsman 1st October 1959 as Jeb Wicken

Laramie poster

Laramie 15th September 1959

Bonanza poster

Bonanza 12th September 1959 as Tulsa Weems

Black Saddle poster

Black Saddle 10th January 1959 as Clyde Wicker

Rawhide poster

Rawhide 9th January 1959 as Maj. Cantwell

Bat Masterson poster

Bat Masterson 8th October 1958 as Major Liam Mars

Lawman poster

Lawman 5th October 1958 as Hassayampa Edwards

Yancy Derringer poster

Yancy Derringer 2nd October 1958 as Wayne Raven

The Rifleman poster

The Rifleman 30th September 1958 as Owny Kincaid

Bronco poster

Bronco 23rd September 1958

Peter Gunn poster

Peter Gunn 22nd September 1958

Steve Canyon poster

Steve Canyon 13th September 1958 as Sergeant Bulla

Wanted: Dead or Alive poster

Wanted: Dead or Alive 6th September 1958 as Deputy Sheriff Fix

Sea Hunt poster

Sea Hunt 4th January 1958

Trackdown poster

Trackdown 4th October 1957 as McCall

The Walter Winchell File poster

The Walter Winchell File 2nd October 1957

Perry Mason poster

Perry Mason 21st September 1957 as Dan O'Malley

Have Gun, Will Travel poster

Have Gun, Will Travel 14th September 1957 as Fred Cooley

Richard Diamond, Private Detective poster

Richard Diamond, Private Detective 1st July 1957 as Paul Russell

Panic! poster

Panic! 5th March 1957

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre poster

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre 5th October 1956 as John Duncan

Alfred Hitchcock Presents poster

Alfred Hitchcock Presents 2nd October 1955 as Attendant

Cheyenne poster

Cheyenne 20th September 1955

Gunsmoke poster

Gunsmoke 10th September 1955 as Adam Kimbro

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp poster

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp 6th September 1955 as Virgil Earp

Lassie poster

Lassie 12th September 1954

Hallmark Hall of Fame poster

Hallmark Hall of Fame 24th December 1951 as Amos Force

Inside Detective 7th January 1950 as Theater manager