David Opatoshu

After 40 years of mostly single-episode TV work, actor David Opatoshu finally scored the big prize of his profession: an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor. He received it in 1991 for his contribution to the drama series "Gabriel's Fire," which starred James Earl Jones. But it could just as easily have come for some of his other work over the decades, everything from Professor Grey on an episode of "The Paper Chase" in 1984 to Taylor Nash on a 1978 chapter of "Little House on the Prairie."

Opatoshu worked non-stop during the halcyon days of 1950s New York live TV, putting his stamp most notably on the programs "The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse" and "Studio One in Hollywood." In the 1960s, he appeared on a number of medical programs, culminating with a seven-episode stint as Fred Kirsh on "Dr. Kildare." For "Star Trek" fans, Opatoshu will be forever associated with his portrayal of Anan-7 on a 1967 episode of the program. The actor was often typecast as a man of erudion, everything from a rabbi on "Ironside" to a professor on "Daniel Boone."