Ed Nelson

Like many character actors of his generation, Ed Nelson got his start working with the legendary B-movie director and producer Roger Corman, with small roles in deathless drive-in favorites such as the horror flick "Attack of the Crab Monsters," the sci-fi creature feature "Invasion of the Saucer Men," and the jukebox musical "Rock All Night." Soon, Nelson was elevated to co-starring roles in Corman's low-budget film factory--one of his highest-profile movies from this era, the creepy "Night of the Blood Beast," got the "Mystery Science Theater 3000" treatment decades later, and another, the campy art-world satire "A Bucket of Blood," is widely considered among the best of all of Corman's movies. As the '50s went on, Nelson began working regularly in television, often appearing in multiple guest-star roles over the course of a show's run.

In '64, Nelson began the role he was to become best known for, as the kindly doctor Michael Rossi on the first successful nighttime soap opera, "Peyton Place"; he was one of the few actors who remained with the series for the length of its five-year run. When the series ended in '69, Nelson moved effortlessly back into his niche as a character actor specializing in authority-figure parts, including many made-for-TV movies. One of his few major film roles came in '77, as the villain in the family drama "For the Love of Benji." Nelson continued appearing in film and television well into the 21st century.