Bill Erwin

{{Short description|American actor (1914–2010)}}

{{Distinguish|Bill Irwin}}

{{More citations needed|date=January 2011}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Bill Erwin

| image = Bill Erwin.png

| image_upright = 1.15

| caption = Erwin in The Optimist (1983)

| birth_name = William Lindsey Erwin

| birth_date = {{birth date|1914|12|2}}

| birth_place = Honey Grove, Texas, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|2010|12|29|1914|12|2}}

| death_place = Studio City, California, U.S.

| occupation = Actor

| years_active = 1941–2006

| spouse = {{Marriage|Fran MacLachlan|1948|1995|end=died}}

| children = 4

| signature = Bill Erwin (signature).png

| other_names = {{Plainlist|

  • William Erwin
  • William L. Erwin
  • Bill Erwin

}}

}}

William Lindsey Erwin (December 2, 1914 – December 29, 2010) was an American film, stage and television actor with over 250 television and film credits. A veteran character actor, he is widely known for his 1993 Emmy Award-nominated performance on Seinfeld, portraying the embittered, irascible retiree Sid Fields. He also made notable appearances on shows such as I Love Lucy and Star Trek: The Next Generation. In cinema, his most recognized role is that of Arthur Biehl, a kindly bellman at the Grand Hotel, in Somewhere in Time (1980).{{cite news |title=Character actor got Emmy Nod |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/193473008/?terms=%22William%2BLindsey%2BErwin%22 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=January 1, 2011 |location=California, Los Angeles |page=21|via = Newspapers.com|access-date = July 28, 2018}} {{Open access}}

Erwin was a self-taught cartoonist, published in The New Yorker, Playboy, and Los Angeles. He won a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, four Drama-Logue Awards, Gilmore Brown Award for Career Achievement, Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters' Diamond Circle Award, and Distinguished Alumnus Award from Angelo State University.

Early life

Erwin was born William Lindsey Erwin on December 2, 1914, in Honey Grove, Texas.[https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/58136%7C0/bill-erwin#overview BILL ERWIN] Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved January 23, 2022. He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and a master's in theater arts from California's Pasadena Playhouse. Erwin later served as a captain in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.[https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/erwin-bill-1914-william-erwin-william-l-erwin Erwin, Bill 1914- (William Erwin, William L. Erwin) PERSONAL] Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved January 23, 2022.[http://www.bochynski.com/billerwin/ In Memory of Bill Erwin: Star of Stage, Screen, Radio and Television] www.bochynski.com. Retrieved January 23, 2022.

Career

=Stage=

Erwin acted in productions at the Pasadena Playhouse, the Laguna Beach Playhouse, the La Jolla Playhouse, and other venues in the Los Angeles area.

=Film=

In the late 1950s, Erwin was in such films as Man from Del Rio (1956) and The Night Runner (1957), before playing Jack Nicholson's father in The Cry Baby Killer, Nicholson's first starring role in 1958. The long out-of-print film was released on DVD on November 22, 2006. He had credited small roles in films such as The Christine Jorgensen Story (1970), How Awful About Allan (1970), Candy Stripe Nurses (1974) and Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo (1977), before he co-starred alongside Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour in the romantic fantasy Somewhere in Time (1980) as Arthur Biehl, the Grand Hotel's venerable bellman, and attended annual reunions of cast, crew, and fans of the cult classic at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan.

Erwin also appeared in numerous films by John Hughes, with cameos in Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), She's Having a Baby (1988), Home Alone (1990) and Dennis the Menace (1993). In the latter two films, Hughes paired him with Billie Bird playing his wife. His later film career included roles in Invitation to Hell (1984), The Land Before Time (1988), Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994), Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995), Menno's Mind (1997), Chairman of the Board (1998), Forces of Nature (1999), Inferno (1999) and A Crack in the Floor (2001).

=Television=

Erwin's television credits were far more numerous in the 1950s, having appeared in such television series as I Love Lucy, Crusader, Trackdown, Colgate Theatre, Perry Mason and The Rifleman. In the 1960s, Erwin appeared in television series such as: The Andy Griffith Show, Mister Ed, Maverick, The Twilight Zone, 87th Precinct, My Three Sons, The Fugitive, Leave It to Beaver and Mannix. He played the Jury Foreman in The Wild Wild West (1967) S3 E12 "The Night of the Legion of Death".

In the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, he appeared in Barnaby Jones, Cannon, Gunsmoke, Married... with Children, E/R, The Optimist, Highway to Heaven, Who's the Boss?, Growing Pains, Full House, The Golden Girls, Moonlighting, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and The Drew Carey Show.

Erwin also guest-starred in the Seinfeld episode ("The Old Man"), for which he received an Emmy Award nomination for outstanding guest actor in a comedy series,{{cite web |title=("Bill Erwin" search results) |url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominations/award-search?search_api_views_fulltext=Bill+Erwin&submit=Search&field_celebrity_details_field_display_name=&field_show_details_field_nominee_show_nr_title=&field_show_details_field_network=All&field_show_details_field_production_company=All&field_nominations_year=1949-01-01+00%3A00%3A00&field_nominations_year_1=2018-01-01+00%3A00%3A00&field_award_category=All |website=Emmy Awards |publisher=Television Academy |access-date=28 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728233534/http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominations/award-search?search_api_views_fulltext=Bill+Erwin&submit=Search&field_celebrity_details_field_display_name=&field_show_details_field_nominee_show_nr_title=&field_show_details_field_network=All&field_show_details_field_production_company=All&field_nominations_year=1949-01-01+00%3A00%3A00&field_nominations_year_1=2018-01-01+00%3A00%3A00&field_award_category=All |archive-date=28 July 2018}} he played Sid Fields, who participates in the Foster-A-Grandpa Program, which pairs him with Jerry Seinfeld. Erwin's crotchety, aggressive, foul-mouthed character ensures that the relationship is doomed from the beginning. Erwin later reunited with Michael Richards when he guest-starred on the short-lived The Michael Richards Show. In the 2000s, Erwin appeared on Monk, The West Wing, The King of Queens, Everwood and My Name Is Earl.

=Other media=

File:Japan-7.jpg File:Japan-14.jpg

After Erwin began his theatrical career with the Laguna Beach and La Jolla playhouses in 1940, he worked as ventriloquist Edgar Bergen's stage manager for Bergen's 1941 tour of the country.{{cite book |last1=Lentz |first1=Harris M. III |title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2010 |date=2011 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9780786486496 |page=123 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UX_GCwAAQBAJ&q=%22Bill+Erwin%22+actor&pg=PA123 |access-date=29 July 2018 |language=en}}

Due to his resemblance to William Gaines, Sam Viviano redid Erwin's character as Gaines in the MAD Magazine spoof of Home Alone where the married couple sells their ticket to Kate McAllister.{{Citation needed |date=January 2023}}

Personal life

Erwin was married to actress and journalist Fran MacLachlan Erwin from 1948 to her death in 1995. They lived in the Hollywood Hills and had four children.{{Cite web |date=2011-01-04 |title=Old man 'Seinfeld' actor Bill Erwin dies at 96 |url=https://www.dailynews.com/20110104/old-man-seinfeld-actor-bill-erwin-dies-at-96/ |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=Daily News |language=en-US}}

Death

Erwin died from natural causes at his home in Studio City, California on December 29, 2010, aged 96. He lived near the production lot where Seinfeld was filmed.{{cite web|title="Seinfeld" actor Bill Erwin dies at 96|publisher=Reuters, via Yahoo.com, January 3, 2011|url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_seinfeld|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110107082945/http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_seinfeld |archive-date=January 7, 2011}}

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable"

! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film

style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Year

! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Title

! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Role

! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Notes

rowspan=2|1941

| Always Tomorrow: The Portrait of an American Business

| Sam Tompkins

| Uncredited

You're in the Army Now

| Soldier

| Uncredited

1948

| The Velvet Touch

| Howard Forman

| Credited as William Erwin

rowspan=2|1949

| Easy Living

| Minor Role

| Uncredited

Battleground

| Warrant Officer

| Uncredited

1951

| Double Dynamite

| Minor Role

| Uncredited

1952

| Holiday for Sinners

| Usher

| Uncredited

1956

| Man from Del Rio

| Roy Higgens

| Uncredited

rowspan=5|1957

| The Night Runner

| McDermott

|

The Shadow on the Window

| Policeman

| Uncredited

House of Numbers

| Bank Teller

| Uncredited

Jet Pilot

| Sergeant

| Uncredited

Witness for the Prosecution

| Juror

| Uncredited

rowspan=4|1958

| Gun Fever

| Bartender

|

The Cry Baby Killer

| Mr. Wallace

|

The Buccaneer

| Civilian

| Uncredited

Teenage Challenge

| Alton Conway

| Short film

rowspan=2|1962

| Rome Adventure

| Elderly Guest

| Uncredited

Terror at Black Falls

| Hugh "Squint" Edwards

| Credited as William L. Erwin

1963

| Under the Yum Yum Tree

| Teacher

| Uncredited

1964

| The Brass Bottle

| Middle-Aged Man

| Uncredited

1968

| Counterpoint

| Trumpet player

| Uncredited

1970

| The Christine Jorgensen Story

| Pastor

|

1974

| Candy Stripe Nurses

| Principal

|

1977

| Sixth and Main

|

|

1980

| Somewhere in Time

| Arthur Biehl

|

1981

| Dream On!

|

|

1983

| The Taming of the Shrew

| Vincentio

| Direct-to-video

rowspan=2|1984

| Quest

|

| Short film

The Bear

| Alabama Alumni

|

1986

| Stewardess School

| Orchestra Conductor

| Credited as William Erwin

1987

| Planes, Trains and Automobiles

| Man on Plane

|

rowspan=4|1988

| She's Having a Baby

| Grandfather

|

Silent Assassins

| Dr. London

|

The Land Before Time

| Grandfather

| Voice

A Place to Hide

|

|

rowspan=3|1990

| Home Alone

| Ed (Man in Airport)

|

The Willies

| Old Man

|

The Color of Evening

| Priest

|

rowspan=2|1991

| Night of the Warrior

| Coco

|

The Entertainers

| Sam

|

1992

| Unbecoming Age

| Old Man

|

1993

| Dennis the Menace

| Edward Little

|

1994

| Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult

| Conductor

|

1995

| Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead

| 70-Year-Old Man

|

1996

| Just Your Luck

| Pops

| Direct-to-video

1997

| Menno's Mind

| Mr. Lewis

|

rowspan=2|1998

| Chairman of the Board

| Landers

|

Art House

| Monty

|

rowspan=2|1999

| Forces of Nature

| Murray

|

Inferno

| Eli Hamilton

|

rowspan=2|2000

| Stanley's Gig

| Jules

| Credited as William Erwin

Down 'n Dirty

| Janitor

|

rowspan=2|2001

| Cahoots

| Frenchy

|

A Crack in the Floor

| Harold

| Final film role

=Television=

class="wikitable"

! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Television

style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Year

! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Title

! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Role

! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Notes

1950

| The Silver Theatre

|

| Episode 27: "Coal of Fire"

1950–1951

| Fireside Theatre

| Doctor

| 3 episodes
Credited as William Erwin - 1 episode

rowspan=4|1951

| The Bigelow Theatre

|

| Episode 9: "Coal of Fire"

The Stu Erwin Show

|

| Season 1 Episode 20: "High Finance"

Stars Over Hollywood

|

| Episode: "The Ageless"

Hollywood Opening Night

|

| Season 1 Episode 4: "The Ageless"

1952

| Lux Video Theatre

| Reporter

| Season 3 Episode 10: "The Face of Autumn"

rowspan=2|1954

| Mama

|

| Season 5 Episode 23: "Mama & the Wild Man"

The Philco Television Playhouse

| Herman

| Credited as William Erwin
Season 6 episode 12: "The Dancers"

rowspan=3|1955

| Robert Montgomery Presents

| Jens Nelson

| Season 6 Episode 30: "P.J. Martin and Son"

Studio 57

|

| Season 2 Episode 13: "The Girl in the Bathing Suit"

Highway Patrol

| Artie

| Season 1 Episode 12: "Phony Insurance"

1955–1956

| Screen Directors Playhouse

| Carl / Third Conductor / 1st Gambler

| 3 episodes
Credited as William Erwin - 2 episodes
Uncredited - 1 episode

rowspan=7|1956

| Alfred Hitchcock Presents

| Fireman (uncredited)

| Season 1 Episode 14: "A Bullet for Baldwin"

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

|

| Season 5 Episode 17: "The Big Payday"

Science Fiction Theatre

| Dr. Harold Lewis / Mike

| 2 episodes

Big Town

|

| 2 episodes

The Sheriff of Cochise

| Doctor

| Season 2 Episode 16: "Tough Guy"

Crusader

| Brenner

| Season 2 Episode 4: "The Girl Across the Hall"

The Man Called X

|

| Episode 2: "Code 'W'"

1956–1957

| Telephone Time

| Newspaper Man

| Credited as William Erwin
2 episodes

1956–1959

| Cheyenne

| Barber / Pvt. Poinsett

| 2 episodes
Uncredited - 1 episode

rowspan=6|1957

| I Love Lucy

| Bum

| Uncredited
Season 6 Episode 12: "Lucy and the Loving Cup"

Wire Service

|

| Credited as William Erwin
Episode 22: "Forbidden Ground"

Whirlybirds

| Fred Midgley

| Credited as William Erwin
Season 1 Episode 36: "Take a Little, Leave a Little"

State Trooper

| Neal James

| Season 2 Episode 3: "Madman on the Mountain"

Richard Diamond, Private Detective

| Sergeant Riker / Detective Ryker / Sgt. Riker

| 4 episodes
Uncredited - 1 episode

Code 3

| Doctor

| Credited as William Erwin
Episode 32: "Bail Out"

1957–1958

| Panic!

| Chauffeur / Joseph McGilbert / Interne

| 3 episodes
Credited as William Erwin - 2 episodes

1957–1959

| Bachelor Father

| Court Clerk / Mr. Logan / Security Guard

| 3 episodes
Credited as Will Erwin - 1 episode

1957–1961

| Zane Grey Theatre

| Various characters

| 7 episodes
Credited as William Erwin - 4 episodes

1957–1974

| Gunsmoke

| Various characters

| 14 episodes
Credits as William Erwin or William L. Erwin
Uncredited - 3 episodes

rowspan=12|1958

| Colt .45

| Clerk

| Season 1 Episode 15: "Dead Reckoning"

How to Marry a Millionaire

| Max Bigelow

| Uncredited
Season 1 Episode 19: "Loco Leaves Home"

The Californians

| Attorney

| Uncredited
Season 1 Episode 31: "Second Trial"

The Walter Winchell File

| Bellem

| Episode 8: "Thing of Beauty: File #29"

Sea Hunt

| Dr. Hugh Benedict

| Season 1 Episode 31: "The Big Dive"

Colgate Theatre

| Wilber

| Episode: "Macreedy's Woman"

Trackdown

| Man on Trail / Dawson

| 2 episodes
Uncredited - 1 episode

Man with a Camera

| Sam Bartlett

| Season 1 Episode 2: "The Warning"

Sugarfoot

| Jones

| Credited as William Erwin
Season 2 episode 4: "The Ghost"

Flight

| Palmer Owens

| Credited as William Erwin
Episode 17: "Final Approach"

The Danny Thomas Show

| Man in Dream / Emcee

| 2 episodes
Credited as William Erwin - 1 episode

Lawman

| Fred Petty

| Season 1 Episode 12: "Lady in Question"

1958–1959

| M Squad

| Detective Gene / Roger Jessop

| 2 episodes

rowspan=2|1958–1960

| The Texan

| Sheriff Nick Rand / Les Cosby / Stableman

| 3 episodes
Credited as William Erwin - 1 episode

Have Gun - Will Travel

| Townsman / Clerk / Citizen

| 3 episodes
Credited as William Erwin - 2 episodes
Uncredited - 1 episode

1958–1964

| Death Valley Days

| Various characters

| 5 episodes

rowspan=12|1959

| The Rifleman

| Joe Flecker

| Season 1 Episode 15: "The Pet"

Wagon Train

| Clegg

| Season 2 Episode 16: "The Hunter Malloy Story"

Tales of Wells Fargo

| Justin Peevy

| Season 3 Episode 21: "The Town That Wouldn't Talk"

General Electric Theater

|

| Season 7 Episode 24: "Train for Tecumseh"

Leave It to Beaver

| Man

| Season 2 Episode 26: "Price of Fame"

The David Niven Show

| Cashier

| Uncredited
Episode 1: "Fortune's Folly"

Black Saddle

| Kelly

| Credited as William Erwin
Season 1 Episode 18: "Client: Brand"

Tombstone Territory

| Storekeeper

| Season 2 Episode 11: "Grave Near Tombstone"

Markham

| Arthur Brookman

| Season 1 Episode 14: "We Are All Suspect"

Johnny Ringo

| Manners

| Episode 1: "The Arrival"

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

|

| Season 2 Episode 3: "Six Guns for Donegan"

Law of the Plainsman

| Dr. Palmer

| Episode 9: "The Gibbet"

rowspan=2|1959–1963

| The Twilight Zone

| Various characters

| Episode 3: "Mr. Denton on Doomsday" (1959)
Episode 5: "Walking Distance" (1959) - Uncredited
Episode 64: "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?" (1961)
Episode 107: "Mute" (1963) - Uncredited

The Untouchables

| Various characters

| 5 episodes
Credited as William Erwin - 3 episodes
Uncredited - 2 episodes

1959–1966

| Perry Mason

| Various characters

| 5 episodes
Credited as William Erwin - 1 episode

rowspan=5|1960

| The Detectives

| Manager

| Season 1 Episode 16: "House Call"

Bourbon Street Beat

| Doctor

| Episode 19: "The 10% Blues"

Rescue 8

| Justin

| Season 2 Episode 29: "School for Violence"

Stagecoach West

| Teller

| Episode 1: "High Lonesome"

Coronado 9

| Joe

| Episode 8: "I Want to Be Hated"

rowspan=2|1960–1961

| The Andy Griffith Show

| An Investor / George Sapley

| 2 episodes
Credited as William Erwin

Michael Shayne

| Luke / Landlord

| 2 episodes

1960–1962

| Lassie

| Mr. Burton / Bob Thomas

| 2 episodes
Uncredited - 1 episode

rowspan=7|1961

| Rawhide

| Parker

| Credited as William Erwin
S3:E17, "Incident of the New Start"

Mister Ed

| Mr. Wood

| Credited as William Erwin
Season 1 Episode 9: "The Missing Statue"

Outlaws

| Townsman

| Uncredited
Season 1 Episode 18: "No More Pencils - No More Books"

Peter Loves Mary

| Bill Stanhope / 1st Non-Com

| 2 episodes
Credited as William Erwin

Angel

| Coach

| Credited as Bill Irwin
Episode 28: "The Little Leaguer"

The Defenders

| Court Clerk

| Season 1 Episode 3: "Death Across the Counter"

Follow the Sun

| Frank March

| Episode 10: "Little Girl Lost"

1961–1965

| My Three Sons

| Joe Walters / Steward

| 4 episodes

rowspan=4|1962

| 87th Precinct

| George

| Episode 30: "Girl in the Case"

Ben Casey

|

| Season 1 Episode 32: "When You See an Evil Man"

Saints and Sinners

| Nolan

| Credited as William Erwin
Episode 8: "Daddy's Girl"

Stoney Burke

|

| Episode 10: "The Wanderer"

1962–1964

| The Virginian

| Bevers / Deputy

| 2 episodes
Uncredited - 1 episode

rowspan=3|1963

| The Dakotas

| Doctor

| Episode 18: "Sanctuary at Crystal Springs"

Burke's Law

| Fire Marshal

| Season 1 Episode 11: "Who Killed Purity Mather?"

The Greatest Show on Earth

| Food Truck Cook

| Episode 13: "Lady in Limbo"

1963–1967

| The Fugitive

| Various characters

| 4 episodes
Uncredited - 1 episode

rowspan=2|1964

| Arrest and Trial

| Doctor

| Episode 27: "The Revenge of the Worm"

Kraft Suspense Theatre

| Father Daley

| Season 1 Episode 23: "Their Own Executioners"

rowspan=2|1965

| Profiles in Courage

| Ingalls

| Episode 21: Grover Cleveland

The Big Valley

| Crown Man on Train

| Uncredited
Season 1 Episode 1: "Palms of Glory"

1966

| Shane

| Clerk

| Episode 15: "The Great Invasion: Part 1"

1966–1971

| The F.B.I.

| Manager / Paxton

| 3 episodes
Uncredited - 1 episode

rowspan=5|1967

| Laredo

| 1st Townsman

| Uncredited
Season 2 Episode 15: "The Seventh Day"

The Invaders

| Manager

| Season 1 Episode 5: "Genesis"

The Guns of Will Sonnett

| Hotel Clerk

| Season 1 Episode 5: "Of Lasting Summers and Jim Sonnett"

The Second Hundred Years

| 2nd Salesman

| Episode 11: "No Experience Necessary"

Get Smart

| Mr. Smith

| Season 3 Episode 13: "The Mysterious Dr. T"

rowspan=2|1969

| Mannix

| Prop Man

| Credited as William Erwin
Season 3 Episode 4: "The Playground"

My World and Welcome to It

| American Conductor

| Episode 7: "Nobody Ever Kills Dragons Anymore"

rowspan=2|1970

| Mayberry R.F.D.

| Man at Convention

| Season 2 Episode 26: "The Mynah Bird"

How Awful About Allan

| Dr. Ames

| Television movie
Credited as William Erwin

1970–1971

| Dan August

| Coroner

| 2 episodes

1971–1974

| Cannon

| Dr. Belden / Dr. Samuel Calvert / Gas Station Proprietor

| 3 episodes

rowspan=2|1973

| Hunter

|

| Television movie

Barnaby Jones

| Atken's Defense Counsel / Customs Officer

| 2 episodes

1974–1981

| The Waltons

| Dr. Frederick Grover / Senator Rogers

| 2 episodes

rowspan=2|1975

| The Rookies

| Cook

| Season 3 Episode 22: "Cliffy"

Huckleberry Finn

| Harvey Wilkes

| Television movie

rowspan=4|1977

| The Krofft Supershow

| Old Dad

| Episode 2: "Black Box, Parts 1 & 2"

Forever Fernwood

| Elmo

| Episode: #1.25

Lou Grant

| Old Man

| Credited as William L. Erwin
Season 1 Episode 8: "Scoop"

Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo

| Mr. Schneider

| Television movie

1979

| Struck by Lightning

| Glenn Diamond

| 4 episodes

rowspan=4|1981

| Eight Is Enough

| Cal Fitzpatrick

| Season 5 Episode 9: "Bradfordgate"

The Brady Girls Get Married

| The Reverend

| Miniseries though originally intended as a Television movie

The Dukes of Hazzard

| Clarence Stovall

| Season 4 Episode 6: "The Great Bank Robbery"

The Rainbow Patch

| Patch

| Series lead

rowspan=4|1982

| Dallas

| Abel Greeley

| Season 5 Episode 21: "The Prodigal"

Moonlight

| Dr. Tucker

| Television movie

Drop-Out Father

| Grandpa

| Television movie

The Jeffersons

| T.J. Wheeler

| Season 9 Episode 8: "Death Smiles on a Dry Cleaner: Part 1"

rowspan=5|1983

| The Optimist

| Grizzly Veteran

| Season 1 Episode 2: "The Good, the Bad and the Nasty"

Ghost Dancing

| Joe Greyfeather

| Television movie

Voyagers!

| Eisenhowers' Neighbor

| Episode 19: "Barriers of Sound"

Hart to Hart

| Sir Gavin MacLaish

| Season 5 Episode 9: "Highland Fling"

Lone Star

| Ezra Holloway

| Television movie

rowspan=5|1984

| Hard Knox

| General Garfield

| Television movie

Falcon Crest

| Night Editor

| Season 3 Episode 17: "Power Play"

Invitation to Hell

| Walt Henderson

| Television movie

E/R

| Mr. Williams

| Episode 10: "Only a Nurse"

ABC Weekend Specials

| Specter Inspector

| Season 8 Episode 1: "Henry Hamilton Graduate Ghost"

1984–1987

| Who's the Boss?

| Leon / Santa Claus / Ted

| 3 episodes

rowspan=5|1985

| Detective in the House

|

| Episode: "Whatever Happened To...?"

Generation

| John

| Television movie

Too Close for Comfort

| Captain Milarzen

| Credited as Bill Irwin
Season 5 episode 15: "No Deposit, No Return"

Silver Spoons

| Senator Platt

| Season 4 Episode 11: "The Barbarians"

Santa Barbara

| Harold Beard

| Episode: #1.361

1986–1987

| Highway to Heaven

| Clarence Kelly / Santa

| 3 episodes

1986–1991

| Growing Pains

| Various characters

| 8 episodes

rowspan=3|1987

| On Fire

| Joe's father

| Television movie

Roxie

| Kiner

| Episode 2: "Dog Days"

Punky Brewster

| Ben

| Season 3 Episode 6: "Hands Across the Halls"

rowspan=2|1988

| High Mountain Rangers

|

| Episode 1: "The Only Place to Live"

Married... with Children

| Hiram Massey

| Season 2 Episode 16: "Master the Possibilities"

1988–1990

| Just the Ten of Us

| Mr. Pruitt / Barker / Ralphie

| 4 episodes

1989

| Moonlighting

| Duncan Kennedy

| Season 5 Episode 9: "Perfetc"

1990

| Star Trek: The Next Generation

| Doctor Dalen Quaice

| Season 4 Episode 5: "Remember Me"

rowspan=3|1991

| Quantum Leap

| Mr. Deever

| Season 4 Episode 3: "Hurricane - August 17, 1969"

Full House

| Mr. Ferguson

| Season 5 Episode 7: "The Volunteer"

Knots Landing

| Mr. Wineke

| Season 13 Episode 8: "House of Cards"

rowspan=2|1992

| The Golden Girls

| Mr. Hubbard

| Season 7 Episode 16: "Questions and Answers"

Harry and the Hendersons

| Guest #1

| Season 3 Episode 6: "The Outing"

rowspan=4|1993

| Seinfeld

| Sidney Fields

| 2 episodes
Uncredited - 1 episode

Fallen Angels

| Chick

| Season 1 Episode 4

The John Larroquette Show

| Man #1

| Season 1 Episode 7: "Jumping Off the Wagon"

Against the Grain

| Harold

| Episode 8: "A House is Not a Home"

rowspan=3|1994

| Burke's Law

| Noah Stark

| Season 1 Episode 6: "Who Killed Alexander the Great?"

Search and Rescue

|

| Television movie

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

| Andy Tucker

| Season 2 Episode 6: "Operation Blackout"

rowspan=6|1995

| The Mommies

| Chester

| Season 2 Episode 7: "I Do, I Do Again"

Pig Sty

| Jenkins

| 2 episodes

Living Single

| Mr. Foster

| Season 2 Episode 27: "The Shake Up"

High Sierra Search and Rescue

| Will

| Episode 1: "If You Have to Ask the Price"

Live Shot

| Vernon

| Episode 7: "Where Towering Infernos" or simply "Towering Infernos"

The Jeff Foxworthy Show

| Santa

| Season 1 Episode 10: "Foxworthy Family Feud"

rowspan=4|1997

| Suddenly Susan

| Mr. Tidgely

| Season 1 Episode 14: "What a Card"

Grace Under Fire

| Old Man

| Season 4 Episode 21: "Quentin Gets His Gun"

The Drew Carey Show

| Mr. Bradbury

| Season 2 Episode 22: "Drew vs. Mimi: Part 2"

The Naked Truth

| Victor

| Season 3 Episode 10: "The Unsinkable Nora Wilde"

2000

| The Michael Richards Show

| Mr. Flaherty

| Episode 5: "The Nursing Home"

rowspan=3|2001

| Boycott

| Loading Dock Man #2

| Television movie

Just Shoot Me!

| Mr. King

| Credited as Bill Ewrin
Season 5 episode 17: "Where's Poppa?"

The West Wing

| Ronald Cruikshank

| Season 3 Episode 9: "The Women of Qumar"

rowspan=2|2002

| So Little Time

| George

| Episode 21: "The Volunteer"

Comedy Central Thanxgiveaway: Turkey vs. Pilgrims

| Grandpa

| Television movie

2003

| Monk

| Hiram Hollings

| Season 2 Episode 5: "Mr. Monk and the Very, Very Old Man"

rowspan=2|2004

| The King of Queens

| Whitey

| Season 6 Episode 21: "Tank Heaven"

Everwood

| Ollie

| Season 2 Episode 19: "Sick"

2006

| My Name Is Earl

| Old Man playing Ping Pong

| Season 2 Episode 5: "Van Hickey" (Final television role)

References

{{Reflist}}