
Acting
Born December 21, 1928 · New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Edwin Stafford Nelson (December 21, 1928 – August 9, 2014) was an American actor. Nelson began acting while attending Tulane University in New Orleans. He left college after two years to study at the New York School of Radio and Television Technique. After graduating, he took a position as a director at WDSU-TV in New Orleans. By 1956, acting became his central focus and he moved to the Los Angeles area. Early in his career he worked with famed B-movie producer Roger Corman on such Corman films as Cry Baby Killers, A Bucket of Blood, Teenage Cave Man and Attack of the Crab Monsters. In 1958 he participated in Bruno VeSota's science fiction horror film The Brain Eaters. His early television career featured many guest starring roles in such series as The Fugitive, Gunsmoke, Harbor Command, Tombstone Territory, Tightrope, The Blue Angels (as arrogant flight instructor Lieutenant Dayl Martin), Laramie, COronado 9, The Eleventh Hour, Bonanza, Thriller (US TV series), and Channing, an ABC drama about college life. In 1964 he won his most famous role portraying Dr. Michael Rossi on the ABC drama Peyton Place, which ran from 1964 to 1969. Nelson's fellow cast members included Mia Farrow, Ryan O'Neal, and Dorothy Malone. Dr. Rossi proved to be so popular that by 1968, he became the lead actor on the show. Nelson reprised his role in two made-for-TV movies, Murder in Peyton Place and Peyton Place: The Next Generation. After Peyton Place ended, Nelson worked in many more productions of all varieties, including starring role in many movies of the week, a second TV series, "The Silent Force," and a popular morning talk show which he hosted for three years. Soon after, Nelson struck gold with his critically acclaimed portrayal of elusive pit crew chief Robert Denby in the hit film Riding with Death (1976), earning him several prestigious accolades and legions of devoted fans.

Runaway Jury
2003

Who Am I?
1998

Cries of Silence
1996

The Boneyard
1991

Deadly Weapon
1989

Sworn to Silence
1987

Police Academy 3: Back in Training
1986

Peyton Place: The Next Generation
1985

Help Wanted: Male
1982

Born to Be Sold
1981

Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb
1980

The Return of Frank Cannon
1980

The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything
1980

Anatomy of a Seduction
1979

The Crash of Flight 401
1978

Leave Yesterday Behind
1978

Doctors' Private Lives
1978

Superdome
1978

Murder in Peyton Place
1977

A Little Game
1977

For the Love of Benji
1977

Midway
1976

Acapulco Gold
1976

Riding with Death
1976

That's the Way of the World
1975

The Missing Are Deadly
1975

Airport 1975
1974

Police Headquarters
1974

Houston, We've Got a Problem
1974

Linda
1973

Runaway!
1973

Time to Run
1973

The Screaming Woman
1972

Brink of Disaster!
1972

Along Came a Spider
1970

The Man from Galveston
1963

Soldier in the Rain
1963

Judgment at Nuremberg
1961

Devil's Partner
1961

The Fatal Impulse
1960

Code of Silence
1960

Valley of the Redwoods
1960

A Bucket of Blood
1959

T-Bird Gang
1959

The Young Captives
1959

I, Mobster
1959

The Brain Eaters
1958

Hot Car Girl
1958

Cry Baby Killer
1958

Night of the Blood Beast
1958

She Gods of Shark Reef
1958

Teenage Cave Man
1958

Teenage Doll
1957

Carnival Rock
1957

Invasion of the Saucer-Men
1957

Bayou
1957

Rock All Night
1957

Attack of the Crab Monsters
1957

Swamp Women
1956

New Orleans Uncensored
1955

The Steel Trap
1952