Nelson in a 1964 publicity photo from Peyton Place.
Edwin Stafford Nelson (December 21, 1928 - August 9, 2014) was an American actor best known for playing Dr. Michael Rossi in the popular Soap Opera Peyton Place. His many other appearances include Who Am I (1998), Police Academy 3: Back in Training (1986), and Riding With Death (1976).
He was married to Patricia 'Patsy' Miller-Nelson and they had six children.
Nelson died in 2014 at the age of 85 from congestive heart failure.
Filmography
Film Roles
- 1952: The Steel Trap as Man in Ticket Line at Airport (Uncredited Role)
- 1955: New Orleans Uncensored as Charlie
- 1956: Swamp Women as Police Sergeant
- 1957: Attack of the Crab Monsters as Lt. Quinlan
- 1957: Rock All Night as Pete
- 1957: Invasion of the Saucer Men as Tom
- 1957: Bayou as Etienne
- 1957: Hell On Devils Island as Guard #2 (uncredited)
- 1957: Teenage Doll as Police Officer 'Dutch'/Blind Man
- 1957: Carnival Rock as Cannon
- 1958: Street Of Darkness as Slavo
- 1958: The Brain Eaters as Dr. Paul Kettering (also producer)
- 1958: Teenage Cave Man as Blond Tribe Member
- 1958: The Cry Baby Killer as Rick Connor
- 1958: Hot Car Girl as Second Cop at Soda Bar
- 1958: Hot Rod Gang as Mark's Gang Buddy (uncredited)
- 1958: Night of the Blood Beast as Dave Randall
- 1958: She Gods Of Shark Reef as Guard (uncredited)
- 1959: I Mobster as Sid (uncredited)
- 1959: The Young Captives as Norm Britt
- 1959: T Bird Gang as Alex Hendricks
- 1959: A Bucket of Blood as Art Lacroix
- 1960: Devils Partner as Nick Richards/Pete Jensen
- 1960: Valley Of The Redwoods as Dino Michaels
- 1960: Code Of Silence as Paul Lane
- 1960: Elmer Gantry as Man on Phone at Sister Sharon Headquarters (uncredited)
- 1961: Judgment at Nuremberg as Captain at Nightclub (uncredited)
- 1963: Soldier In The Rain as MP Sgt. James Priest
- 1963: The Man From Galveston as Cole Marteen
- 1970: Along Came a Spider as Dr. Martin Becker
- 1971: A Little Game as Paul Hamilton
- 1972: The Screaming Woman as Carl Nesbitt
- 1973: Time To Run as Warren Cole
- 1973: Runaway as Nick Staffo
- 1973: Linda as Paul Reston
- 1974: Houston Weve Got A Problem as Gene Kranz
- 1974: Police Headquarters as Lt. Cavin Zenger
- 1974: Airport 1975 as Major John Alexander
- 1975: The Missing Are Deadly as Dr. Margolin
- 1975: That's the Way of the World as Carlton James
- 1976: Acapulco Gold as Ray Hollister
- 1976: Midway as Admiral Harry Pearson
- 1976: Riding With Death as Robert Denby
- 1977: For The Love Of Benji as Chandler Dietrich
- 1977: Murder In Peyton Place as Dr. Michael Rossi
- 1985: Peyton Place The Next Generation as Dr. Michael Rossi
- 1978: Superdome as George Beldridge
- 1978: Doctors Private Lives as Dr. Mike Wise
- 1978: Leave Yesterday Behind as Mr. Clarkson
- 1978: Crash as Philip Mulwray
- 1979: Anatomy Of A Seduction as Mark Kane
- 1980: The Girl The Gold Watch And Everything as Joseph Locordolos
- 1980: The Return Of Frank Cannon as Mike Danvers
- 1980: Enola Gay The Men The Mission The Atomic Bomb as Pres. Harry S. Truman
- 1981: Born To Be Sold as Carl Strickland
- 1982: Help Wanted Male as George Dodds
- 1983: The Shaft Of Love as Dr. John Burns
- 1986: Police Academy 3: Back in Training as Gov. Neilson
- 1987: Sworn To Silence as Victor Handler
- 1989: Brenda Starr as Pres. Harry S. Truman
- 1989: Deadly Weapon as Gen. Stone
- 1991: The Boneyard as Jersey Callum
- 1996: Sister Island as Dr. August Claiborne
- 1998: Who Am I as Gen. Sherman
- 2000: Tony Bravo In Scenes From A Forgotten Cinema as Ghost of Mary's Dad
- 2003: Runaway Jury as George Dressler
- 2005: Heartless as Lawyer
Television Roles
- 1957: Men Of Annapolis as Anderson
- 1957: Harbor Command as Arrested Craps Game Participant
- 1957-1958: The Silent Service as Lou Hole/Lookout/Sonarman/Radar Soundman (4 episodes)
- 1957-1959: Highway Patrol as Paul Herrick/Bill Gibson/Monty (3 episodes)
- 1957-1960: Tombstone Territory as Kansas Joe Barton/Chris/Charlie/Cowboy (4 episodes)
- 1958: Flight as Tower Operator
- 1958-1960: M Squad as Jerry Howes/Lenny Maston (2 episodes)
- 1958-1961: Zane Grey Theatre as Vince Harwell/Tantasi/Albie/Jack Bowen/Nelson (5 episodes)
- 1959: The Lawless Years as Paramedic
- 1959: The Walter Winchell Fire as Lt. Rizzo
- 1959: Tightrope as Smiley
- 1959: Black Saddle as Lee Coogan/Roy Corey
- 1959-1961: The Rebel as Clint Mowbree/The Stalker/Doug/Chad/Matt (5 episodes)
- 1959-1961: Have Gun – Will Travel as Rack/Carl/Pierre 'Pete' Deverell/Ed Stacy/Will Gage (5 episodes)
- 1959-1961: Bat Masterson as Browder/Jedrow (2 episodes)
- 1959-1961: Hennesey as Cmdr. Pete Judson/Navy Officer (2 episodes)
- 1959-1962: Maverick as Gary Harrison/bill Parker/2nd Classmate (3 episodes)
- 1959-1962: Rawhide as Sam Weber/Lt. Cory Clemens/Chuck Wittaker/Kels Morgan (4 episodes)
- 1959-1964: Gunsmoke as Tom/Burt Cury/Seth/Perce/Rusk/Lee Prentice (6 episodes)
- 1960: Johnny Ringo as Kirk/Tomstedter (2 episodes)
- 1960: Riverboat as Jim Tyler
- 1960: Coronado 9 as Doug Forbes
- 1960: The Blue Angels as Lt. Dayl Martin
- 1960: Outlaws as Elmer Foss
- 1960: The Life And Legend Of Wyatt Earp as Hal Babcock
- 1960: The Deputy as Pete McCurdy
- 1960-1961: The Rifleman as Ben Vargas/Ben Travis/Stacey Beldon (3 episodes)
- 1960-1961: Thriller as Tom Ellison/Daniel Le Jean/George Parker/Charlie/Brundage (4 episodes)
- 1960-1963: Laramie as Gil Harrison/Sable/Cal Mason/Mace (4 episodes)
- 1961: The Aquanauts as Chris Garland
- 1961: Surfside 6 as Eddie Grant
- 1961: Tales Of Wells Fargo as Frisco Kid/Andy Thorpe (2 episodes)
- 1961: Shotgun Slade as Sheriff Clyde Perdito
- 1961-1962: The Detectives as George/Stanley Bolen/Al Kramer (3 episodes)
- 1961-1962: Checkmate as Chuck Palmer/Gil Stoneham/Carson (3 episodes)
- 1961-1963: The Untouchables as Marty Pulaski/Johnny Prebble/Marty Stoke (3 episodes)
- 1961-1963: Wagon Train as Al Bleecker/Burke Clayton/Sheriff Donovan (3 episodes)
- 1961-1964: Perry Mason as dirk Blake/Ward Nichols (2 episodes)
- 1962: Eighty Seventh Precinct as Bill Miller
- 1962: Cains Hundred as Pete Stull
- 1962: The Law And Mr Jones as Frank Skinner
- 1962: Hawaiian Eye as Mark Hollis
- 1962: The Tall Man as Dr. Wade Parsons
- 1962: Bonanza as Garth
- 1962: The New Breed as Roger Sykes/Jefty Bright (2 episodes)
- 1962: Death Valley Days as Frank Girard
- 1962: Wide Country as Paul Corbello
- 1962: Sam Benedict as Neil Bracket
- 1962: Stoney Burke as Nick Martin
- 1962-1963: Alcoa Premiere as Brick Avery/Eddie Norman (2 episodes)
- 1962-1963: The Alfred Hitchcock Hour as Alex Trevor/Tom Keller (2 episodes)
- 1963: Saints And Sinners as Ray
- 1963: The Virginian as Ralph Slocum
- 1963: The Twilight Zone as Philip Redfield
- 1963: The Dakotas as Lt. John Schwimmer
- 1963: The Gallant Men as Maj. Ross
- 1963: The Eleventh Hour as Jack Page
- 1963: 77 Sunset Strip as Dave Murcott
- 1963: Dr. Kildare as Dr. Keith Judge
- 1963: The Outer Limits as Col. Luke Stone
- 1963: Redigo as Danny Kilpatrick
- 1963: Channing as Deke Allison
- 1963-1964: The Fugitive as Steve Edson/Paul Clements (2 episodes)
- 1964: Combat as Burgess
- 1964: Arrest And Trial as Jeff Conlins
- 1964: This Is The Life as Paul Barstow
- 1964-1969: Peyton Place as Michael Rossi
- 1970-1971: The Silent Force as Ward Fuller
- 1971: The Man And The City as Principal Eastman
- 1971: Marcus Welby, M.D. as Todd
- 1971: Cannon as Andy Carver
- 1971-1972: Owen Marshall Counselor At Law as Vincent Thayer/Todd (2 episodes)
- 1971-1973: The F.B.I. as Hamilton/Walter Swenson/Vincent Paquette (3 episodes)
- 1971-1975: Medical Center as Wesley Stockwood/Cal/Hank (3 episodes)
- 1972: O Hara US Treasury as Lester Martin
- 1972: Night Gallery as Tom Burke
- 1972: Banacek as Geoff Holden
- 1972: The Sixth Sense as The Pilot
- 1972: Alias Smith and Jones as Sheriff Frank Canton
- 1973: Escape as Frank Wyatt
- 1973: Tenafly as Ted Harris
- 1973: The Mod Squad as Johnny Stringer
- 1973: Mission: Impossible as Van Cleve
- 1973: The Streets of San Francisco as Robert Alan Hobbes
- 1973: Kung Fu as Sheriff Walter Raha
- 1973-1975: Police Surgeon as Andy Fane/Max Ziegler/Jonathan Frye (3 episodes)
- 1974: Adam-12 as Abe Strayhorn
- 1974: Ironside as Joe Lynch
- 1974: Police Woman as Lt. John Hess
- 1974-1979: Barnaby Jones as Richard Gibson/Ed Simmons/Larry Kinner (2 episodes)
- 1975: Get Christie Love as Charles Bettman
- 1976: The Bionic Woman as Lucky Harrison
- 1976: Most Wanted as Moose Watson
- 1976: Gemini Man as Robert Denby
- 1976: Gibbsville as Farley
- 1977: McMillan & Wife as Captain Glen Wyler
- 1977: Logan's Run as Dr. Rowan
- 1977-1979: The Rockford Files as Blake Sternlight/Edgar 'Bud' Clement (2 episodes)
- 1978: Dallas as Jeb Amos
- 1978: David Cassidy Man Undercover as Densmore
- 1978-1981: Vegas as Phillip Landauer/Jonathan Stockwood (2 episodes)
- 1979: Salvage 1 as Gen. Macklin
- 1979: Doctors Private Lives as Dr. Michael Wise
- 1980: Charlie's Angels as George Starrett
- 1980: Hagen as Dr. Sanger
- 1980: Lou Grant as Jim Carlisle
- 1981: Trapper John, M.D. as Albert Ryker
- 1981: Walking Tall as Edwin Campbell
- 1981: CHiPs as Brian King
- 1981: Quincy, M.E. as Capt. Edwards
- 1982: Bret Maverick as Andrew J. Tendall
- 1982-1986: Capitol as Sen. Mark Denning (17 episodes)
- 1983: Matt Houston as Fred Boethig
- 1983: The Fall Guy as Mr. Jason
- 1984: Finder Of Lost Loves as Bill Garnett
- 1985-1995: Murder, She Wrote as Henry Post/Judge Willard Clinton/Raymond 'Ray' Bascomb/Mayor Albert Simpson/Carl Turnball (5 episodes)
- 1987: Dynasty as Sam Dexter
- 1987: Hotel as Mr. Harper
- 1988: The Law And Larry Mc Graw as Jefferson Randolph
- 1988: Cagney & Lacey as Sgt. Steingrove
- 1988: JJ Starbuck as Ted Fuller
- 1988-1990: Jake and the Fatman as D.A. Marcus Packard/Harrison Dole (2 episodes)
- 1989: MacGyver as Arthur Bandel
Shorts
- 1972: Brink of Disaster as Dr. Harden
