
John Anderson
Known for Acting · 181 credits
- Born
- 1922-10-20
- Died
- 1992-08-07
- Place of birth
- Clayton, Illinois, USA
- Also known as
- John R. Anderson
Biography
John Robert Anderson (October 20, 1922 – August 7, 1992) A tall, sinewy, austere-looking character actor with silver hair, rugged features and a distinctive voice, John Robert Anderson appeared in hundreds of films and television episodes. Immensely versatile, he was at his best submerging himself in the role of historical figures (he impersonated Abraham Lincoln three times and twice baseball commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, men whom he strongly resembled). He was a familiar presence in westerns and science-fiction serials, usually as upstanding, dignified and generally benign citizens (a rare exception was his Ebonite interrogator in The Outer Limits (1963) episode "Nightmare"). He had a high opinion of Rod Serling and was proud to be featured in four episodes of The Twilight Zone (1959), most memorably as the tuxedo-clad angel Gabriel in "A Passage for Trumpet" (doing for Jack Klugman what Henry Travers did for James Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)).
Known For
TV Shows (108)

Perry Mason
1957
as George Andrews / Bud Ferrand / Dan O'Malley

Star Trek: The Next Generation
1987
as Kevin Uxbridge

Bonanza
1959
as Sam Masters / Gorman / Tulsa Weems

Murder, She Wrote
1984
as Andrew Dixon

Lassie
1954

Dallas
1978
as Dr. Herbert Styles

The Fugitive
1963
as Justin Briggs / Ed Shrader

MacGyver
1985
as Harry Jackson

Mannix
1967
as George Blake

M*A*S*H
1972
as General Collins

Hawaii Five-O
1968
as Brig. General Earl Rigney

Little House on the Prairie
1974
as Amos Pike

Quincy, M.E.
1976
as Justin DeWilde / Chief Frank Ollano / Movie Director

Quantum Leap
1989
as Pat Knight

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1962
as Luke Hunter / Adam

The Twilight Zone
1959
as Capt. 'Skipper' Farver / Goldsmith / Deidrich / Gabriel

The Rifleman
1958
as Samuel Gibbs / Owny Kincaid

Have Gun, Will Travel
1957
as Fred Cooley

The Virginian
1962
as Major Cass / Adam Tercell / Jeremiah Chilton / Deputy Sheriff Sam Morrell / Sam McLain / Seth James

Emergency!
1972
as Captain Bob Roberts

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
1955
as Virgil Earp

Ben Casey
1961

The Rockford Files
1974
as Gerald A. O'Malley

Matlock
1986
as Sam Chandler

Dr. Kildare
1961
as Vernon Hackett

Lawman
1958
as Hassayampa Edwards

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
as Fisk Madden / Roy Kelsey / Marshal Cal Lazenby / John Duncan

Hunter
1984
as Winston Taggert

Cheyenne
1955

Hart to Hart
1979

Cannon
1971

Rawhide
1959
as Captain James Rankin / Maj. Cantwell

The F.B.I.
1965
as Adam MacDonald / Bollin

The Big Valley
1965
as Matt Bentell

The Incredible Hulk
1977
as Mike Calahan

Jake and the Fatman
1987
as Ace Thompson

Scarecrow and Mrs. King
1983

Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958
as Deputy Sheriff Fix

Route 66
1960

Lou Grant
1977
as Russell Grainger

The Bob Newhart Show
1972

The Outer Limits
1963
as Ebonite Interrogator

Gunsmoke
1955
as Ben Siple / Delliver / Yermo / Cheevers / Pa Gibbijohn / Les McConnell / Roberts / Jess Fletcher / Amos Sadler / Lemuel Cleary / Adam Kimbro

Peter Gunn
1958

North and South
1985
as William Hazard

Bat Masterson
1958
as Major Liam Mars

Matt Houston
1982

Thriller
1960
as Jacob Grant

Adventures in Paradise
1959
as Benson

Sea Hunt
1958

The Rebel
1959
as Ezra Taber

The Westerner
1960
as Leth Ritchie

My Favorite Martian
1963
as Capt. Farrow

Silver Spoons
1982
as Captain Stark

Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Nicholson / Attendant

Richard Diamond, Private Detective
1957
as Paul Russell

Laramie
1959

Felony Squad
1966
as Lt. Mike Reineck

Trackdown
1957
as McCall

Kraft Suspense Theatre
1963
as Rankin
Movies (73)

Psycho
1960
as California Charlie

Soldier Blue
1970
as Col. Iverson

Ride the High Country
1962
as Elder Hammond

Smokey and the Bandit II
1980
as Governor

Last Train from Gun Hill
1959
as Salesman

The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel
1951

Eight Men Out
1988
as Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis

Young Billy Young
1969
as Boone

The Hallelujah Trail
1965
as Sgt. Buell

Geronimo
1962
as Jeremiah Burns

The Satan Bug
1965
as Agent Reagan

The Quest
1976
as Army Officer

5 Card Stud
1968
as Marshal Dana

I-Man
1986
as Holbrook

Hitched
1973
as Jomer Cruett

Walk on the Wild Side
1962
as Preacher

The Fortune Cookie
1966
as Abraham Lincoln (uncredited)

American Harvest
1987
as Judge Meriweather

Zoot Suit
1981
as Judge F.W. Charles

Counselor at Crime
1973
as Don Vito Albanese

Executive Action
1973
as Halliday

The Great Bank Robbery
1969
as Mayor Kincaid

The Andersonville Trial
1970
as Ambrose Spencer

The Wackiest Ship in the Army
1960
as Sailor (uncredited)

The Deerslayer
1978
as Hutter

Heatwave!
1974
as Toler

Bed of Lies
1992
as Price Daniel, Sr.

Never Too Young to Die
1986
as Arliss

Daddy
1991
as George Watson

Out of the Blue
1981
as T.V. Interviewer

Heaven with a Gun
1969
as Ase Beck

The Dove
1974
as Mike Turk

Wyatt Earp: Return to Tombstone
1994
as Virgil Earp (flashback sequence) (archive footage)

Babe Ruth
1991
as Judge Landis

A Covenant with Death
1967
as Dietrich

Namu, the Killer Whale
1966
as Joe Clausen

Cotton Comes to Harlem
1970
as Capt. Bryce

The Animals
1970
as Sheriff Allan Pierce

Bridger
1976
as President Andrew Jackson

The Stepmother
1972
as Inspector Darnezi

Scorpion
1986
as Noel G. Koch

A Man Called Gannon
1968
as Capper

Welcome to Hard Times
1967
as Ezra Maple / Isaac Maple

Manhunter
1974
as Aaron Denver

In Broad Daylight
1991
as Wes Westerman

Day of the Evil Gun
1968
as Captain Jefferson Addis

The Specialist
1975
as Pike Smith

Missing Children: A Mother's Story
1982
as Stanley Willard

Death Among Friends
1975
as Capt. Lewis

Follow Your Heart
1990
as Josh Lowe

Scalplock
1966
as Standish

For the Love of Willadean
1964
as Farmer Wills

The Lincoln Conspiracy
1977
as Abraham Lincoln

The Last Hurrah
1977
as Amos Force

Sins of the Past
1984
as Rev. Donald Randolph

The True Story of Lynn Stuart
1958
as Doc

The First Time
1982
as Paul Cooper

Smile Jenny, You're Dead
1974
as Col. John Lockport

Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal
1989
as George Dutton

Dead Man on the Run
1975
as Jason Monroe

Deadly Innocents
1989
as Gus

In Search of Historic Jesus
1979
as Caiaphas

The Dark Side of Innocence
1976
as Stephen Hancock

Donner Pass: The Road to Survival
1978
as Patrick Breen

Call to Danger
1973
as Edward McClure

Molly and Lawless John
1972
as Sheriff Marvin Parker

The Force of Evil
1977
as Sheriff John Carrington

Peter Lundy and the Medicine Hat Stallion
1977
as Alexander Majors

Man and Boy
1971
as Stretch

Set This Town on Fire
1973
as Henry Kealey

Rebel Range
as Fisk Madden

Lincoln: Trial by Fire
1974
as President Lincoln

The American Adventure
as Mark Twain / Franklin D. Roosevelt (voice)
About John Anderson
John Robert Anderson (October 20, 1922 – August 7, 1992) A tall, sinewy, austere-looking character actor with silver hair, rugged features and a distinctive voice, John Robert Anderson appeared in hundreds of films and television episodes. Immensely versatile, he was at his best submerging himself in the role of historical figures (he impersonated Abraham Lincoln three times and twice baseball commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, men whom he strongly resembled). He was a familiar presence in westerns and science-fiction serials, usually… With 181 credits spanning from 1950 to 1994, John Anderson has appeared in 73 films and 108 TV shows.
Fans searching for John Anderson movies, John Anderson filmography, or the latest projects starring John Anderson can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular John Anderson Movies
- Psycho (1960) — as California Charlie
- Soldier Blue (1970) — as Col. Iverson
- Ride the High Country (1962) — as Elder Hammond
- Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) — as Governor
- Last Train from Gun Hill (1959) — as Salesman
Where to Watch John Anderson Films
Most John Anderson movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring John Anderson, check our movies catalogue and browse page.