Age: 82
Birthplace: Peoria, Illinois, United States
David Ogden Stiers (born October 31, 1942) is an American actor, voice actor, and musician, noted for his roles in Disney animated films, the television series M*A*S*H as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III and the supernatural fiction drama The Dead Zone as Reverend Gene Purdy. He is also known for the role of District Attorney Michael Reston in the Perry Mason TV movies.
Stiers was born in Peoria, Illinois, the son of Margaret Elizabeth (née Ogden) and Kenneth Truman Stiers. He attended Urbana High School at the same time as film critic Roger Ebert. He moved to Eugene, Oregon where he graduated from North Eugene High School and briefly attended the University of Oregon. He later ventured to San Francisco, where he performed with the California Shakespeare Theater, San Francisco Actors Workshop, and the improv group The Committee, whose members included Rob Reiner and Howard Hesseman. Stiers studied at the Juilliard School (Drama Division Group 1: 1968-1972). During his studies, Stiers was mentored by actor John Houseman and would later join his City Center Acting Company.
Stiers first appeared in the Broadway production The Magic Show in 1974 in the minor role of Feldman. Subsequent early credits include The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Kojak, and Rhoda. Stiers also appeared in the pilot of Charlie's Angels as the team's chief back-up.
In 1977, Stiers joined the cast of the now iconic CBS-TV sitcom M*A*S*H. As Major Charles Emerson Winchester III, Stiers filled the void created by the departure of actor Larry Linville's Frank Burns character. In contrast to the buffoonish Burns, Winchester was a well-spoken and talented surgeon who presented a different type of foil to Alan Alda's Hawkeye Pierce and Mike Farrell's B.J. Hunnicutt. Burns usually served as the butt of practical jokes instigated by Pierce or Hunnicutt, and his surgical skills were often harshly criticized. Winchester, however, presented a challenge to his colleagues' displays of irreverence because his surgical skills could match or even outshine theirs; his aristocratic manner and aversion to puerile behavior served as the target for his fellow surgeons' barbs and jokes. At times, however, Winchester could align himself with Pierce and Hunnicutt and held considerable admiration for his commanding officer, Col. Sherman T. Potter. For his portrayal of the pompous but nonetheless multifaceted Boston aristocrat, Stiers received two Emmy Award nominations.
Following the completion of M*A*S*H, Stiers expanded his work on television with regular guest appearances on North and South; Star Trek: The Next Generation; Murder, She Wrote; Matlock; Touched by an Angel; Wings; and Frasier, along with a recurring role in Season 1 of Two Guys and a Girl as Mr. Bauer. In 1984, he portrayed United States Olympic Committee founder, William Milligan Sloane in the NBC miniseries, The First Olympics: Athens 1896. He also had guest appearances on ALF and Matlock. He appeared in two unsuccessful television projects, Love & Money and Justice League of America (as the Martian Manhunter). In 2002, Stiers started a recurring role as the Reverend Purdy on the successful USA Network series The Dead Zone with Anthony Michael Hall. In 2006, he was cast as the recurring character Oberoth in Stargate Atlantis. Stiers also appeared in eight Perry Mason made-for-TV movies in the 1980s as District Attorney Michael Reston.
Stiers has provided voice work for dozens of film and television projects. His first work was on one of George Lucas' earliest films, the critically acclaimed THX 1138, in which he was incorrectly billed as "David Ogden Steers". Stiers has voiced PBS documentary films such as Ric Burns' project New York: A Documentary Film, 2010 Peabody Award winner The Lord is Not on Trial Here Today and several episodes of the documentary television series The American Experience, including Ansel Adams (2002), also directed by Ric Burns. In 1992, he voiced Mr. Piccolo in the animated English-dubbed version of Porco Rosso. He has collaborated with Disney on eight animated features, such as 1991's Beauty and the Beast (as Cogsworth, also opening narration), 1995's Pocahontas (as Governor Ratcliffe and Wiggins), 1996's The Hunchback of Notre Dame (as the Archdeacon), 2001's Atlantis: The Lost Empire (as Mr. Harcourt), and 2002's Lilo & Stitch (as Jumba Jookiba). He also lent his voice to the direct-to-video Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003) as the Penguin. Stiers also did voice work for Solovar in a two-part episode "The Brave and The Bold" in Justice League and voiced Solovar again in a Justice League Unlimited episode "Dead Reckoning". He also voiced two characters in two of Disney's animated TV series: Gryzlikoff from Darkwing Duck and Mr. Jolly from Teacher's Pet. He also voiced the king and prime minister in a short film, The Cat That Looked at a King, in 2004. In Hoodwinked (2005), the animated movie partly based on Little Red Riding Hood, Stiers voiced the role of Nicky Flippers, the frog detective dispatched to Granny's house. He voiced Pop's father, Mr. Maellard, in the animated TV series Regular Show, which debuted in 2010. Stiers had voices in several video games, including Icewind Dale, Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, as Jeff Zandi in Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, and as Esher in Myst V: End of Ages.
Stiers is the associate conductor for the Newport Symphony Orchestra and the Ernest Bloch Music Festival. He has guest conducted over 70 orchestras around the world, including the Oregon Mozart Players, the Vancouver Symphony, the Oregon Chamber Players, the Yaquina (Oregon) Chamber Orchestra, as well as orchestras in San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Chicago and Toronto.
Genre | Year | Title | Episodes | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Film | 1971 | Drive, He Said | Pro Owner | ||
Film | 1971 | THX 1138 | Announcer | voice actor | |
TV series | 1975 | Kojak | "Money Back Guarantee" | Bryan LeBlanc / Mr. Roberts | 001 episode |
TV series | 1976 | Charlie's Angels | "Charlie's Angels" (Pilot) | Scott Woodville | 001 episode |
TV series | 1976 | Doc | "Little Night Visitor""A Little Night Visitor" "And Stanley Makes Three" "Carry on Nurse, Please" "Come Scrub with Me" "EKG and Vote for Me" "Mama Doc" "The Westside Clinic and Deli" |
Stanley Moss | 007 episodes |
TV series | 1976 | Mary Tyler Moore ShowThe Mary Tyler Moore Show | "Look at Us, We're Walking" | Mel Price | 003 episodes total |
TV series | 1976 | Phyllis | "Wrong Box""The Wrong Box" | Mr. Raymond | 001 episode |
TV series | 1976 | Rhoda | "If You Want to Shoot the Rapids, You Have to Get Wet" | George | 002 episodes total |
Film | 1977 | Oh, God! | Mr. McCarthy, District Produce Manager | ||
TV series | 1977 | This Is the Life | "Undertow""Undertow" |
Harry | 001 episode |
TV series | 1977 | Mary Tyler Moore ShowThe Mary Tyler Moore Show | "Critic""The Critic" "The Ted and Georgette Show" |
Mel Price | 003 episodes total |
TV series | 1977 | Rhoda | "Nose Job" | Dr. Curt Dreiser | 002 episodes total |
TV series | 1977 | Tony Randall ShowThe Tony Randall Show | "Case: The People Speak" | Cleaver | 001 episode |
TV series | 1977-1983 | M*A*S*H | Major Charles Emerson Winchester III | 131 episodes total | |
Film | 1978 | Cheap DetectiveThe Cheap Detective | Captain | ||
Film | 1978 | Magic | Todson | ||
TV series | 1978 | Paper ChaseThe Paper Chase | "Act of Desperation""An Act of Desperation" | Woodrow Tullis | 001 episode |
TV film | 1979 | Breaking Up Is Hard to Do | Howard Freed | ||
TV series | 1981 | CBS Afternoon PlayhouseCBS Afternoon Playhouse | "Me and Mr. Stenner" | Peter Stenner | 001 episode |
Film | 1981 | Harry's War | Ernie | ||
TV series | 1983 | American Playhouse | "Innocents Abroad""The Innocents Abroad" | Doc | based on the travel book by Mark Twain |
TV miniseries | 1984 | First Olympics: Athens 1896The First Olympics: Athens 1896 | William Milligan Sloane | ||
TV film | 1985 | Bad SeedThe Bad Seed | Emory Breedlove | ||
Film | 1985 | Better Off Dead... | Al Meyer | ||
Film | 1985 | Creator | Dr. Sid Kullenbeck | ||
Film | 1985 | Man with One Red ShoeThe Man with One Red Shoe | ConductorThe Conductor | ||
TV miniseries | 1985 | North and South | Congressman Sam Greene | 006 episodes | |
TV film | 1986 | Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry | Horton Delafield | ||
TV series | 1986 | Murder, She Wrote | "Corned Beef and Carnage" | Aubrey Thornton | 003 episodes total |
TV miniseries | 1986 | North and South, Book II | Congressman Sam Greene | 006 episodes | |
TV film | 1987 | Alamo: Thirteen Days to GloryThe Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory | Colonel Black | ||
TV film | 1987 | J. Edgar Hoover | Franklin D. Roosevelt | ||
TV series | 1987 | Matlock | "Blind Justice" | Arthur Hampton | 003 episodes total |
TV film | 1987 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love | D.A. Michael Reston | ||
TV film | 1987 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam | D.A. Michael Reston | ||
TV film | 1987 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun | D.A. Michael Reston | ||
TV film | 1987 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel | D.A. Michael Reston | ||
TV film | 1987 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star | D.A. Michael Reston | ||
TV film | 1987 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Sinister Spirit | D.A. Michael Reston | ||
Film | 1988 | Accidental TouristThe Accidental Tourist | Porter Leary | ||
TV series | 1988 | ALF | "Turkey in the Straw: Part 1" "Turkey in the Straw: Part 2" |
Flakey Pete | 002 episodes |
Film | 1988 | Another Woman | Young Marion's Father | ||
TV series | 1988 | Matlock | "Ambassador: Part 1""The Ambassador: Part 1" "The Ambassador: Part 2" |
Thomas Baldwin | 003 episodes total |
TV film | 1988 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Avenging Ace | D.A. Michael Reston | ||
TV film | 1988 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake | D.A. Michael Reston | ||
TV film | 1989 | Day One | Franklin D. Roosevelt | ||
TV film | 1989 | Final DaysThe Final Days | Alexander Haig | ||
TV series | 1989 | Ray Bradbury TheaterThe Ray Bradbury Theater | "Pedestrian""The Pedestrian" | Leonard Mead | 001 episode |
TV series | 1990 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | "American Eyes" | Jack Henderson | 001 episode |
TV series | 1990 | Married People | "Term Paper" | Dr. Cashin | 001 episode |
TV series | 1990 | Wings | "Little Nightmare Music""A Little Nightmare Music" | Edward Tinsdale | 001 episode |
Animated film | 1991 | Beauty and the Beast | Cogsworth NarratorCogsworth / Narrator | voice actor | |
Film | 1991 | Doc Hollywood | Mayor Nick Nicholson | ||
Film | 1991 | Shadows and Fog | Hacker | ||
TV series | 1991 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | "Half a Life" | Timicin | 001 episode |
TV film | 1991 | Wife, Mother, Murderer | John Homan | ||
Film | 1992 | Last of His TribeThe Last of His Tribe | Dr. Saxton Pope | ||
Animated film | 1992 | Porco Rosso | Grandpa Piccolo | voice actor; English version | |
TV series | 1993 | Jack's Place | "Forever and Ever" | Flower Man | 001 episode |
TV series | 1994 | Boys Are BackThe Boys Are Back | "Tree Dies in Portland""A Tree Dies in Portland" | George Spivack | 001 episode |
Film | 1994 | Iron Will | J.W. Harper | ||
TV series | 1994 | Murder, She Wrote | "Egg to Die For""An Egg to Die For" | Sergei Nemiroff | 003 episodes total |
TV film | 1994 | Past Tense | Dr. Bert James | ||
Film | 1995 | Bad Company | Judge Beach | ||
Film | 1995 | Mighty Aphrodite | Laius | ||
Film | 1995 | Napoleon | Koala / Owl | voice actor | |
Animated film | 1995 | Pocahontas | Governor Ratcliffe / Wiggins | voice actor | |
Film | 1995 | Steal Big Steal Little | Judge Winton Myers | ||
TV documentary series | 1995-2011 | American Experience | Narrator | voice actor; 032 episodes | |
TV series | 1996 | Cybill | "Educating Zoey" | Val | 001 episode |
Film | 1996 | Everyone Says I Love You | Holden's Parent | ||
Animated film | 1996 | Hunchback of Notre DameThe Hunchback of Notre Dame | Archdeacon | voice actor | |
TV series | 1996 | Murder, She Wrote | "Death by Demographics" | Howard Deems | 003 episodes total |
TV series | 1996 | Poltergeist: The Legacy | "Twelfth Cave""The Twelfth Cave" | Randolph Hitchcock | 001 episode |
TV film | 1996 | To Face Her Past | Ken Bradfield | ||
Animated film | 1997 | Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas | CogsworthCogsworth | voice actor; direct-to-video | |
TV series | 1997 | Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman | "Farewell Appearance" | Theodore Quinn | 001 episode |
TV film | 1997 | Justice League of America | J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter | ||
Film | 1997 | Jungle 2 Jungle | Alexei Jovanovic | ||
Film | 1997 | Meet Wally Sparks | Governor Floyd Preston | ||
Animated TV series | 1998 | 101 Dalmatians: The Series | "Out to Launch/Prophet and Loss" | VLAD | voice actor |
TV series | 1998 | Ally McBeal | "They Eat Horses, Don't They?" | Judge Andrew Peters | 001 episode |
Animated film | 1998 | Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World | CogsworthCogsworth | voice actor; direct-to-video | |
Film | 1998 | Krippendorf's Tribe | Henry Spivey | ||
Animated film | 1998 | Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World | Governor Ratcliffe/Duke of Buckingham | voice actor; direct-to-video | |
TV series | 1998 | Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place | Mr. Bauer | 013 episodes | |
Animated TV series | 1999 | Angry BeaversThe Angry Beavers | "Kreature Komforts/Oh, Brother?" | Byron Beaver | voice actor |
Animated film | 1999 | My Neighbors the Yamadas | Narrator | voice actor; English version | |
TV series | 1999 | Outer LimitsThe Outer Limits | "Shroud""The Shroud" | Reverend Dr. Thomas Tilford | 001 episode |
TV series | 1999 | PracticeThe Practice | "Infected" | Judge Hollings | 001 episode |
TV series | 1999-2000 | Love & Money | Nicholas Conklin | 013 episodes | |
TV series | 2000 | Bull | "How Green Is Your Mail?" "Who's Afraid of Chairman Al" "Monday, Bloody Monday" "White Knight" |
Gardner Blackstone | 004 episodes |
TV series | 2000 | Trouble With NormalThe Trouble With Normal | "Say Cheese" | Mr. Harrington | 001 episode |
Animated TV series | 2000 | Wild ThornberrysThe Wild Thornberrys | "Luck Be an Aye-Aye" | Karroo | voice actor; 1 episode |
Animated TV series | 2000-2002 | Teacher's Pet | Mr. Jolly / Narrator / Congressman | voice actor; 13 episodes | |
Film | 2001 | Tomcats | Dr. Crawford | ||
Animated film | 2001 | Atlantis: The Lost Empire | Fenton Q. Harcourt | voice actor | |
Film | 2001 | Curse of the Jade ScorpionThe Curse of the Jade Scorpion | Voltan | ||
Film | 2001 | MajesticThe Majestic | Doc Stanton | ||
Animated film | 2001 | Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse | CogsworthCogsworth | voice actor; direct-to-video | |
TV film | 2001 | Murder, She Wrote: The Last Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man | Stanford Thornton | Murder, She Wrote TV series | |
Animated film | 2001 | Spirited Away | Kamajii | voice actor; English version | |
Animated TV series | 2001-2002 | Disney's House of Mouse | "Thanks to Minnie" "Mickey and Minnie's Big Vacation" "Donald and the Aracuan Bird" |
CogsworthCogsworth | voice actor; 3 episodes |
TV series | 2002 | Arli$$ | "It's All in the Game" | Eli | 001 episode |
Animated TV series | 2002 | Justice League | "Brave and the Bold""The Brave and the Bold" "The Brave and the Bold: Part II" |
Solovar / Car Owner | voice actor; 3 episodes total |
Animated film | 2002 | Lilo & Stitch | Dr. Jumba JookibaDr. Jumba Jookiba | voice actor | |
TV series | 2002-2007 | Dead ZoneThe Dead Zone | Reverend Eugene 'Gene' Purdy | 040 episodes | |
Animated film | 2003 | Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman | Penguin | voice actor; direct-to-video | |
TV series | 2003 | Frasier | "Fathers and Sons" | Dr. Leland Barton | 001 episode |
Animated film | 2003 | Stitch! The Movie | Dr. Jumba Jookiba Dr. Jumba Jookiba | voice actor; direct-to-video | |
TV series | 2003 | Touched by an Angel | "I Will Walk with You: Part 1" "I Will Walk with You: Part 2" |
Jones | 002 episodes |
Animated TV series | 2003-2006 | Lilo & Stitch: The Series | Dr. Jumba Jookiba Dr. Jumba Jookiba | 066 episodes | |
TV film | 2004 | Cable Beach | Doc McWhirter | ||
Live-action/animated shortLive-action/animated short film | 2004 | Cat That LookedThe Cat That Looked at a King | KingThe King / The Prime Minister | voice actor | |
Animated film | 2004 | Springtime with Roo | Narrator | voice actor; direct-to-video | |
Animated TV series | 2004 | Static Shock | "Hoop Squad" | Dr. Odium | voice actor |
Animated film | 2004 | Teacher's Pet | Mr. Jolly | voice actor | |
Animated TV series | 2005 | American Dragon: Jake Long | "Talented Mr. Long""The Talented Mr. Long" | Narrator / Crew Man | voice actor |
Animated film | 2005 | Hoodwinked! | Nicky Flippers | voice actor | |
Animated film | 2005 | Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch | Dr. Jumba JookibaDr. Jumba Jookiba | voice actor; direct-to-video | |
TV documentary series | 2005 | Nova | "Daring Flight""A Daring Flight" | Narrator | voice actor |
Animated short video | 2005 | Origin of StitchThe Origin of Stitch | Dr. Jumba JookibaDr. Jumba Jookiba | voice actor; 4:35 minutes | |
Animated film | 2005 | Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie | Narrator | voice actor; direct-to-video | |
Animated TV series | 2006 | Justice League | "Dead Reckoning" | Solovar | voice actor; 3 episodes total |
Film | 2006 | Lady in the Water | Narrator | uncredited | |
Animated film | 2006 | Leroy & Stitch | Dr. Jumba JookibaDr. Jumba Jookiba | voice actor; direct-to-video | |
TV series | 2006 | Stargate Atlantis | "Progeny" | Oberoth | 003 episodes total |
TV series | 2006 | Worst Week of My LifeWorst Week of My Life | "Pilot" | Jenson | 001 episode; American TV series |
TV series | 2007 | Stargate Atlantis | "First Strike""First Strike" "Lifeline" |
Oberoth | 003 episodes total |
TV documentary series | 2007 | The Power of Choice: The Life and Ideas of Milton Friedman | Narrator | ||
TV series | 2010 | Dino Dan | Wandering Oaken | ||
TV series | 2011 | Leverage | "Lonely Hearts Job""The Lonely Hearts Job" | Walt Whitman Wellesley IV | 001 episode |
Animated TV series | 2011-2012 | Regular Show | 6 episodes total | Mr. Maellard | voice actor; recurring role, 6 episodes to date |
Feature Film | 2015 | Neil Stryker and the Tyrant of Time | The Admiral | actor; |
Video games | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1996 | Toonstruck | King Hugh | |
2000 | Icewind Dale | Narrator | |
2002 | Stitch: Experiment 626 | Dr. Jumba Jookiba | |
2003 | Uru: Ages Beyond Myst | Jeff Zandi | |
2005 | Myst V: End of Ages | Esher | |
Kingdom Hearts II | Cogsworth | ||
2007 | Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix | Cogsworth | |
2010 | Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep | Dr. Jumba Jookiba Doc |
Year | Award | Category | Film/TV show | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1981 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series | M*A*S*H | Nominated |
1982 | Nominated | |||
1984 | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special | The First Olympics: Athens 1896 | Nominated | |
2001 | Annie Award | Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an Animated Television Production | Teacher's Pet | Nominated |
2009 | TV Land Award | Best Cast | M*A*S*H | Won |