John Ingle (May 7, 1928 - September 16, 2012) was an American actor best known for his role as scheming patriarch Edward Quartermaine in the ABC soap opera General Hospital.

Career

A retired school teacher, Ingle began mainstream acting in 1981 doing various guest appearances. In 1993, he took over the role of Edward Quartermaine in General Hospital. He had appeared on "General Hospital" in the late 1980s as a W.S.B. associate of Anna Devane's. In December 2003, Ingle was fired and Edward was to be killed off. Without a contract to keep him at General Hospital, Ingle was free to court other offers and accepted the contract role of Mickey Horton, as a recast for the retiring John Clarke, on the soap opera, Days of Our Lives. Ingle left General Hospital in February 2004 and Edward was recast with Jed Allan. Once at Days of our Lives, Ingle became part of a love triangle story involving Bonnie (Judi Evans Luciano) and Maggie (Suzanne Rogers). Ingle had recurring roles in HBO's Big Love, The Drew Carey Show, and the long-running The Land Before Time.

Ingle played "Wise Paw" in the 21-episode 1985 syndicated series Paw Paws, a segment of the animated block The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera.

Ingle returned to General Hospital after public complaints about Ingle's mistreatment by the producers, as Edward Quartermaine, on a recurring basis, in April 2006.

Personal life

John Houston Ingle was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He graduated from Verdugo Hills High School in Tujunga, Los Angeles, California. He graduated from Occidental College in Los Angeles. He began teaching English and theater in 1955 at Hollywood High School until transferring in 1964 to teach acting at Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California, where he remained until his retirement in 1985. His pupils included Nicolas Cage, Albert Brooks, Richard Dreyfuss, Joanna Gleason, Barbara Hershey, Swoosie Kurtz, Stefanie Powers, David Schwimmer, Jonathan Silverman, and Julie Kavner. He called former General Hospital actor Stuart Damon his "closest friend". Ingle, along with actress Leslie Charleson, fought Damon's 2007 firing from "General Hospital".

Health

In late 2008, Ingle underwent treatment for a small section of melanoma on his scalp. He was forced to wear a hat while onscreen to cover the bandage. Ingle was an active volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.

Family

Ingle married Grace-Lynne Martin in 1954. They had five daughters. Grace-Lynne Ingle died on February 11, 2012. Ingle died seven months later on September 16, 2012, aged 84, after battling cancer.

Select filmography

Films

• Stitches (1985) as Dr. Clayton Fowler
• True Stories (1986) as The Preacher
• Heathers (1988) as Principal Gowan
• RoboCop 2 (1990) as Surgeon General
• Repossessed (1990) as Father Crosby (as John H. Ingle)
• Death Becomes Her (1992) as Eulogist
• Suture (1993) as Sidney Callahan
• The Land Before Time (film series) as Topsy (Cera's Dad), and the Narrator (1994-2012)
• Batman & Robin (1997) as Doctor
• Hostage (2005) as Gray Hair Man

TV

• Mama's Family as Mr. Tucker; episode "Educating Mama" (original air date: September 26, 1987)
• The Golden Girls as Harv (1989); episode "Dancing in the Dark"
• Night Court as Theodore Wood (1989) and as Mr Kitteridge (1991)
• General Hospital as Edward Quartermaine (#2) (1993-2004, 2006-12)
• Boy Meets World as Mr. Frank Nelson (Episode 708)
• Days of Our Lives as Mickey Horton (#3) (2004-2006)
• The Office (US) as Robert Dunder (Episode 402)

[ Source: Wikipedia ]