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Emmy-Winning Actor — One of the Most Familiar Faces on TV — Dead at 88

Aug 20, 2012  •  Post A Comment

A well-known television actor who was one of the most familiar faces on TV for decades — and who won an Emmy in 1970 for best actor in a comedy series for his performance in the NBC show “My World and Welcome to It” — has died, The New York Times reports. William Windom was 88.

Windom was widely recognized for his role as the leading doctor in Cabot Cove, Maine, the setting for "Murder, She Wrote." His character was a close friend of Jessica Fletcher, the main character in the series, played by Angela Lansbury. Windom appeared in more than 50 episodes of the show.

He also appeared in other top TV shows, including "The Twilight Zone" and "Star Trek," the story notes. On "Star Trek," he played Commodore Matt Decker in the episode "Doomsday Machine," in which his character, with the help of the Enterprise crew, tries to stop a destructive robot ship.

"My World and Welcome to It," which aired during the 1969-70 TV season, was a whimsical TV show based on James Thurber’s humorous cartoons and essays, the piece notes.

Windom also had a role in the early 1990s series “Parenthood,” where he played Frank Buckman, and made guest appearances on many shows, including “St. Elsewhere,” “Barney Miller,” “The Streets of San Francisco” and “Mission: Impossible.”

The great-grandson of 19th century U.S. politician and former Treasury Secretary William Windom, the actor played Glen Morley, a fictional congressman based on his noted ancestor and namesake, in the 1960s ABC series “The Farmer’s Daughter.”

william-windom.jpgWilliam Windom

4 Comments

  1. The photo appears to be from the opening scenes of Planes, Trains and Automobiles, as the boss who made Steve Martin late to the airport.

  2. Wow – Doug – YOU are good!! Rest in Peace, good Mr. Windom. I hope his family knows how much joy he brought into the world.

  3. William Windom, godspeed! Miss you a lot! It was your world – and you’ve been welcomed to it.

  4. Great scene with Steve Martin in the boardroom, and boss Windom just not able to make up his mind … Fine actor, always watchable. My World was the Arrested Development of its time

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