# Gregory Walcott

Gregory Walcott (born Bernard Wasdon Mattox, January 13, 1928 – March 20, 2015) was an American film and television actor. Although he appeared in over 100 films and television series, he is perhaps best known for his leading role in the 1957 film Plan 9 from Outer Space, directed by Ed Wood. He also starred as Det. Roger Havilland on the 1960s police procedural series 87th Precinct, and appeared in several films starring his real-life friend Clint Eastwood.

## Early years

Walcott was born Bernard Wasdon Mattox in Wendell, North Carolina, on January 13, 1928. He was raised in Wilson, North Carolina. Walcott served in the United States Army towards the end of World War II and the Korean War.

## Career

While serving in the United States Army, Walcott appeared as a marine corps drill instructor in the film Battle Cry (1955), then as a shore patrolman in 1955's war-themed classic Mister Roberts, again as a marine corps drill instructor in The Outsider (1961), and later in Midway (1976) as Capt. Elliott Buckmaster.
He appeared in Western films, beginning with an uncredited role in Red Skies of Montana (1952), then later more prominently as a gunslinger who tries to romance Claudette Colbert in 1955's Texas Lady.
Walcott had roles in many television series, including that of Stone Kenyon in two episodes of the NBC sitcom, The People's Choice with Jackie Cooper. He was frequently cast in westerns like Bonanza (seven times), Maverick, Frontier Doctor, Wagon Train, The High Chaparral, 26 Men, Sugarfoot (in the 1958 episode "Bullet Proof"), Laramie, The Rifleman, The Tall Man, The Dakotas, and in several episodes of CBS's Rawhide, through which he began a long collaboration with Clint Eastwood. Walcott had featured roles in Eastwood's films Joe Kidd (1972), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), The Eiger Sanction (1975), and Every Which Way but Loose (1978).
Walcott made a guest appearance on Perry Mason as Bill Johnson in the 1959 episode, "The Case of the Howling Dog." He also was one of the stars of a 1961–1962 NBC television series, 87th Precinct, as Detective Roger Havilland. Walcott had guest roles on other television series, such as CHiPS and CBS's Dennis the Menace. He had recurring roles too in the original Dallas and Murder, She Wrote, and he appeared as Captain Diggs on the 1970s series Land of the Lost. He also made a guest appearance in 1984 on the TV series Alice in the episode titled "House Full of Hunnicutts". He played Jolene Hunnicutt's father, Big Jake Hunnicutt.
His theatrical film work included the comedy On the Double (1961), Captain Newman, M.D. (1963), Prime Cut (1972), The Last American Hero (1973), and the chase film The Sugarland Express (1974). Walcott played a sheriff in the 1979 film Norma Rae, and appeared in the film Tilt the same year. He made a cameo appearance in the 1994 Ed Wood bio-pic starring Johnny Depp, directed by Tim Burton, which was Walcott's final role.
Walcott long regretted having anything to do with Plan 9, but in a September 10, 2000, Los Angeles Times interview, he said, "It's better to be remembered for something than for nothing, don't you think?"

## Personal life

Walcott married Barbara May Watkins, and they had a son and two daughters. They were married for 55 years until her death in 2010.

### Death

He died of natural causes on March 20, 2015, in his home in Canoga Park, California, aged 87.

## Filmography

List of acting performances in film :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1952 | Red Skies of Montana | Randy O'Neill | Uncredited |
| 1952 | Fearless Fagan | MP at Gate | Uncredited |
| 1952 | Battle Zone | Rifleman | Uncredited |
| 1952 | Above and Beyond | Burns | Uncredited |
| 1955 | Battle Cry | Sgt. Jim Beller | |
| 1955 | Strange Lady in Town | Scanlon | |
| 1955 | Mister Roberts | Shore Patrolman | |
| 1955 | The McConnell Story | Military Policeman | |
| 1955 | Texas Lady | Deputy Jess Folley | |
| 1955 | The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell | Howard Millikan | Uncredited |
| 1956 | The Lieutenant Wore Skirts | Lt. Sweeney | |
| 1956 | The Steel Jungle | Guard Weaver | |
| 1956 | Thunder Over Arizona | Mark Warren | |
| 1957 | The Persuader | Jim Cleery | |
| 1957 | Plan 9 from Outer Space | Jeff Trent | |
| 1958 | Jet Attack | Lt. Bill Clairbone | |
| 1958 | Badman's Country | Bat Masterson | |
| 1961 | On the Double | Colonel Rock Houston | |
| 1961 | The Outsider | Sgt. Kiley | |
| 1963 | Captain Newman, M.D. | Capt. Howard | |
| 1967 | Bill Wallace of China | Bill Wallace | Also producer |
| 1969 | Changes | Businessman / Job Interviewer | Uncredited |
| 1972 | Prime Cut | Weenie | |
| 1972 | Joe Kidd | Sheriff Mitchell | |
| 1972 | Man of the East | Bull Schmidt | |
| 1973 | The Last American Hero | Cleve Morley | |
| 1974 | The Sugarland Express | Officer Mashburn | |
| 1974 | Thunderbolt and Lightfoot | Used Car Salesman | |
| 1975 | The Eiger Sanction | Pope | |
| 1976 | Midway | Captain Elliott Buckmaster | |
| 1978 | Every Which Way but Loose | Putnam | |
| 1979 | Norma Rae | Lamar Miller | |
| 1979 | Tilt | Mr. Davenport | |
| 1980 | To Race the Wind | Don Summerfun | |
| 1987 | House II: The Second Story | Sheriff | |
| 1994 | Ed Wood | Potential Backer | Cameo appearance |
List of acting performances in television :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1958 | Sugarfoot | Duke McKlintock | Episode: "Bullet Proof" |
| 1958–59 | The Rifleman | Sid Halpern/Blade Kelby | 2 episodes |
| 1959 | Perry Mason | Bill Johnson | Episode: "The Case of the Howling Dog." |
| 1960 | The Magical World of Disney | Henderson | 2 episodes |
| 1960 | Simon Lash: The Black Book | Lt. Wile | TV movie |
| 1960–72 | Bonanza | Various roles | 7 episodes |
| 1961–62 | 87th Precinct | Detective Roger Havilland | 30 episodes |
| 1963 | The Dakotas | Tom Davis | |
| 1975–77 | The Young and the Restless | Ralph Olson | |
| 1976 | The Quest | Blacksmith | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1977 | Eight Is Enough | Dr. Richard Neil Hammer | Episode: "The Gipper Caper" |
| 1978 | Donner Pass: The Road to Survival | Will McKutcheon | TV movie |
| 1979 | CHiPs | Derk | Episode: "The Matchmakers" |
| 1984 | Alice | Big Jake Hunnicutt | Episode: "House Full of Hunnicutts" |