Celebrity Grave: Actor Charles Aidman

Charles Aidman (January 21, 1925 – November 7, 1993) was an American film scenarist and television actor.

Career

Among his many television credits include appearances on NBC's western series The Road West in the 1966 episode "The Lean Years." He guest starred on the Twilight Zone in the episodes "And When the Sky Was Opened" and "Little Girl Lost."

In 1963, Aidman adapted Spoon River Anthology by poet Edgar Lee Masters into a theater production that is still performed.[1]

Aidman guest starred on The Wild Wild West in a recurring role for several episodes during the show's fourth season as Jeremy Pike, one of Jim West's substitute sidekicks. (Ross Martin, who portrayed regular sidekick Artemus Gordon in the series, was recovering from illness.[2]

He introduced the character Tom Willis, father in law to-be of Lionel Jefferson, on an episode of All In The Family. His Tom Willis was confident, intelligent, and very likeable. The character was played on the series The Jeffersons by Franklin Cover, who did a much different take on the character.

Later, Aidman served as one of the narrators on the 1980s Twilight Zone revival until he was fired and replaced by Robin Ward. He has also appeared in films such as Pork Chop Hill, War Hunt, Kotch, Countdown, Uncommon Valor, and Innerspace, the latter being one of his final acting appearances.

Personal life

Aidman was born in Frankfort, Indiana. He died of cancer in Beverly Hills, California.[3]

He is entombed in the Room of Prayer at Westwood Memorial Cemetery.

References

1.^ "PFAA Presents Spoon River Anthology". Broadway World. September 9, 2010. http://news.google.ca/news/url?sa=t&ct2=ca%2F0_0_s_0_0_t&ct3=MAA4AEgAUABgAWoCY2E&usg=AFQjCNGc7BqTJAq2TfgrkbA2oClUetSxGg&cid=0&ei=nRKiTOjxMJvKMY_x9Ag&rt=SEARCH&vm=STANDARD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.broadwayworld.com%2Farticle%2FPFAA_Presents_SPOON_RIVER_ANTHOLOGY_926_20100909. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
2.^ "The Scientist Seen As An Individual". St. Petersburg Times. November 29, 1968. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Th4MAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vVwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7031,6351066&dq=charles-aidman&hl=en. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
3.^ "Obituary". Gainesville Sun. November 10, 1993. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-3w1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=XOoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4630,2461001&dq=charles-aidman&hl=en. Retrieved September 28, 2010.