Ray Walston was born on 2 November 1914. He was from Mississippi. You’d never know from his accent!
Walston had a broad career in movies and TV. And I think of his as mostly playing bad guys. He was certainly great in those kinds of roles. But he is most remembered for playing the title character in My Favorite Martian.
I was very fond of the show when I was a kid. I was also a big fan of Mr Ed. And it didn’t take me long to realize that they are the same show. Both shows feature an unusual character that must be hidden from the outside world. Why? Normally, the public cannot know for a silly reason that makes no sense.
This is a great comedic formula! We see it all over the place. Examples:
- Bewitched
- I Dream of Jeannie
- Mork & Mindy
- ET the Extra-Terrestrial
- Harry and the Hendersons
The most interesting example is ALF because it took the idea and made a show without any humor at all. This is quite the accomplishment!
Other than My Favorite Martian, Ray Walston never had what I consider a starring role in a film or TV show. That’s one of the great things about character actors: we get to see them in a lot of different stuff. But it does make it hard to highlight a single thing for articles like this.
Normally, I’d highlight Galaxy of Terror. But I did that one last month. And even though I love him in Popeye, it’s a small role. So My Favorite Martian it is!
Unfortunately, unlike many old TV series, you don’t find the show online that much. In fact, without commercials (Lots of commercials!) I could only find a colorized copy of the first episode. But it still works.
Ray Walston in My Favorite Martian via Wikimedia. It is in the public domain.
