Gregory Walcott

Actor Gregory Walcott was a Clint Eastwood movie regular, guested on nearly every major Western TV series of the 1960s, and landed top billing in police procedural "87th Precinct" (NBC, 1961-62), but much to his dismay, he was perhaps best-known for his performance in Ed Wood's cult classic, "Plan 9 From Outer Space" (1959). Born Bernard Mattox in Wendell, NC in 1928, Walcott served in the U.S. Army towards the end of World War II and attended Furman University on a football scholarship before hitchhiking to Los Angeles to seek fame and fortune in Hollywood. After making an uncredited appearance in "Red Skies of Montana" (1952), Walcott went onto play a number of authority figures including merciless drill instructor Sgt. Jim Beller in "Battle Cry" (1955), a military policeman in "Mister Roberts" (1955) and Deputy Jess Foley in "Texas Lady" (1955). Following further similar roles in the likes of "The Lieutenant Wore Skirts" (1956), "The Steel Jungle" (1956) and "Jet Attack" (1958), Walcott was cast as Jeff Trent, a pilot plagued by grave-robbing extra-terrestrials in Ed Wood's notorious "Plan 9 From Outer Space" (1959). Often described as the worst movie ever made, the sci-fi thriller threatened to become an albatross around Walcott's neck. But he soon bounced back, starring alongside Robert Lansing in "87th Precinct" (NBC, 1961-62), producing and appearing as a medical missionary in "Bill Wallace of China" (1967) and landing regular guest spots in a string of small screen Westerns including "Bonanza" (NBC, 1959-1973), "Laramie" (NBC, 1959-1963) and "Rawhide" (CBS, 1959-1966). Walcott then joined the latter's star, Clint Eastwood, in a number of box office hits, including "Joe Kidd" (1972) as County Sheriff Mitchell, "The Eiger Sanction" (1974) as wannabe assassin Pope, and "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" (1974) as a naïve used car salesman. Walcott also impressed as Gene Hackman's psychopathic brother Weenie in "Prime Cut" (1972), stagecoach robber Bull Schmidt in "Man of the East" (1972) and patrolman Mashburn in "The Sugarland Express" (1974). After appearing as Captain Elliot Buckmaster in war epic "Midway" (1976) and reuniting with Eastwood for a final time as pompous policeman Putnam in "Every Which Way But Loose" (1978), Walcott played the sheriff who hauls Sally Field away in the famous protest scene from "Norma Rae" (1979) and added the likes of "CHiPs" (NBC, 1977-1983), "The Dukes of Hazzard" (CBS, 1979-1985) and "Vega$" (ABC, 1978-1981) to his list of small screen credits. Walcott's work rate slowed down considerably in the 80s, with a minor part in comedy horror "House II: The Second Story" (1987) and occasional spots on "Dynasty" (ABC, 1981-89), "Murder She Wrote" (CBS, 1984-1996) and "Dallas" (CBS, 1978-1991) his most notable roles. Having previously distanced himself from the biggest flop of his career, Walcott then appeared to embrace it when he appeared as a potential backer in the tribute to his former director, "Ed Wood" (1994). The affectionate biopic proved to be his final performance, and in 2015, Walcott died of natural causes at his Los Angeles home, aged 87.