# Actors who got their "start" on Twilight Zone **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 1, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058 "2012-01-01T17:44:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058/1 "2012-01-01T17:44:42Z")
It might not have been their very first paid acting experience, but it seems that quite a few actors and actresses appeared on Twilight Zone before they became famous. Somehow Rod Serling seemed to have an ability to cast people who would later become famous in TV and movies later in their careers. I’ve been watching a few episodes on the New Years Twilight Zone marathon and so far I’ve seen William Shatner (Twice) _Nick of Time_ and _Nightmare at 20,000’_. Robert Redford in _Nothing in the Dark_. William Windom in \*Five Characters in Search \*_of an Exit_. Any others? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058/2 "2012-01-01T17:53:29Z")
I think the list would be shorter if you stuck to the ones who didn’t appear. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058/3 "2012-01-01T17:58:43Z")
Bill Bixby was in the episode “The Thirty Fathom Grave”. Sadly, Bill did not turn into Lou Ferigno during the episode. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058/4 "2012-01-01T18:05:09Z")
Charles Bronson, Elizabeth Montgomery, Jean Marsh, Billy Mumy, all appeared on _The Twilight Zone_ early in their careers. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058/5 "2012-01-01T18:22:29Z")
Here’s a list of all actors who appeared in TZ. [Impressive.](http://twilightzonewor.9.forumer.com/index.php?showtopic=2506) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058/6 "2012-01-01T18:28:29Z")
Earl Holliman was in the very first TZ episode. ---
**Author:** ![UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/46a35a/32.png) [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UFC_Is_Sux)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058/7 "2012-01-01T18:33:41Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Here’s a list of all actors who appeared in TZ. > > [Impressive.](http://twilightzonewor.9.forumer.com/index.php?showtopic=2506) This one shocked me: \* Russell David Johnson 11/10/24-\* The only surviving male cast member of _Gilligan’s Island_. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058/8 "2012-01-01T20:12:59Z")
According to Wikipedia, Tina Louise and Dawn Wells are still alive. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058/9 "2012-01-01T20:14:34Z")
Leonard Nimoy and Jack Klugman have also starred in TZ. Burgess Meredith starred in a LOT of TZ episodes! ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058/10 "2012-01-01T20:16:46Z")
> [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](#): > > This one shocked me: > \* > Russell David Johnson 11/10/24-\* > > The only surviving **male** cast member of _Gilligan’s Island_. > [@VOW](#): > > According to Wikipedia, Tina Louise and Dawn Wells are still alive. > ~VOW Them’s is female. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058/11 "2012-01-01T20:19:15Z")
> [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](#): > > This one shocked me: > \* > Russell David Johnson 11/10/24-\* > > The only surviving male cast member of _Gilligan’s Island_. Wow, I thought he was dead. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058/12 "2012-01-01T20:52:17Z")
Ed Wynn was in ep 2, but I think he was pretty well established as a character actor by then. ---
**Author:** ![UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/46a35a/32.png) [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UFC_Is_Sux)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058/13 "2012-01-01T20:54:55Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Them’s is female. 😉 In Dawn Wells’ case, _VERY_ female. (Excuses self for a few minutes to go, er, “meditate” …) ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058/14 "2012-01-01T21:06:19Z")
Two _Star Trek_ actors that haven’t been mentioned yet are James Doohan and George Takei. One of Richard Kiel’'s earliest roles was playing the Kanamit in the well known episode _To Serve Man_. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058/15 "2012-01-01T22:05:58Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > Two _Star Trek_ actors that haven’t been mentioned yet are James Doohan and George Takei. > > One of Richard Kiel’'s earliest roles was playing the Kanamit in the well known episode _To Serve Man_. The George Takei TZ episode is on YouTube. Certainly one I hadn’t seen before and I grew up watching TZ. I wonder if it ever aired. It had a few scenes that some might say are racist. I doubt it would be part of any present day TZ marathon. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058/16 "2012-01-01T22:42:46Z")
I just did an IMDB search for actors common to Twilight Zone and To Kill A Mockingbird (because in the past two days I’ve seen the William Windom episode as well as the one with Mary Badham as “Sport” and Collin Wilcox Patton, who played Mayella Ewell) and also turned up Robert Duvall, Frank Overton, and a few others. I’ve never seen the Robert Duvall episode, I don’t think. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058/17 "2012-01-01T22:53:38Z")
It was an Anthology show with 6 seasons worth of episodes. Nearly every working actor from that era probably played something on there. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058/18 "2012-01-01T23:27:00Z")
Shatner was on _Alfred Hitchcock Presents_ before he was on Twilight Zone, IIRC (“The Glas Eye”). Both he and Niomy both appeared on _The Outer Limits_, as well. NBecause he appeared in so many Twilight Zone episodes, John Landis had Burgess Meredith provide the opening narration for _Twilight Zone — The Movie_. Jack Klugman was in three different episodes, IIRC. Jonathan Winters, Art Carney (clearly well known by them), Robert Redford, Burt Reynolds. Russel Johnson played a scientist in one episode (and had already played scientists in _This Island Earth_ and _Attack of the Crab Mopnsters_). The man was _DOOMED_ to play The Professor on Gilligan’s Island. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058/19 "2012-01-01T23:30:46Z")
Could it just be that _most_ lead/support-capable actors working in Hollywood at the time did a stint on TZ? ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058/20 "2012-01-01T23:43:16Z")
If anyone would obsess enough to produce a site cataloguing all the episodes on INSIGHT (dubbed a “Catholic Twilight Zone”), a list of actors would be as long & have a lot of overlaps with TZ, I bet. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-their-start-on-twilight-zone/608058.md?page=2)