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Simon Oakland

Simon Oakland

Acting

August 28, 1915 – August 29, 1983 (died at 68)
New York City, New York, USA
Male
39 Movies
105 TV Shows

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Simon Oakland (August 28, 1915 – August 29, 1983) was an American actor of stage, screen, and television. During his career, Oakland performed primarily on television, appearing in over 130 series and made-for-television movies between 1951 and 1983. His most notable big-screen roles were in Psycho (1960), West Side Story (1961), The Sand Pebbles (1966), Bullitt (1968), The Hunting Party (1971), and Chato's Land (1972). On television, he was a regular on the cult classic horror series Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974-1975), and the military drama Baa Baa Black Sheep (1976-1978). Early life and career Oakland was born in Brooklyn, New York, the eldest of the three sons of immigrant Jewish parents, Jacob Weiss and Ethel Oaklander, born in Romania and the Russian Empire respectively. His father was a plasterer and builder. While he later claimed in media interviews to have been born in 1922 (a date repeated in his New York Times obituary), Social Security and vital records indicate he was born Simon Weiss in 1915; his stage name was derived from his mother's maiden name, Oaklander. Film and television In 1955, Oakland made his film debut, albeit uncredited, as an Indiana state trooper in The Desperate Hours. He appeared in two films released in 1958: as Mavrayek in The Brothers Karamazov and as journalist Edward Montgomery in I Want to Live!  Oakland's notable performance in I Want to Live! led to his playing a long series of tough-guys, either as authority figures or villains or a mix of both. He appeared in Psycho as the psychiatrist who, at the end of the film, explains Norman Bates's multiple personality disorder. He appeared in the films West Side Story, The Sand Pebbles, and Bullitt. He made two guest appearances as murder victims on CBS's Perry Mason. He appeared in the syndicated crime drama, Decoy, starring Beverly Garland. Oakland appeared once on the CBS Western Dundee and the Culhane and once on the series Sheriff of Cochise. He was also a regular, in a comedic supporting role, as General Thomas Moore, on NBC's Baa Baa Black Sheep, starring Robert Conrad. He appeared in two episodes of the original The Twilight Zone TV series (“The Rip Van Winkle Caper” and “The Thirty-Fathom Grave”) and in The Outer Limits as the alien birdman in "Second Chance". In 1974 and 1975, he was a series regular on Kolchak: The Night Stalker, playing newspaper editor Tony Vincenzo. (He had previously played the same character in two made-for-television movies. Personal life Oakland was married to Lois Lorraine Porta. The couple had one daughter, Barbara. Death Oakland continued working up to the year of his death. His last credited acting appearance was in the episode "Living and Presumed Dead" on the CBS television series Tucker's Witch. That episode aired three months before Oakland's death from colon cancer in Cathedral City, California, on August 29, 1983, the day after his 68th birthday. CLR

Psycho
Psycho

Psycho

1960 8.4

as Fred Richman

Age 44 (now 68)
West Side Story
West Side Story

West Side Story

1961 7.2

as Schrank

Age 46 (now 68)
Bullitt
Bullitt

Bullitt

1968 7.1

as Captain Sam Bennett

Age 53 (now 68)
I Want to Live!
I Want to Live!

I Want to Live!

1958 6.9

as Edward S. 'Ed' Montgomery

Age 43 (now 68)
The Night Stalker
The Night Stalker

The Night Stalker

1972 6.9

as Tony Vincenzo

Age 56 (now 68)
Chato's Land
Chato's Land

Chato's Land

1972 6.5

as Jubal Hooker

Age 56 (now 68)
The Night Strangler
The Night Strangler

The Night Strangler

1973 6.7

as Tony Vincenzo

Age 57 (now 68)
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Baa Baa Black Sheep

Baa Baa Black Sheep

1976 7.6

as Thomas Moore

Age 61 (now 68)
36 eps
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
Kolchak: The Night Stalker

Kolchak: The Night Stalker

1974 7.6

as Tony Vincenzo

Age 59 (now 68)
20 eps
The Sand Pebbles
The Sand Pebbles

The Sand Pebbles

1966 7.2

as Stawski

Age 51 (now 68)
Emperor of the North
Emperor of the North

Emperor of the North

1973 6.8

as Policeman

Age 57 (now 68)
The Hunting Party
The Hunting Party

The Hunting Party

1971 6.1

as Matthew Gunn

Age 55 (now 68)
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

1970 6.8

as Dr. Conrad Fuller

Age 54 (now 68)
Tony Rome
Tony Rome

Tony Rome

1967 6.3

as Rudy Kosterman

Age 52 (now 68)
Follow That Dream
Follow That Dream

Follow That Dream

1962 6.1

as Nick

Age 46 (now 68)
Murder, Inc.
Murder, Inc.

Murder, Inc.

1960 6.5

as William Tobin

Age 44 (now 68)