Actor. He is best remembered for his recurring portrayal of the stern Larry Atwood on the television series "Days of Our Lives." After serving in the United States Army during World War II, he settled in California and after attaining his degree in theatrical arts from the UCLA, he began his career as a leading man in stock companies appearing in such productions as "Dinner at Eight," "The Glass Menagerie," "Street Scene," "All This and Heaven Too," "The Mousetrap," "An American in Paris," "Beyond the Forest," "The Philadelphia Story," "Murder on the Orient Express," "Harvey," "Elmer Gantry," "The Children's Hour," and "Blithe Spirit." While attending a luncheon at the prestigious Cocoanut Grove nightclub, he was introduced to director Fred Coe. Impressed by his blonde good looks, articulate voice, and professionalism, he took notice of his potential and arranged for him to begin a secondary career in the television industry beginning with him appearing under his supervision on an episode of "The Philco Television Playhouse." From there he would go to flourish as a notable character actor appearing in over 115 features; often typecast as husbands, fathers, playboys, doctors, lawyers, politicians, businessmen, businessmen, retail clerks, sidekicks, best friends, neighbors, blue-collared guys, military men, authority figures, clergymen, educators, cowboys, sheriffs, policemen, guards, reporters, detectives, aristocrats, heroes, villains, aristocrats, and, in his later years, patriarchs. He appeared in such full-length feature films as "The Violators" (1958), "Damned Pistols of Dallas" (1964), "Three Dollars of Lead" (1964), "Fort Courageous" (1965), "Assassination" (1967), and "The Organization" (1971). During the advent of television, he flourished as a household name appearing in numerous guest spots on such shows as "Hallmark Hall of Fame," "I Led 3 Lives," "Robert Montgomery Presents," "Markham," "Sugarfoot," "The Lineup," "Wanted: Dead or Alive," "Men into Space," "The Betty Hutton Show," "Bonanza," "Thriller," "Outlaws," "Perry Mason," "Bronco," "Cain's Hundred," "Ripcord," "Maverick," "Wagon Train," "Hawaiian Eye," "77 Sunset Strip," "The Twilight Zone," "Ben Casey," "Dr. Kildare," "The Munsters," "Another World," "Insight," "The Fugitive," "Honey West," "The Big Valley," "A Man Called Shenandoah," "Jericho," "Garrison's Gorillas," "Mod Squad," "Dan August," "The Odd Couple," "Gomer Pyle: USMC," "Medical Center," "Mannix," "Ironside," "The Rockford Files," "Mobile One," "Man from Atlantis," "Dallas," and "Lou Grant." During his career, he was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, was supportive of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, had been an honorary an honorary member of Actors Equity, was a regular parishioner of the Catholic church, had been a member of the Hollywood Democratic Committee, presided as a chairman for his local charters of the American Red Cross and The Boys Scouts of America, was a male model for the Forbes Agency, had been one of the founding members of the Canyon Theatre Guild, had been a theatrical instructor for the Pasadena Playhouse, was the celebrity spokesman for Ace Hardware, and he was married to actresses Marie Leroy from 1954 to 1964 and Sheilah Wells from 1967 to 1969 (his first union ended upon her death and his second union ended in divorce and one daughter named Amanda Tate Beir). In 1978, he retired from acting and spent the final years of his life being a regular attendee at autograph conventions, was a generous benefactor for several state parks and public libraries, and was involved in charitable and religious ventures, until his death.