He is survived by his wife, Sandra, and two sons, Christian and Eric. Osmond filed a class-action lawsuit in 2007 against the Screen Actors Guild, asserting that SAG had over-stepped its authority in collecting foreign royalties without disclosing the collection agreements until he and Jack Klugman threatened to file suit. ![]() He was put on disability and retired from the force in 1988. ![]() In 1980, Osmond was shot in a chase with a suspected car thief, though he was saved by his bulletproof vest. Osmond joined the Los Angeles Police Department in 1970 and grew a mustache to be less recognisable. He appeared in feature films C'mon, Let's Live a Little and With Six You Get Eggroll, but found himself typecast as Eddie Haskell. When the series ended, Osmond continued working as an actor, appearing on Petticoat Junction, The Munsters and a return appearance on Lassie. READ MORE: The Pretty Things vocalist and frontman Phil May dies at 75 UNITED STATES - AUGUST 19: LEAVE IT TO BEAVER - 1957-1963 Jerry Mathers, Ken Osmond (Photo by Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Photo Archives/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images) (Walt Disney Television via Getty) During the final years of the show, Osmond was in the U.S. He was a high school friend of Wally Cleaver, older brother of Theodore "the Beaver" Cleaver, and constantly trying to entice his friends into activities that would get them into trouble. Osmond portrayed Haskell as sycophantic to grownups while making fun of them behind their backs. In 1957, Osmond auditioned for the Eddie Haskell role, which was originally intended to be a guest appearance, but those involved with the show were so impressed with Osmond's portrayal that the character became a key component of the series throughout its six-season run of 234 episodes. He also guest-starred on television series, including Lassie, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Wagon Train, Fury and The Loretta Young Show. Osmond, a native of Glendale, California, began his career as a child actor with his first speaking part at age nine in the film So Big, starring Jane Wyman and Sterling Hayden, followed by Good Morning, Miss Dove and Everything but the Truth. He returned to the role a final time in 1997's feature film Leave It to Beaver. His sons on the series were played by his real-life sons Eric and Christian. Henry Lane, Osmond's former partner at the Los Angeles Police Department, also confirmed the news and said he had suffered from respiratory issues.Īfter Leave It to Beaver finished its run in 1963, Osmond returned for the telefilm Still the Beaver in 1983 and for the revival series The New Leave It to Beaver. He played Eddie Haskell on the 1950s and '60s TV sitcom Leave It to Beaver. READ MORE: Hollywood mourns the loss of Little Fires Everywhere director Lynn Shelton Ken Osmond was a character actor known, really, for one character. ![]() In the 80s he also appeared in “Happy Days,” the series set in the “Leave It to Beaver” era, and the TV movie “High School USA.UNITED STATES - AUGUST 15: LEAVE IT TO BEAVER - 1957-1963 Ken Osmond (Photo by Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Photo Archives/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images) (Walt Disney Television via Getty) He would return to TV in 1983, when “Leave It to Beaver” reruns were having a heyday, appearing in the TV movie “Still the Beaver.”Ī revival series, “The New Leave It to Beaver,” came next, with Osmond reprising the role of Haskell alongside Dow and Mathers from 1983 to 1989. Osmond and wife Sandra Purdy had two sons, Eric and Christian. In 1968, I bought my first house, in ’69 I got married, and we were going to start a family and I needed a job, so I went out and signed up for the LAPD.”ĭow, who was a lifelong friend of Osmond’s said “His motorcycle cop stories are terrific.” It’s a death sentence,” Osmond told radio host Stu Stoshak in a 2008 interview on “Stu’s Show.” “I’m not complaining because Eddie’s been too good to me, but I found work hard to come by. He would give up acting and become a Los Angeles police officer. Osmond returned to making guest appearances on TV shows including “The Munsters” in the late 1960s, but found he was so identified with Eddie Haskell that it was hard to land roles.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |