David Ogden Stiers

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David Ogden Stiers

Born	October 31, 1942 Peoria, Illinois

David Ogden Stiers (born October 31, 1942) is an American actor and musician, most famous for his role as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III in the television sitcom M*A*S*H, and as the role of Rev. Gene Purdy in the television series The Dead Zone.

[edit] Biography

Stiers was born in Peoria, Illinois. He began his acting career in northern California and later moved to New York City, where he joined John Houseman's The Acting Company. Early television appearances included the role of Mel Price, the station manager on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Stiers joined the cast of M*A*S*H in 1977. His character was not a replacement of Larry Linville's character, Frank Burns, but a completely different foil for Hawkeye Pierce and B.J. Hunnicutt. He appeared in M*A*S*H until the end of the series.

Stiers had an amusing cameo as a toupee wearing television executive in the 1978 horror/mystery film Magic starring Anthony Hopkins and Ann-Margaret. Later, Stiers provided his voice to many Disney features: as the voice of Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast (1991), a dual role as Sir John Ratcliffe and his lackey Wiggins in Pocahontas, as the Archdeacon in Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), and as the voice of Dr. Jumba Jookiba in Lilo & Stitch (2002). He was also the voice of Nicky Flippers in the 2005 release of Hoodwinked.

He played a Congressman in the North and South miniseries with Patrick Swayze and the amiable mayor of Grady opposite Michael J. Fox in Doc Hollywood. Many would also recognize him as John Cusack's flustered father in the cult movie, Better Off Dead.

David Ogden Stiers in his most famous role, as Charles Emerson Winchester III

In 1998, Stiers played a country doctor form the town of Lawson, California, in the Jim Carry drama The Majestic.

He voiced the character of. Mr Jolly in Disney's Teacher's Pet TV series (2000 to 2002), and the subsequent feature film by the same name.

In 1999, he was cast in the short-lived CBS comedy Love and Money as Nicholas Conklin, a belligerent billionaire whose personality was similar to that of M*A*S*H's Major Winchester.

In 2001, he was the voice of Kamaji in the English-language version of the Academy Award winning film, Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away.

In 2003, Stiers made a cameo appearance on the critically acclaimed CBS series Touched by an Angel. He portrayed Satan in the personification of a lawyer.

Additional voice work has included narration for various episodes of PBS's Nova science program.

He also guest starred in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Half a Life", the Matlock episodes "Blind Justice" and "The Ambassador", and in an ALF episode.

After a minor voice role in the computer game Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, Stiers took on the new role of Esher in its successor, Myst V: End of Ages. Stiers played the voice and face of Esher, and his face was mapped onto the 3D character.

Was the voice of the Narrator in the computer game Icewind Dale, released in 2000.

In addition to acting, he is a professional musician, and has served as music director and principal guest conductor of many orchestras.

He is sometimes credited as 'David Stiers', 'David Odgen Stires', and 'David Ogden Steers'.

In 2006, he reprised the role as Cogsworth in the Square-Enix/Disney video game Kingdom Hearts II.

In August 2006, Stiers guest-starred in the television series Stargate Atlantis as the character Oberoth, the leader of a technologically advanced civilization.

He also provided the voice of the Penguin in Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman in 2004.

In 1996 he appeared on the long awaited sequel Stan Freberg Presents: The United States Of America Volume 2. He did several voices, including that of General Grant. While not a smoker, he kept a cigar in his mouth while recording the voice. He did however take it out for his singing parts.

[edit] Trivia

Stiers was a high school classmate and friend of film critic Roger Ebert at Urbana High School in Urbana, Illinois.
Stiers was chosen to play the role of J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter in the live action television pilot of the Keith Giffen/J.M. DeMatteis version of the Justice League of America comic book. The series did not sell, and pilot was never aired. However, the pilot was transmitted to CBS affiliate executives and station managers over a satellite feed during a pilot evaluation period. For unknown reasons, this feed was not scrambled, and anyone with a home satellite dish could receive the signal. Someone did, and not only recorded the transmission, but circulated copies through tape trading. Bootleg copies eventually wound up being sold at conventions, and pops up from time to time on the various file sharing peer-to-peer networks. While the pilot was considered fairly well-done by those who've viewed it, a fairly unanimous consensus is that, while possessing the proper vocal qualities for the character, Stiers' midriff was obviously far too pronounced even for the then-humorous tone of the comic.
Stiers appeared on an episode of Frasier, as Leland Barton, whose similiarities to Frasier lead to suspicions that Leland may have fathered Frasier. Stiers and Kelsey Grammer share a physical resemblance, and both Frasier Crane and Charles Emerson Winchester are portrayed as snobbish and intellectually superior men.