Bernie Kopell

A renowned supporting player with a penchant for broad, over-the-top comedic characterizations, Bernie Kopell established his career as the maladroit and amicable villain, Siegfried, in the classic spy comedy "Get Smart" (NBC-CBS, 1965-1971). After spending his post-"Get Smart" years in guest spots on television series peppered with a few feature roles, Kopell became an unlikely heartthrob playing the devil-may-care playboy and ship doctor, Adam Bricker, on what became a bellwether of cheesy American television, "The Love Boat" (ABC, 1977-86). Once called a "Man of a Thousand Faces" by TV Guide, Kopell struggled with the anonymity of his myriad, caricatural roles over the course of his career. But the staying power of both Siegfried and Dr. Bricker in American pop culture - thanks in part to late night cable - helped Kopell earn a new generation of fans, who lavished seeing him in both his original guises and in later reprisals that he performed many times over the years.