Harry Morgan

A familiar face to film and television audiences for over five decades, Emmy-winning character actor Harry Morgan perfected the role of the lovable curmudgeon on one of the most beloved programs in television history. After proving himself on the stages of Broadway, the gruff-voiced actor became a fixture in features films with supporting roles opposite big names like Henry Fonda in "The Ox-Bow Incident" (1943), Gary Cooper in "High Noon" (1952) and Jimmy Stewart in the big band biopic "The Glenn Miller Story" (1953). By the mid-1950s Morgan had begun to establish himself as the ubiquitous television presence with an endearing performance on the sitcom "December Bride" (CBS, 1954-1960) and its spin-off "Pete and Gladys" (CBS, 1960-62). Equally adept at serious drama, he memorably played Jack Webb's taciturn partner Bill Gannon on the revived version of "Dragnet" (NBC, 1967-1970). It was, however, his lengthy run as the fatherly Colonel Sherman T. Potter on the wartime comedy-drama "M*A*S*H" (CBS, 1972-1983) that would earn the veteran actor TV immortality. Though he would go on to portray other increasingly flinty, avuncular types on a variety of programs well into his eighth decade, it was his role as the no-nonsense leader of the 4077th that Morgan would later describe as "the best part I ever had."