Charles Herbert was a popular child actor in the 1950s, known for his sulky face and thick eyebrows. He appeared in over 20 films, 50 TV shows, and numerous commercials during his youthful career.
Born Charles Herbert Saperstein on December 23, 1948, in Culver City, Los Angeles, California, to Pearl Jean (Diamond) and Louis Saperstein, his mother was an Austrian Jewish immigrant, while his paternal grandparents were Russian Jews. He began his career at age four, on a 1952 TV show titled "Half Pint Panel".
Charles appeared regularly on TV series fronted by stars such as Robert Cummings and Gale Storm. He had high-profile performances, including his blind child on the Science Fiction Theatre episode "The Miracle Hour" in 1956.
He made his film debut in the Lucille Ball/Desi Arnaz comedy "The Long, Long Trailer" in 1954, although his part was deleted from the movie. He went on to appear in a variety of genres, including film noir, dramas, and comedies, as well as science fiction films.
Some of his most notable roles include his parts in "The Monster That Challenged the World" (1957),"The Colossus of New York" (1958),"The Fly" (1958),and "13 Ghosts" (1960). He even headed up the cast in the William Castle spookfest "13 Ghosts", which featured a trademark gimmick using 3-D glasses.
Charles's film offers slowed down as he entered his teenage years, and he was eventually forced to rely on episodic roles. By the end of the 1960s, he was no longer in demand in Hollywood, and his personal life began to spiral out of control. He struggled with addiction and never married, but eventually turned his life around in 2005.
Charles Herbert died of a heart attack on October 31, 2015, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
