Born in Liberty, Missouri, Gail Shikles Jr. would later become renowned for his iconic portrayal of the suave and laid-back private eye, Peter Gunn, in the groundbreaking 1958 television series that revolutionized the genre by introducing tough yet smooth detectives who excelled in both fisticuffs and romantic conquests, and innovatively incorporated jazz as both background music and the show's main theme song. Prior to his acting career, Stevens was attending Kansas University, where he was studying dentistry and participating in student plays. Once bitten by the acting bug, he relocated to California and was subsequently signed by Warner Bros. in 1941, where he met his future wife, the talented actress Alexis Smith.
Although never achieving front-rank stardom, Stevens consistently played significant supporting roles throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Fans of science fiction will fondly remember him for his lead role in the cult classic, The Deadly Mantis, released in 1957. As his film career began to stagnate, Stevens transitioned to television, where he left an indelible mark with his starring role in the influential "Peter Gunn" series. Over the years, he made numerous guest appearances in various television series, held recurring roles in notable shows such as Dallas, and starred in ITC's Man of the World, which premiered in 1962. After a memorable role in his longtime friend Blake Edwards' 1981 film, S.O.B., Stevens retired from the entertainment industry.
