Gordon Jump's acting career was marked by a diverse range of roles, with one of his most iconic performances being that of Arthur Carlson, the radio station manager in the popular TV sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, which premiered in 1978.
Prior to his stint on WKRP, Jump worked in radio and television, producing jobs at stations in Kansas and Ohio. He then moved to Los Angeles in 1963, where he became involved in stage productions with Nathan Hale and Ruth Hale, a couple who had opened a small theater in Glendale, California, several years earlier.
The Hales, who had previously abandoned their hopes of success in Hollywood film, preferred the stage to film, and Jump credited Ruth Hale with being instrumental in the real start of his career as an actor. He remained passionate about acting in live theater throughout his life.
Jump's early television appearances included roles in shows such as Daniel Boone, Get Smart, and Green Acres. Through his association with the Hale clan, he became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which led to appearances in educational and religious short films produced and directed by Judge Whitaker at Brigham Young University in the 1960s.
He played a variety of roles in these films, including a Mormon bishop, a thoughtful husband, and the Apostle Peter. Ruth Hale was also instrumental in helping Jump to give up smoking and turn down offers to do beer commercials.
Throughout his career, Jump remained a committed member of the LDS church, adhering to its health codes and appearing in several church films, including When Thou Art Converted, What about Thad?, The Guilty, and Families are Forever.
In addition to his television work, Jump appeared in a few feature films, including Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, and had a cameo appearance in The Singles Ward, a comedy involving young Latter-Day Saint cultural experiences.
Beyond his acting career, Jump produced The Tony Randall Show and directed an episode of WKRP in Cincinnati. In the last years of his life, he was recognizable as the lonely Maytag Washer repairman in commercials that ran on television for several years starting in 1989.
He effectively portrayed Ol' Lonely until retiring from the role just before his death, and his face is still recognizable to many who never knew his name.
