Will Wright

Will Wright

Deceased · Born: Mar 26, 1894 · Died: Jun 19, 1962

Personal Details

BornMar 26, 1894 San Francisco, California, USA

Biography

One of the most recognizable character actors of his time, Will Wright possessed a unique ability to convincingly portray elderly characters, often imbuing them with a sense of gravitas and authority. His extensive repertoire of roles included those of miserly tycoons, corrupt politicians, and other figures of authority, which he brought to life with his distinctive hunched posture, craggy facial features, and somewhat cantankerous demeanor.

Prior to embarking on his acting career, Wright had a successful stint as a newspaper reporter in San Francisco, where he honed his writing skills and developed a keen sense of observation. He eventually transitioned to the world of vaudeville, where he refined his craft as a performer and developed a passion for the stage.

As his career progressed, Wright's talents extended beyond acting to include producing, and he went on to stage numerous shows on Broadway and in other cities. His success in the entertainment industry ultimately led him to Hollywood, where he would go on to appear in over 100 films and make significant contributions to the world of television.

One of his most notable roles was his recurring character on the popular sitcom "The Andy Griffith Show" (1960),which showcased his impressive range as a character actor. Despite his advanced age and weathered appearance, Wright's actual age at the time of his passing was a relatively youthful 68, which he succumbed to cancer in Hollywood in 1962.

Career

1964
Fail Safe
Fail Safe as Bit Part (uncredited)
1962
Cape Fear
Cape Fear as Dr. Pearsall
1961
Twenty Plus Two
Twenty Plus Two as Newspaper morgue attendant
1960
Inherit the Wind
Inherit the Wind as Bible Salesman (uncredited)
1959
Alias Jesse James
Alias Jesse James as Titus Queasley
1958
The Missouri Traveler
The Missouri Traveler as Sheriff Marvin Peavy
Rock-a-Bye Baby
Rock-a-Bye Baby as Fire Chief (uncredited)
1957
Johnny Tremain
Johnny Tremain as Ephraim Lapham
Jeanne Eagels
Jeanne Eagels as Marshal (uncredited)
The Wayward Bus
The Wayward Bus as Van Brunt
1956
These Wilder Years
These Wilder Years as Old Cab Driver
The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell
The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell as Admiral William S. Sims
The Kentuckian
The Kentuckian as John Decker (uncredited)
The Tall Men
The Tall Men as Gus - Bartender (uncredited)
Not as a Stranger
Not as a Stranger as Mr. Roberts (uncredited)
1954
The Raid
The Raid as Josiah Anderson
River of No Return
River of No Return as Trader (uncredited)
Johnny Guitar
Johnny Guitar as Ned - Bank Teller (uncredited)
1953
The Last Posse
The Last Posse as Todd Mitchell
Niagara
Niagara as Boatman
The Wild One
The Wild One as Art Kleiner
1952
Lure of the Wilderness
Lure of the Wilderness as Sheriff Brink
The Las Vegas Story
The Las Vegas Story as Mike Fogarty
Paula
Paula as Raymond Bascom
Young Man with Ideas
Young Man with Ideas as Party Guest (uncredited)
The Happy Time
The Happy Time as Family Doctor
Holiday for Sinners
Holiday for Sinners as The Man with a Cigar
Lydia Bailey
Lydia Bailey as Consul (uncredited)
O. Henry's Full House
O. Henry's Full House as Hotel Desk Clerk (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited)
1951
My Forbidden Past
My Forbidden Past as Luther Toplady
Vengeance Valley
Vengeance Valley as Mr. Willoughby
Never Trust a Gambler
Never Trust a Gambler as Cap Douglas (uncredited)
Excuse My Dust
Excuse My Dust as Race judge
People Will Talk
People Will Talk as Uncle John Higgins (uncredited)
The Tall Target
The Tall Target as Thomas Ogden (uncredited)
1950
A Ticket to Tomahawk
A Ticket to Tomahawk as Marshal Kit Dodge
Sunset in the West
Sunset in the West as Sheriff Tad Osborne
The Savage Horde
The Savage Horde as Judge Thomas Cole
Dallas
Dallas as Judge Harper
No Way Out
No Way Out as Dr. Cheney (uncredited)
Walk Softly, Stranger
Walk Softly, Stranger as Jake, Poker Player (uncredited)
House by the River
House by the River as Inspector Sarten
1949
The Green Promise
The Green Promise as Mr. Grenstedt
Brimstone
Brimstone as Martin Tredwell
Big Jack
Big Jack as Will Farnsworth
Mrs. Mike
Mrs. Mike as Dr. McIntosh
Miss Grant Takes Richmond
Miss Grant Takes Richmond as Roscoe Johnson (uncredited)
Adam's Rib
Adam's Rib as Judge Marcasson
Little Women
Little Women as Mr. Grace (uncredited)
Lust for Gold
Lust for Gold as Parsons (uncredited)
All the King's Men
All the King's Men as Dolph Pillsbury
1948
An Act of Murder
An Act of Murder as Judge Jim Wilder
Black Eagle
Black Eagle as Sheriff Clancy
The Inside Story
The Inside Story as J. J. Johnson
Relentless
Relentless as Sam - the Horse Dealer
The Walls of Jericho
The Walls of Jericho as Dr. Patterson (uncredited)
Whispering Smith
Whispering Smith as Sheriff McSwiggin
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House as Eph Hackett (uncredited)
So This Is New York
So This Is New York as Uncle Fergus (uncredited)
1947
Blaze of Noon
Blaze of Noon as Mr. Thomas
Wild Harvest
Wild Harvest as Mike Alperson
Keeper of the Bees
Keeper of the Bees as Dr. Grayson
Danger Street
Danger Street as Police Chief Bullward
The Trouble with Women
The Trouble with Women as Commissioner (uncredited)
California
California as Chairman (uncredited)
Cynthia
Cynthia as Gus Wood, Thatcher's Real Estate Rep
Mother Wore Tights
Mother Wore Tights as Withers (uncredited)
The Long Night
The Long Night as Mr. Tully - the Janitor (uncredited)
1946
Down Missouri Way
Down Missouri Way as Prof. Morris
The Inner Circle
The Inner Circle as Henry Boggs
Apple Andy
Apple Andy as Devil
The Blue Dahlia
The Blue Dahlia as "Dad" Newell
Rendezvous with Annie
Rendezvous with Annie as Elmer Snodgrass
Hot Cargo
Hot Cargo as Tim Chapman
Who's Cookin Who?
Who's Cookin Who? as Wolfie Wolf (voice)
Johnny Comes Flying Home
Johnny Comes Flying Home as Foreman (uncredited)
Big Town
Big Town as Station Agent (uncredited)
They Made Me a Killer
They Made Me a Killer as Henry, the Blacksmith
The Madonna's Secret
The Madonna's Secret as The Riverman
The Hoodlum Saint
The Hoodlum Saint as Allan 'Knucklehead' Smith - Times Editor (uncredited)
Blue Skies
Blue Skies as Dan - Stage Manager (uncredited)
The Jolson Story
The Jolson Story as Sourpuss Movie Patron (uncredited)
Without Reservations
Without Reservations as Pullman Conductor (uncredited)
1945
High Powered
High Powered as Jeff Hines
Bewitched
Bewitched as Mr. Herkheimer
You Came Along
You Came Along as Col. Dale V. Armstrong (uncredited)
Rhapsody in Blue
Rhapsody in Blue as Rachmaninoff
Road to Utopia
Road to Utopia as Mr. Latimer (uncredited)
Scarlet Street
Scarlet Street as Globe Loan Office Manager (uncredited)
State Fair
State Fair as Hog Judge (uncredited)
1944
Dangerous Passage
Dangerous Passage as Postal Clerk (uncredited)
Wilson
Wilson as Hughes Campaign Orator in Maine (uncredited)
The Town Went Wild
The Town Went Wild as Judge Harry Schrank (uncredited)
Practically Yours
Practically Yours as Sen. Cowling (uncredited)
The Navy Way
The Navy Way as Baldy - Triangle A Ranch Hand (uncredited)
1943
Sleepy Lagoon
Sleepy Lagoon as Cyrus Coates
The Meanest Man in the World
The Meanest Man in the World as Pawn Shop Owner (uncredited)
So Proudly We Hail!
So Proudly We Hail! as Colonel Clark (Uncredited)
1942
Bambi
Bambi as Friend Owl (voice) (uncredited)
Wildcat
Wildcat as John 'Paw' Smithers
Tennessee Johnson
Tennessee Johnson as Alderman (uncredited)
The Major and the Minor
The Major and the Minor as Ticket Agent #1 (uncredited)
Saboteur
Saboteur as J.C. Lormans - Company Official (uncredited)
Tales of Manhattan
Tales of Manhattan as Old Concertgoer (Laughton sequence) (uncredited)
1941
Maisie Was a Lady
Maisie Was a Lady as Judge Thatcher (Uncredited)
Cracked Nuts
Cracked Nuts as Sylvanus Boogle
Nothing But the Truth
Nothing But the Truth as Mr. Bart Prichard (uncredited)
Mob Town
Mob Town as Pawnbroker (uncredited)
Honky Tonk
Honky Tonk as Townsman at Meeting House (uncredited)
Shadow of the Thin Man
Shadow of the Thin Man as Maguire - Nervous Ticket Seller (uncredited)
1940
1935
It's a Small World
It's a Small World as Courtroom spectator (uncredited)