Prolific supporting actor Wright King, arguably best known for his two guest appearances on Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone in 1959, enjoyed a lengthy career that spanned over four decades. After studying drama at the St Louis School of Theater, where he graduated in 1941, King served for three years in the U.S. Navy during World War II, stationed in the South Pacific. Upon his honorable discharge, he continued his drama studies in New York at the Actors Studio and the American Theatre Wing.
King's screen debut did not come until 1949, with a string of walk-on parts followed by a critically acclaimed supporting role in the original Broadway production of A Streetcar Named Desire, which he reprised in the subsequent motion picture. He went on to feature in stage plays on both sides of the Atlantic and appeared in numerous television episodes, including westerns.
One notable role was as the sidekick of bounty hunter Josh Randall, played by Steve McQueen, in the TV series Wanted: Dead or Alive, which aired in one season in 1958. King was also a close friend of actress Eileen Heckart until her death in 2001.
King left the acting profession in 1987 and retired to Portland, Oregon with his wife June. Later, he resided in Woodland Hills, California, where he passed away at the age of 95 on November 25, 2018. His son, Meegan King, is also an actor.
