Twilight Zone and Forbidden Planet actor Earl Holliman dies aged 96  

Earl Holliman, the Hollywood star who appeared on the first Twilight Zone, has died aged 96.

The US actor played a man with amnesia in a deserted town in the 1959 sci-fi series, while his other TV credits include 70s police drama Police Woman.

Holliman died on Monday under hospice care at his home in Studio City, LA, his husband Craig Curtis told The Hollywood Reporter.

Known for his character roles, Holliman first soared to fame in the 1950s infilms, including Westerns, after hustling his way into Hollywood.

He had managed to enter the Paramount lot while studying at the Pasadena Playhouse, under the false pretences he had an appointment with the studio barber.

However, Holliman’s tactics paid off and he became friendly with Paramount bosses who gave him a small part opposite Dean Martin in Scared Stiff.

Just a few years later, he had a major breakthrough when he won a Golden Globe Award for The Rainmaker in which he starred opposite Katherine Hepburn. He beat out Elvis Presley for the role.

Holliman was then cast in 1956 epic Giant in which he played the son-in-law of Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson’s characters.

That same year, he was the cook in science-fiction film Forbidden Planet, which also starred Leslie Nielsen.

Holliman’s other film credits in the 50s and 60s include Hot Spell, Anzio, and The Desperate Mission.

Over on the small screen, the actor was best known for playing Sergeant Bill Crowley, the boss of Angie Dickinson’s character Pepper, in Police Woman throughout its run from 1974 until 1978.

More to follow.

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