William Lanteau


William Lanteau was an American character actor. Among his best known roles are Charlie the mail carrier in On Golden Pond and mayor Chester Wanamaker in Newhart.

Life and career

Lanteau was born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. During WWII he was in the Army. His first television appearance was in 1954 in an episode of Goodyear Television Playhouse. He appeared in over 80 television shows, among them The Donna Reed Show, The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, The Andy Griffith Show, Here's Lucy, Wonder Woman, No Soap, Radio, Centennial and Amen. He appeared in the first season of Barnaby Jones in an episode titled "To Denise, with Love and Murder". He also appeared in the movies Li'l Abner, The Honeymoon Machine, Sex and the Single Girl, Hotel, From Noon till Three, On Golden Pond, Cold Steel, and Shadow of a Doubt.Other notable appearances on television included The Twilight Zone , Dr. Kildare, Perry Mason, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Waltons, CHiPs, Trapper John, M.D., Diff'rent Strokes, Hart to Hart, Cagney & Lacey, Cheers, Murder, She Wrote, The Wonder Years, Newhart, Amen, and '' Coach''

Death

He died of complications from heart surgery on November 3, 1993, at age 70.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1959Li'l AbnerAvailable Jones
1960The Facts of LifeAirline Clerk
1961The Honeymoon MachineTommy Dane
1962That Touch of MinkLeonardUncredited
1963The Twilight ZoneDolanSeason 4, Episode 18: "The Bard"
1964Sex and the Single GirlSylvester
1967HotelMason
1976From Noon till ThreeReverend Cabot
1981On Golden PondCharlie Martin
1987Cold SteelSam Modine