Leave It To Beaver

Kenneth Osmond was born in Glendale, California on June 7th, 1943. He began his acting career at a young age with small roles in such films as So Big andGood Morning Miss Dove.
The role that brought him long lasting recognition was that of Eddie Haskell on the Leave It To Beaver show. For six years he played the part until the show ended in 1963. Ken played numerous small roles for the next few years until he retired from acting.
For a short time, Ken operated a helicopter service in Los Angelas. However, in 1969, Ken crashed his helicopter and had closed the buisness.
In 1970, Ken joined the Los Angelas Police Department. His main focus was on narcotics and running his motorcycle beat. After eighteen years on the force, Ken had to retire from the department due to getting injured in the line of duty.
Since the 1980's, Ken has continued a little bit of acting with cameo roles and even another stint as an older Eddie Haskell in The New Leave It To Beaver tv show.
Currently, Ken resides in California with his wife Susan. They have been married since 1969 and have two children; Eric Osmond and Christian Osmond.

His was another of those faces you've seen a million times but never knew or remembered his name. I always remember that cheeky smile on his face, whether a wide smile or just a gentle one. He was most often cast as a foreman, a G.I, a ranch hand, a boss, a priest and he fit in very well in westerns. He was quite stocky with brownish-auburn hair, twinkling eyes, big cheeks and a ruddy complexion. He was most prolific on television but had appeared in numerous films as well. He was born on February 25, 1925 in Glen Cove, Long Island, New York. His father was a New York City policeman and he grew up in that area. He served in the Navy during World War II being awarded a Purple Heart from wounds he received at Okinawa in 1945. Upon returning home he attended Ithaca College in New York and earned a degree in drama. He later joined the Neighborhood Playhouse where he trained with Sanford Meisner and then turned to summer stock.

Eventually he made his way to Broadway and the stage where he appeared in "Diamond Lil" with Mae West and "The Rainmaker" with Geraldine Page. He moved to Hollywood in 1957 and made his film debut in "Pork Chop Hill" (1959) with Gregory Peck, as Lt. Cummings. His other film credits include: "Tess of the Storm Country" (1960); "Moon Pilot" (1962) as Agent Brown; "Kid Galahad" (1962) with Elvis Presley, uncredited as Max the Cop; "Dead Ringer" (1964) as Dan; "Brewster McCloud" (1970) as Douglas Breen; "McCabe & Mrs. Miller" (1971) as Bart Coyle; "Fuzz" (1972) as Sgt. Murchison; "Thieves Like Us" (1974) as T-Dub Masefield; "Nashville" (1975) as Star; "Harry and Walter Go to New York" (1976) as Guard O'Meara; "Buffalo Bill and the Indians" (1976) as Crutch; "Baby Blue Marine" (1976) as Mr. Hudkins; "Fast Break" (1979) as Bo Winnegar; "Inside Moves" (1980) as 'Stinky'; "Carny" (1980) as Delno; "Borderline" (1980) as Carl J. Richards; "The Sting II" (1983) as Kid Colors; "Places in the Heart" (1984) with Sally Field, as Tee Tot Hightower; "Code of Silence" (1985) as Commander Kates; "Eye of the Tiger" (1986) as Father Healey; "P.K. and the Kid" (1987) as Al; "Miss Firecracker" (1989) as Mr. Morton; "Dick Tracy" (1990) as Bartender; "The Player" (1992) as Himself; "The Bodyguard" (1992) with Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston, as Rotary President; "The Joshua Tree" (1993) as Woody Engstrom; "Maverick" (1994) with Mel Gibson, as Riverboat Poker Player; "White Man's Burden" (1995) as Hot Dog Vendor; "Conspiracy Theory" (1997) with Mel Gibson, as Alice's Father; "Hugo Pool" (1997) as Sad Old Man; "Forces of Nature" (1999) as Ned; "Tycus" (2000) as Randall Barnett and "The Sky is Falling" (2000) as Mr. Finch, his last film role. He worked on TV in the 1960s and while working on "No Time for Sergeants" in 1964 as a guest star, a crane fell on him and almost killed him. While recuperating he worked as a casting director but was eventually able to return to acting. On TV he was a regular on the series: "Gibbsville" (1976) as Pell; "The Awakening Land" (1978) a mini-series as Isaac Barker; "It's a Living" (1980-81) as Mario and "Dallas" (1987) as Harrison 'Dandy' Dandridge. He also starred in TV movies including: "The Death Squad" (1974); "Flesh & Blood" (1979); "Hobson's Choice" (1983) and "Lansky" (1999). He guest starred on such series as: "Maverick"; "Yancy Derringer"; "Rawhide"; "Alfred Hitchcock Presents"; "Leave it to Beaver"; "The Fugitive"; "The Andy Griffith Show"; "ChiPs"; "Remington Steel"; "Matlock" and "Melrose Place." He and his wife and partner Barbara had two daughters: Ann and Kerry. He died in his sleep of heart failure on April 22, 1999 in Sherman Oaks, California at age 74.