Hal England

If you were an avid television viewer throughout the 1960s and '70s, chances are good that you have fond memories of former stage star-turned-small-screen stalwart Hal England. A frequent guest-star on such television hits as Bewitched, Sanford and Son, CHiPs, and Charlie's Angels, the talented character actor could always be counted on for a memorable secondary role. A native of North Carolina who showed an affinity for the stage early on, England got his big break on Broadway while working as an understudy to Robert Morse in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. An early association with Joseph Papp's Shakespeare in the Park found England standing out in such productions as Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth, with a role in the short-lived 1960 television series The Clear Horizon marking his entrance into television. In the years that followed, England would also move into feature-film territory with roles in Hang 'Em High and The Dirt Gang. Frequent appearances in such made-for-television features as The Amazing Howard Hughes and Sweet Bird of Youth also kept England busy on the small screen. In the early '90s, England could be seen in The Bonfire of the Vanities and Going Under, but the 1991 made-for-television feature Our Sons provided him with his last substantial role. On November 6, 2003, Hal England died of heart failure in Burbank, CA. He was 71.

~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide