Ed Nelson was an actor who made hundreds of television appearances over the course of a career that spanned half a century. He is perhaps best known for playing the role of Dr. Michael Rossi on the 1960s drama Peyton Place.

Born in New Orleans, Nelson spent two years at Tulane University before moving to New York to pursue acting. Decades later, he returned to New Orelans to complete his degree at Tulane.

He got his start in the 1950s with early movies such as Attack of the Crab Monsters, Invasion of the Saucer Men and Night of the Blood Beast. Later films included Airport ’75, Midway, For the Love of Benji, and Police Academy 3: Back in Training, as well as Who Am I?, starring Jackie Chan, and Runaway Jury, starring Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman.

But Nelson made his greatest impact on television. He was part of the Peyton Place , which aired from 1964 to 1969, for all 436 episodes. In 1985 he returned for the TV movie Peyton Place: The Next Generation.

In addition, he was seen in dozens of other series, including Zane Grey Theater, Have Gun — Will Travel, The Rifleman, Maverick, Rawhide, Gunsmoke, Twilight Zone, The Untouchables, The Fugitive, Dr. Kildare, Marcus Welby, M.D., Cannon, Night Gallery, Mod Squad, Mission: Impossible, Kung Fu, Ironside, Police Woman, Lou Grant, Quincy M.E., Jake and the Fatman, The Fall Guy, Dynasty, MacGyver and Murder, She Wrote.

Nelson died August 9, 2014, in Greensboro, North Carolina. He was 85.