Paul Lambert (actor)

Paul Lambert (August 1, 1922 – April 27, 1997) was an American character actor who appeared in movies and on television.

Biography

Lambert was born in El Paso, Texas, and grew up in Kansas City. During World War II he was a lieutenant in the Army Air Forces. He trained at the Actors Lab in Los Angeles and then moved to New York City, where he first worked Off Broadway, subsequently appearing with Rod Steiger on Broadway in a revival of Clifford Odets's "Night Music" (a credit that is often misrepresented as "A Little Night Music" because of the similarity of the titles and the fact that the Sondheim musical featured an actor named Mark Lambert).

Career

Lambert's husky dark looks suited his frequent screen portrayals of gangsters and other heavies. In addition, he often appeared as authority figures such as executives, judges, and police officers. Among his major films were "Spartacus" (his movie debut), "Planet of the Apes" (in a brief role as a simian minister), and "All the President's Men", in which he played the national editor of The Washington Post.

It was on television that Lambert played his biggest roles. He acted on 300 shows and appeared 14 times on "Playhouse 90", more than any other actor. He was a frequent guest star on 60s TV and was able to maintain a successful career into the 1990s.

Though he never became a "name" actor, Lambert was often able to secure billing that eluded his contemporaries, such as the coveted title-sequence billing he received both times he appeared on "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", in "The Bow-Wow Affair" and "The Take Me To Your Leader Affair" (pictured).

Lambert died at St. John's Medical Center in Santa Monica, California, where he lived. He was 74.

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