.jpg/250px-Ed_Peck_in_Tales_of_Tomorrow_(Time_to_Go).jpg){kind=small}
.jpg)
Community hub
0 subscribers8 pages, 0 posts
Recent from talks
All channels
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Contribute something
Welcome to the community hub built to collect knowledge and have discussions related to Ed Peck.
Nothing was collected or created yet.
Ed Peck
View on Wikipediafrom Wikipedia
Ed Peck (March 26, 1917 – September 12, 1992) was an American actor. He is best known as Officer Kirk in Happy Days (1975–1983).
Key Information
.jpg)
Career
[edit]Peck played a captain in the Broadway production of No Time for Sergeants (1955).[1] He was active in television and in films from 1951 to 1983, specializing in playing either police officers or military officers.
In 1951, Peck replaced Eric Fleming in the title role of Major Dell Conway of the Flying Tigers on the DuMont Television Network.[2] In 1969 Peck appeared as the Hotel Manager on the TV Series The Virginian in the episode titled "Journey to Scathelock." One of his highest profile parts was among his last, in the television series Happy Days, in the recurring role as police officer Kirk[3] from 1975 to 1983. He also played a police officer similar to Officer Kirk in at least one episode of the television series All in the Family and two episodes of Barney Miller as patrolman (later officer) Frank Slater.
Peck was an announcer on The Jack Carson Show, a variety program on NBC-TV in 1953–1954.[3]: 520 He also was a member of the cast of the summer 1972 television situation comedy The Super, portraying Officer Clark, a tenant in a New York City apartment building. He also guest-starred on dozens of television series including The Untouchables, Perry Mason, The Fugitive, Kentucky Jones, Get Smart, Gunsmoke, Star Trek ("Tomorrow Is Yesterday", 1967), Cannon, and Bonanza, as well as films such as Heaven Can Wait, Bullitt, Cheech and Chong's Next Movie, and The Prisoner of Second Avenue. He played the Governor's director of security, Captain McDermott, on several episodes of Benson. He played a rabbi and Capt. Worwick in two episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show.
After leaving the Happy Days series in 1983, he retired from acting.
Personal life
[edit]On January 20, 1952, Peck married advertising copywriter Phyllis Houston in New York.[4]
Death
[edit]Peck died of a heart attack on September 12, 1992, in Los Angeles, California,[5] at the age of 75.
Filmography (partial)
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | One Man's Way | Harry the Reporter | |
| 1965 | Kentucky Jones | Jim Heller | Episode "Kentucky′s Vacation" |
| 1965 | The Third Day | Bud | Uncredited |
| 1966 | Combat! | Pvt. Coker | 1 episode |
| 1967 | The Ride to Hangman's Tree | Sheriff Stewart | |
| 1967 | Gunn | Minor Role | Uncredited |
| 1967 | Star Trek | Col. Fellini | 1 episode |
| 1967 | Counterpoint | Prescott | |
| 1968 | A Man Called Gannon | Delivery Rider | |
| 1968 | The Shakiest Gun in the West | Sheriff | |
| 1968 | I Love You, Alice B. Toklas | Man in Dress Shop | |
| 1968 | Bullitt | Westcott | |
| 1969 | The Comic | Edwin G. Englehardt | |
| 1971 | Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory | FBI Agent | Uncredited |
| 1972 | The Carey Treatment | Turnkey / Police Sergeant | Uncredited |
| 1972 | Every Little Crook and Nanny | Emilio | Uncredited |
| 1973 | Blume in Love | Ed Goober | |
| 1975 | Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins | Mr. Big Time | |
| 1975 | The Prisoner of Second Avenue | Mr. Jacobi | |
| 1976 | Special Delivery | Man in Booth | |
| 1977 | Tracks | ||
| 1978 | Heaven Can Wait | Trainer | |
| 1978 | The Incredible Hulk | Captain Brandes | 1 episode |
| 1980 | Cheech & Chong's Next Movie | Cop Shotgun | |
| 1981 | Zoot Suit | Lieutenant Edwards | |
| 1982 | Hey Good Lookin' | Italian Man | Voice |
| 1983 | The Last Unicorn | Jack Jingley | Voice |
| 1983 | Likely Stories, Vol. 3 | General Powerhouse Announcer |
References
[edit]- ^ "Ed Peck". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on September 14, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
- ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 837. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
- ^ a b Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. pp. 430–431. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
- ^ "Marriages". Billboard. March 1, 1952. p. 47. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
- ^ Willis, John (1995). Theatre World 1992–1993. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 226. ISBN 978-1-55783-204-7. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ed Peck.
- Ed Peck at IMDb
- Ed Peck at Memory Alpha
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
 | This article about a United States film actor born in the 1910s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about an American television actor born in the 1910s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
Ed Peck
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Early life
Birth and family
Ed Peck was born on March 26, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York City.[2] Public records provide limited details on his parents and siblings, reflecting the scarcity of documented information about his immediate family background.[4]Education and early influences
Information on Peck's education and early influences is scarce in available records.Acting career
Theater work
Ed Peck's stage career on Broadway was relatively brief but marked by a significant role in a long-running production that highlighted his ability to portray authoritative figures. He made his Broadway debut as a Captain in the comedy No Time for Sergeants by Mac Hyman, which opened on October 20, 1955, at the Alvin Theatre and ran for 796 performances until September 14, 1957.[5] In the play, directed by Morton Da Costa and starring Andy Griffith in the lead role of Will Stockdale, Peck's character served as a military officer dealing with the comedic exploits of a naive draftee, contributing to the production's satirical take on army life.[6] This appearance in No Time for Sergeants represented Peck's primary notable stage work in the 1950s, where he specialized in military and authoritative character roles that aligned with his robust screen presence. The success of the play, which earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Play and spawned a 1958 film adaptation, provided Peck with valuable exposure in New York theater circles.[5] His performance underscored a knack for delivering stern yet humorous authority figures, a typecasting that would carry over into his later medium. Following his Broadway engagement, Peck transitioned from stage to screen acting, leveraging his theater experience into a prolific career in television and film beginning in the late 1950s. While his live theater credits remained limited after this period, the foundational work in No Time for Sergeants established his reputation as a reliable character actor capable of bringing gravitas to ensemble roles.[7]Television roles
Ed Peck began his television career in the early 1950s, taking on the title role of Major Dell Conway in the action-adventure series Major Dell Conway of the Flying Tigers, where he replaced Eric Fleming in July 1951 after the show's transition from radio to the DuMont Television Network.[8] This role marked one of his first major small-screen credits, portraying an American secret agent combating threats in the Pacific theater.[8] Throughout the 1950s to 1980s, Peck frequently appeared in guest spots on Westerns and sitcoms, often typecast in authoritative roles such as police officers or military personnel, a pattern that echoed his earlier theater work emphasizing disciplined characters.[2] Notable examples include his portrayal of Silva, a ranch hand, in the Gunsmoke episode "Old Man" (1964), and an officer in the All in the Family episode "Archie's Contract" (1974).[9][10] He also played Lieutenant Colonel Fellini, an Air Force officer interrogating Captain Kirk, in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" (1967).[11] Peck's most prominent television role was the recurring character of Officer Kirk (sometimes credited as Police Officer Kirk or Army Major Kirk) on the sitcom Happy Days, appearing in nine episodes from 1975 to 1983 as a stern, harassing authority figure often clashing with Fonzie and the Cunningham family. This role solidified his image as a no-nonsense law enforcer in popular episodic television.[2]Film appearances
Peck appeared in over a dozen feature films from the 1960s to the 1980s, often in supporting roles as authority figures or comedic antagonists, consistent with his television typecasting. His notable credits include the role of Harry the Reporter in the biographical drama One Man's Way (1964), Westcott, a driver involved in the chase scene, in the crime thriller Bullitt (1968) starring Steve McQueen, and Trainer in the fantasy comedy Heaven Can Wait (1978).[2] He provided voice work as Jack Jingley and members of Cully's Men in the animated fantasy The Last Unicorn (1982), one of his final film roles.[2]Personal life
Marriage and family
Ed Peck married advertising copywriter Phyllis Anne Houston on January 20, 1952, in New York.[12] The couple's marriage lasted until 1954, when they divorced.[13] No children were born to the marriage, and little is documented about Peck's family dynamics or subsequent personal relationships following the divorce.[13] During the peak of his acting career, Peck resided in Los Angeles, California, where he maintained a private life centered on his professional pursuits.[4]Later years and retirement
Following the conclusion of Happy Days in 1983, Ed Peck retired from acting at the age of 66, marking the end of a career spanning over three decades in television and film.[4] Peck continued to reside in Los Angeles, California, where he had lived for much of his professional life, embracing a low-profile existence away from the spotlight after years in the entertainment industry.[4] No public records detail specific hobbies or non-professional pursuits during this period, reflecting his transition to a private retirement focused on personal stability rather than continued public engagements.Death
Illness and passing
Ed Peck died on September 12, 1992, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 75, from a heart attack.[13][14] No preceding health conditions were publicly reported leading up to his death.[13] His passing was noted in entertainment industry records, though as a prolific character actor, it did not generate widespread media coverage at the time.[14]Burial and tributes
Peck's remains were cremated following his death on September 12, 1992, with his ashes given to family members. No specific burial site or public interment is recorded.[4] Posthumous tributes to Peck have centered on his iconic role as Officer Kirk in the television series Happy Days, where he appeared from 1975 to 1983. Fans have honored him through online memorials, including the placement of 377 virtual flowers on his Find a Grave page as of 2025, accompanied by messages such as "Rest in Peace" and remembrances of his contributions to the show.[4]Filmography
Selected television credits
Ed Peck's television career spanned several decades, with recurring portrayals of authoritative figures such as military officers, law enforcement personnel, and tough characters across westerns, sci-fi, and sitcoms.[2]- Major Dell Conway of the Flying Tigers (1951): Peck starred in the title role as Major Dell Conway, an American secret agent operating in the Pacific during World War II, in this DuMont Network adventure series.[8]
- Gunsmoke (multiple episodes, 1960s–1970s): Peck made recurring guest appearances as various tough, authoritative characters, including Silva in "Old Man" (1964) and Semple in "Root Down" (1962), contributing to the long-running western's ensemble of rugged frontiersmen and outlaws.[9][15]
- Star Trek (1967): Peck portrayed Lt. Col. Fellini, a stern U.S. Air Force officer interrogating the Enterprise crew, in the first-season episode "Tomorrow Is Yesterday."[11]
- All in the Family (1970s, 2 episodes): Peck appeared in guest spots as police officers and supporting roles, including an unnamed officer in "Archie's Contract" (1974), embodying the no-nonsense authority figure typical of his sitcom cameos.[16]
- Happy Days (1975–1983, 9 episodes): Peck recurred as Officer Kirk, the bombastic police officer and frequent antagonist to the Fonz, highlighting his knack for gruff, comedic lawmen in family-oriented 1950s-set comedy.[17]
Selected film credits
Ed Peck appeared in numerous supporting roles in feature films throughout his career, often portraying authority figures such as law enforcement officers or military personnel in major Hollywood productions.[18]- 1967: The Ride to Hangman's Tree – Sheriff Stewart, a key supporting role in this Western directed by Alan Rafkin.[19]
- 1968: Bullitt – Westcott, a reporter providing crucial information in the crime thriller directed by Peter Yates.[20]
- 1971: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory – FBI Agent (uncredited), appearing in a brief but memorable scene in the family musical fantasy directed by Mel Stuart.
- 1975: The Prisoner of Second Avenue – Man Upstairs, a neighbor in the comedy-drama directed by Herbert Ross, starring Jack Lemmon and Anne Bancroft.[21]
- 1978: Heaven Can Wait – Trainer, supporting role in the romantic fantasy comedy directed by Warren Beatty and Buck Henry, featuring Beatty and Julie Christie.[22]
- 1980: Cheech & Chong's Next Movie – Cop Shotgun, a comedic police officer in the stoner comedy directed by Tommy Chong.[23]
- 1981: Zoot Suit – Lieutenant Edwards, an interrogating officer in the musical drama directed by Luis Valdez, based on the historic Zoot Suit Riots.[24]
- 1982: The Last Unicorn – Voice of Jack Jingley and Cully's Men, contributing to the animated fantasy directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass.[25]