Don Matheson (August 5, 1929 – June 29, 2014) was an American soldier and policeman who later became a television actor, perhaps best known for his continuing role in

Irwin Allen Irwin Allen (born Irwin O. Cohen; June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991) was an American film and television producer and director, known for his work in science fiction, then later as the "Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film genr ...

's series '' Land of the Giants''.

Career

Prior to entering acting, Matheson served in the military. While serving in

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

, he was awarded the

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

for valorous leadership and a

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the president to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

for injuries suffered in an explosion. After serving in the military for six years, he joined the Detroit Police Department. He then left law enforcement to begin a career in acting. In 1965 Matheson appeared in the ''

Lost in Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. Lightly dramatic, sometimes comedic in tone, the series was inspired by the 1812 J ...

'' episode, "The Sky Is Falling" in the non-speaking role of the alien Retho and then again in 1967 as IDAK Alpha 12 in the episode "Revolt of the Androids". The same year, he appeared as a guest star in the episode "Deadly Amphibians" on the sci-fi TV show's 4th season ''

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' is a 1961 American science fiction disaster film, produced and directed by Irwin Allen, and starring Walter Pidgeon and Robert Sterling. The supporting cast includes Peter Lorre, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden ...

''. After working in a number of plays, television episodes and commercials, Matheson was signed to join the cast of the ''Land of the Giants''. In 1976, he played the role of wealthy industrialist, Cameron Faulker, who married Lesley Williams (

Denise Alexander Denise Alexander (November 11, 1939 – March 5, 2025) was an American actress best known for her role as Lesley Webber on ''General Hospital'', a role she originally played from 1973 to 1984 (contract), 1996 to 2009, and a guest stint in 2013 ...

) on ''General Hospital''. In 1984, Matheson had a regular role in ''

Falcon Crest ''Falcon Crest'' is an American prime time television soap opera created by Earl Hamner Jr. that aired for nine seasons on CBS from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Cha ...

''. He played Richard Channing's henchman for a season. He also appeared briefly in ''

Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. H ...

''.

Personal life

Matheson married co-star Deanna Lund in 1970, but they were divorced in the late-1970s. Their daughter, Michele Matheson, is an actress and novelist. Matheson was later married to actress Maxine Arnold. He died on June 29, 2014, in

Woodland Hills, Los Angeles Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States. History The area was inhabited for around 8,000 years by Native Americans in the United States, ...

from lung cancer, aged 84.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

*
Notice of death
1929 births 2014 deaths American male television actors American municipal police officers Law enforcement officials from Michigan Male actors from Michigan People from Dearborn, Michigan Deaths from lung cancer in California {{US-tv-actor-1920s-stub