Native Arlington actor known for ‘Cool Hand Luke’ and ‘Star Trek’ roles dies
Dallas Fort Worth Star TelegramKaley Johnson
February 23, 2019
Morgan Woodward, an award-winning actor from Arlington, died Friday at the age of 93.
Woodward’s career spanned 40 years, and he played in more than 250 movies and TV shows with memorable characters such as Punk Anderson, Boss Godfrey and Old Harry Cokely on “The X-Files”.
He was perhaps best known for his film “Cool Hand Luke” and his roles on TV shows “Gunsmoke” and “Dallas.” He also guest starred on two episodes of the original Star Trek series — “The Omega Glory” and “Dagger of the Mind” — and played the reptilian alien Cayman in Battle Beyond the Stars.
Woodward was born in Fort Worth in 1925. In 1948, he graduated from North Texas Agriculture College and was named a UTA Distinguished Alumni in 1969.
In 1988, Woodward was presented with the “Golden Lariat Award” at the National Western Film Festival and received the prestigious “Golden Boot Award” from the Hollywood Motion Picture and Television Fund, according to the Morgan Woodward official site.
In 2017, Woodward was honored by the Arlington Historical Society at the “Tribute to Morgan Woodward” event at the UTA Rosebud Theatre. The program included film clips, memorabilia and artifacts of Woodward’s distinguished career.
WOODWARD, Morgan (Thomas Morgan Woodward)
Born: 9/16/1925, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.A.
Died: 2/22/2019, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Morgan Woodward’s westerns – actor:
The Range Rider (TV) – 1952
The Great Locomotive Chase – 1956 (Alex)
Westward Ho, the Wagons! (TV) – 1956 (Obie Foster)
Zane Grey Theater (TV) 1956 (Pete Daley)
Gunsight Ridge (TV) 1957 (Tex)
Gunsmoke (TV) – 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974 (Deeks, Sholo, Ben Rucker, Earl Miller, Beaumont, Zach Johnson, Harl Townsend, Grant Lyle, Luke Brazo, Josh Stryker, Quent Sargent, Luke Dangerfield, Walt Clayton, Lamoor Underwood, Bear Sanderson, Abraham Wakefield
Tales of Wells Fargo (TV) 1957, 1961 (Phil Slavin, Steve Taggart)
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (TV) – 1958-1961 (Champ Strabuck, Captain Langley, Shotgun Gibbs)
Ride a Crooked Trail – 1958 (Durgan)
Broken Arrow (TV) - 1958 (Blue)
Buckskin (TV) - 1958 (Pike Meadows)
Cheyenne (TV) - 1958 (Bradan)
The Restless Gun (TV) – 1958, 1959 (J.B. Carter, Jubal Carney, Ben Cotterman)
Sugarfoot (TV) - 1958 (Yates)
Wagon Train (TV) 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 (Laverty, Jubal, Spotted Horse, Keene, Barney, Clel, Pocky, Jute Pardee, Zach Ryker, Clyde, Barney)
Cimarron City (TV) - 1959 (Flip)
Frontier Doctor (TV) – 1959
Bat Masterson (TV) - 1960 (Kana)
Bonanza (TV) – 1960, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971 (Sheriff Biggs, Deputy Conlee, McDermott, Mike Gillis, Luke Catlin, Will McNabb, Jess Waddle, Sheriff Clyde Morehouse
The Texan (TV) - 1960 (Mark Jordan)
Have Gun - Will Travel (TV) – 1962 (Canute)
Lawman (TV) - 1962 (Nathan Adams)
The Gun Hawk – 1963 (Mitchell)
Temple Houston (TV) - 1963 (Sheriff Ivers)
The Virginian (TV) – 1963, 1967, 1969 (Jack Bandon, Randall, Col. Mark Hamilton)
The Devil's Bedroom - 1964
Rawhide (TV) - 1964 (Kale Maddox)
The Big Valley (TV) - 1965 (Aaron Condo)
Daniel Boone (TV) - 1965 (Tom Sutton, Elisha Tully)
Pistols 'n' Petticoats (TV) - 1965 (Hangman)
Gunpoint – 1966 (Drago)
Branded (TV) – 1966 (Clyde)
Death Valley Days (TV) – 1966 (Fitzpatrick, Luke)
Iron Horse (TV) - 1966 (Al Grundy)
The Monroes (TV) - 1966 (Crocker)
Cimarron Strip (TV) – 1967, 1968 (Walter Forcey, Bill Henderson, Logan Purcell)
Hondo (TV) - 1967 (Colonel Jake Spinner)
Firecreek - 1968 (Willard)
The High Chaparral (TV) – 1968, 1970 (Hilliard, U.S. Marshal Ted Garnett, Billings)
Death of a Gunfighter - 1969 (Ivan Stanek)
The Guns of Will Sonnett (TV) - 1969 (Wilk)
Lancer (TV) - 1969 (Jay McKillen)
The Wild Country - 1970 (Ab Cross)
Yuma (TV) - 1971 (Arch King)
Bearcats! (TV) - 1971 (Walter Thompson)
Hec Ramsey (TV) - 1972 (Ben Buckley)
One Little Indian - 1973 (Sgt. Raines)
Running Wild – 1973 (Crug Crider)
Kung Fu (TV) – 1973, 1974 (Col. Binns, the hanged man)
How the West Was Won (TV) – 1976, 1978, 1979 (The Stranger, Henry Coe)
The Quest (TV) – 1976 (Sheriff Moses)
The Oregon Trail (TV) - 1977
Centennial (TV) - 1978 (General Wade)
Young Maverick (TV) – 1979 (Dalton)
Gunsmoke: To the Last Man (TV) - 1992 (Sheriff Abel Rose)
The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (TV) - 1994 (Sam Travis)