Steve Franken

Though actor Steve Franken groused about being typecast for his best-known role as the arrogant millionaire foil to the teen lead in "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis," he managed to find plenty of other roles in a career spanning over 50 years. Born in Brooklyn, the son of a Hollywood press agent, he acted for the stage before making the move to the big and small screens in minor feature parts and an episode of the anthology series "Playhouse 90." Spotted in a play by producer-director Rod Amateau, he was soon cast as Chatsworth Osborne Jr., the entertainingly irritating rich friend in "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis," a character so popular and commanding that he was limited to occasional episodes in order to avoid overpowering the lead. The infrequent work left Franken struggling to land roles of a different stripe, but falling into a similar part in the single season of "Tom, Dick and Mary." He persisted in his search and played a vast number of guest spots on shows of the '60s through the '80s in such varied series as "Mission: Impossible," "Mary Tyler Moore," and "Bewitched." On the big screen, he filled smaller supporting parts in such memorable films as the Peter Sellers comedy "The Party," the science fiction classic "Westworld," and the religious thriller sequel "Angels & Demons."