# William Pierson > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/William_Pierson > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/William_Pierson.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Pierson > Source revision: 1351034056 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|American actor (1926–2004)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}} {{Use American English|date=November 2023}} {{other uses}} {{Infobox person | image = Cropped_Photo_of_William_Pierson.jpg | caption = | othername = Billy Pierson | birth_date = {{Birth date|1926|7|17|mf=y}} | birth_place = [Brooklyn](/source/Brooklyn), [New York](/source/New_York_(state)), U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2004|8|27|1926|7|17|mf=y}} | death_place = [Newton, New Jersey](/source/Newton%2C_New_Jersey), U.S. | occupation = Actor | yearsactive = 1953–1984 | spouse = | children = }} '''William Pierson''' (July 17, 1926 – August 27, 2004) was an American [television](/source/television), [motion picture](/source/motion_picture) and stage [actor](/source/actor), best known for his raspy voice and his role as Marko the Mailman in the 1953 film ''[Stalag 17](/source/Stalag_17)'' as well as a recurring role as Dean Travers on the 1970s ABC-TV series ''[Three's Company](/source/Three's_Company)''. ==Biography== ===Life and career=== Pierson, who was born and raised in [Brooklyn](/source/Brooklyn), [New York](/source/New_York_(state)) originally played the role of Marko in the original [Broadway](/source/Broadway_theatre) production of ''Stalag 17'', and was tapped by director [Billy Wilder](/source/Billy_Wilder) for the role in the [1953](/source/1953_in_film) motion picture production. Other Broadway appearances included in ''[High Button Shoes](/source/High_Button_Shoes)'', ''Make Mine Manhattan'', ''[Reuben, Reuben](/source/Reuben%2C_Reuben_(opera))'', and in a national touring company of ''[The Odd Couple](/source/The_Odd_Couple_(play))''. Pierson, who was well recognized by his distinctive, raspy delivery, also appeared in the Off Broadway production ''Smile, Smile, Smile''. After Wilder brought him to Hollywood, he appeared in films such as ''Operation Madball'' and ''[Fun with Dick and Jane](/source/Fun_with_Dick_and_Jane_(1977_film)) (1977)''.{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-sep-12-me-passings12.3-story.html| title=William Pierson, 78; Veteran Actor of Stage, Screen and Television| newspaper=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)| date=September 12, 2004| access-date=February 22, 2019}}{{cite web| url=http://people.theiapolis.com/actor-DK6A/william-pierson/| title=William Pierson| website=Theiapolis| accessdate=February 23, 2019}} Pierson enjoyed a busy career in television and film, a career which spanned four decades from the 1950s through the 1980s, which included appearances on such TV shows such as ''[Studio One](/source/Studio_One_(American_TV_series))'' and ''[Kraft Theatre](/source/Kraft_Theatre)'', ''[The Jackie Gleason Show](/source/The_Jackie_Gleason_Show)'', ''[All In The Family](/source/All_In_The_Family)'', ''[One Day At A Time](/source/One_Day_at_a_Time_(1975_TV_series))'', ''[Diff'rent Strokes](/source/Diff'rent_Strokes)'', ''[The Facts Of Life](/source/The_Facts_of_Life_(TV_series))'' in addition to his role as Dean Travers on ''[Three's Company](/source/Three's_Company)''.[https://web.archive.org/web/20040927042757/http://slick.org/deathwatch/mailarchive/msg01476.html ''(Deathwatch) William Pierson, actor, 78'', Slick.org, September 10, 2004, accessed February 22, 2013.] Pierson died from [respiratory failure](/source/respiratory_failure) in [Newton, New Jersey](/source/Newton%2C_New_Jersey). He had been residing for years at the Valley View Care Center in Newton due to declining health. He was survived by two brothers, Jefferson Pierson of New Jersey and Howard Pierson of Florida. ==Filmography== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- |1950|| ''[The Big Lift](/source/The_Big_Lift)'' || Billy Pierson || |- |1953|| ''[Stalag 17](/source/Stalag_17)'' || Marko the Mailman || |- |1957|| ''[Operation Mad Ball](/source/Operation_Mad_Ball)'' || Sgt. Perkins || Uncredited |- |1977|| ''[Fun with Dick and Jane](/source/Fun_with_Dick_and_Jane_(1977_film))'' || Nesbitt || |- |1977|| ''[All in the Family](/source/All_in_the_Family)'' ||Wino||”Mike, the Pacifist” |- |1977-81|| ''[Three’s Company](/source/Three%E2%80%99s_Company)''||Dean Travers |- |1978|| ''[Corvette Summer](/source/Corvette_Summer)'' || Gas Station Salesman || |- |1993|| ''Sani no yuutsu'' || Car Fixer || (final film role) |} ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== {{Portal|Biography}} * {{IMDb name|0682818}} * {{IBDB name}} *{{iobdb name|22051}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Pierson, William}} Category:1926 births Category:2004 deaths Category:Deaths from respiratory failure in the United States Category:American male television actors Category:American male stage actors Category:American male film actors Category:Male actors from Brooklyn Category:People from Newton, New Jersey Category:20th-century American male actors {{US-screen-actor-1920s-stub}} {{US-theat-actor-1920s-stub}} --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [William Pierson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Pierson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Pierson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.