Wally Cox

Wally Cox was a beloved character actor who made his mark in television and ranks as one of the mediums most memorable performers His ability to show his range likely was limited by his short stature slight frame and highpitched voice which along with his talent for being very funny made him ideal for comedy parts such as his memorable turn as Professor P Caspar Biddle in The BirdWatchers episode of The Beverly Hillbillies 1962 in 1966 His television persona was that of a shy timid man in hornrimed glasses who spoke in a tentative though distinctly enunciated voice It was a persona that his longtime friend Marlon Brando said was completely at odds with the real man Cox always will be remembered as the eponymous Mr Peepers and the voice of Underdog but he was an actor of wider talents seldom used by the industry as can be seen in his turns as the sonar operator in The Bedford Incident 1965 and as the potential suicide Wally Haverstraw in The Bill Cosby Show 1969 episode Goodbye Cruel World in 1970 Dying unexpectedly on February 15 1973 from what some newspapers described as an accidental overdose of sedatives but which Marlon Brando in his autobiography said was a heart attack Wally Coxs cremated remains were kept hidden in a closet by his old friend for three decades According to Brandos son Miko both his fathers and Coxs ashes were scattered at the same time in Death Valley California in a ceremony following Brandos death thus reuniting the lifetime friends