Jack De Leon

Jack De Leon (December 19, 1924 – October 16, 2006) was an American actor whose career spanned stage, television, and film across several decades. His Broadway work included the 1959 musical The Most Happy Fella.

De Leon became widely recognized for his recurring role as Marty Morrison on the television detective sitcom Barney Miller, appearing in eight episodes between 1975 and 1982. The character was openly and proudly homosexual, a portrayal considered groundbreaking for network television at the time. As the series progressed, Morrison was depicted in a committed relationship with a male partner, a dynamic the detectives in the squad treated with respect.

His television appearances between 1969 and 1990 were extensive, encompassing Get Smart, That Girl, The Paul Lynde Show, CPO Sharkey, The Rookies, Starsky and Hutch, Sanford and Son, Switch, Too Close for Comfort, Archie Bunker's Place, Laverne and Shirley, The Fall Guy, Night Court, Santa Barbara, and Growing Pains. He also directed and appeared in segments of The Donny and Marie Show.

De Leon contributed voice work to two notable 1977 animated productions. He voiced Sergeant Samuel McPherson in the Dr. Seuss television special Halloween Is Grinch Night and provided the voice of Dwalin, along with numerous additional characters, in the animated adaptation of The Hobbit.

His film credits include Linda Lovelace for President (1975), I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now? (1975), The Choirboys (1977), Little Miss Marker (1980), Life Stinks (1991), and several other productions spanning from the mid-1970s through the late 1990s. De Leon was interred at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Simi Valley, California.