Sam Gilman

Sam Gilman (February 5, 1915 – December 3, 1985) was an American actor whose career spanned Broadway, film, and television. Born in Salem, Massachusetts, he began his professional life not in performance but in illustration, working as a cartoonist for Funnies Inc., a comic book packaging company, from the 1930s through the 1940s.

Gilman made his Broadway appearances between 1949 and 1950, with credits including King Lear and How Long Till Summer. His transition to screen acting followed shortly after, with his film debut coming in 1950 in The Men. He went on to appear in a wide range of films, among them One-Eyed Jacks (1961), in which he played Harvey Johnson and which marked his first western film credit, PT 109, Away All Boats, The Shadow on the Window, Full of Life, Sometimes a Great Notion, Wild Rovers, The Missouri Breaks, The Last Hard Men, Macon County Line, and National Lampoon's Movie Madness (1982), which served as his final film appearance.

On television, Gilman joined the regular cast of the ABC western series Shane in 1966, portraying bartender Sam Grafton. He also appeared as a guest performer across numerous programs, including Gunsmoke, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Tales of Wells Fargo, Have Gun Will Travel, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Untouchables, 77 Sunset Strip, Route 66, Ben Casey, The Big Valley, The Fugitive, The Guns of Will Sonnett, Mannix, Outlaws, The Waltons, and Star Trek: The Original Series. In addition to his performing work, Gilman worked as an acting coach. He maintained a close personal friendship with actor Marlon Brando.

On January 26, 1962, Gilman married Lisabeth Hush in Los Angeles. The couple adopted a son before divorcing in 1968. Gilman died on December 3, 1985, in North Hollywood, California, at the age of 70.