Charles Alan Siebert (March 9, 1938 – May 1, 2022)[1] was an American actor and television director. As an actor, he is best known for his role as Dr. Stanley Riverside II on the television series Trapper John, M.D., a role he portrayed from 1979 to 1986, and for his numerous appearances on the $25,000 Pyramid.[2] After 1986, although he continued working as an actor, Siebert's career was focused on working as a director for episodic television for such shows as Xena: Warrior Princess, and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.

Charles Siebert
Siebert in 2006
Born
Charles Alan Siebert

(1938-03-09)March 9, 1938
DiedMay 1, 2022(2022-05-01) (aged 84)
Alma materLondon Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Occupation(s)Actor, director
Years active1965–2001
Spouse(s)Catherine Mary Kilzer (1962–81; her death)
Kristine Leroux (1986)
Children3

Early life and education

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Siebert was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He studied acting at Marquette University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).

Career

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He began his career appearing in regional theatre productions throughout the United States during the 1960s with such companies as Shakespeare in the Park in New York City, the Lincoln Center Repertory Company, the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Connecticut, the Guthrie Theater, the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, Chicago's Goodman Theatre, and Baltimore's Center Stage. He spent seven summers at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and was a charter member of the American Conservatory Theater.

He made his Broadway debut in 1967 in Bertolt Brecht's Life of Galileo followed by the role of Michael Leon in John Sebastian and Murray Schisgal's 1968 musical Jimmy Shine with Dustin Hoffman in the title role. Subsequent Broadway appearances included Neil Simon's The Gingerbread Lady, with Maureen Stapleton, David Storey's The Changing Room, David Rabe's Sticks and Bones, and the 1974 revival of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof starring Elizabeth Ashley, Fred Gwynne, and Keir Dullea. Notable Off-Broadway appearances include Colette starring Zoe Caldwell, and Rubbers directed by Alan Arkin.

Siebert began appearing regularly on New York television during the late 1960s and early 1970s, mostly in soap operas like Another World, As the World Turns, Search for Tomorrow, The Nurses, and One Life to Live. Moving to Los Angeles in 1976 Siebert made his first feature film appearance in the horror cult classic Blue Sunshine. He then began appearing as a guest artist on numerous television programs such as One Day at a Time, The Blue Knight, The Rockford Files, Murder, She Wrote and Mancuso, F.B.I. starring Robert Loggia. Also, he was a regular on the comedy program Husbands, Wives & Lovers. In 1987, he was cast alongside Hayley Mills as her husband on the NBC pilot Good Morning, Miss Bliss; however, NBC passed on the program and it was then picked up by the Disney Channel, which made numerous casting changes including dropping Siebert's role. The program would evolve into the Saturday morning hit Saved by the Bell. Film roles throughout the mid to late 1970s included ...And Justice for All with Al Pacino, Michael Crichton's Coma, All Night Long with Barbra Streisand and Gene Hackman, and White Water Summer with Sean Astin and Kevin Bacon.

In 1979, Siebert was cast in his most important role to date, Dr. Stanley Riverside II, on Trapper John, M.D. where he also began his directing career. He played a major supporting role as the mayor of Los Angeles, Frank Baldwin, in the 1990 television miniseries The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake, a disaster thriller. Siebert was a regular on game shows in the 80s, appearing on incarnations of Pyramid, Match Game, Super Password, and Blackout.

His directing career, which began with seven episodes of Trapper John, M.D., eventually resulted in numerous episodes of Xena, Warrior Princess, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Silk Stalkings, Renegade, Pacific Blue, and Vanishing Son, as well as episodes of Knots Landing, The Pretender, Lifestories, Palace Guard and Jack's Place.

Death

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Siebert died on May 1, 2022, aged 84, at UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco, from COVID-19 related pneumonia.[3]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1961 Like Father Like Son Lee Uncredited
1975 Deadly Hero Baker
1977 The Other Side of Midnight Steve
1977 Blue Sunshine Detective Clay
1978 Coma Dr. Goodman
1979 The Onion Field Roll Call Sergeant
1979 ...And Justice for All Assistant D.A. Keene
1979 The Last Word Fisher
1981 All Night Long Nevins
1987 White Water Summer Jerry Block
1988 Eight Men Out Reds Catcher

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1961 Look Up and Live Devil Episode: "The Coventry Mystery Cycle: Part Three"
1964 The Presidency: A Splendid Misery George McClellan Television film
1966 Hawk Ambulance M.D. Episode: "The Shivering Pigeon"
1967 The Winter's Tale Florizel Television film
1968 Macbeth Malcolm
1968 N.Y.P.D. Wiley Episode: "'L' Is for Love and Larceny"
1972 Another World Dr. Stuart Philbin 2 episodes
1975, 1977 The Rockford Files Gary Stillman / Bettingen
1975–1978 All in the Family Young Man / Rabbi / D.A. 3 episodes
1976 Harry O Shaeffer Episode: "Mister Five and Dime"
1976 The Adams Chronicles Charles Francis Adams II 2 episodes
1976 Panache Rochefort Television film
1976 Delvecchio Halsten Episode: "Board of Rights"
1976 Kojak Bender Episode: "By Silence Betrayed"
1976 The Blue Knight Sgt. Cabe 2 episodes
1976–1978 Barnaby Jones Various roles 3 episodes
1977 Tail Gunner Joe James Juliana Television film
1977 Police Woman Vince Episode: "Shark"
1977 The Rhinemann Exchange Sergeant Episode #1.1
1977 Dog and Cat Krayler 2 episodes
1977 Most Wanted Hank Clayton Episode: "The People Mover"
1977 Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman Buzz MacGregor 7 episodes
1977 Husbands and Wives Dixon Carter Fielding Television film
1977 Murder in Peyton Place Kaiserman
1977 What's Happening!! Mr. Ramsey Episode: "Nothing Personal"
1977 The Incredible Hulk Ben Episode: "The Incredible Hulk"
1977 Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo Rich Finley Rich Finley
1977–1979 One Day at a Time Jerry Davenport 6 episodes
1978 Nowhere to Run Spence Television film
1978 Wild and Wooly Sean
1978 Maude Vernon Episode: "Carol's Dilemma"
1978 Richie Brockelman, Private Eye Stan Hollister Episode: "A Title on the Door and a Carpet on the Floor"
1978 Husbands, Wives & Lovers Dixon Carter Fielding 10 episodes
1978 Rhoda Dr. Murray Berger Episode: "Rhoda vs. Ida"
1979 Good Times A.J. Rutherford Episode: "House Hunting"
1979 Dallas Sloan Episode: "The Red File: Part 2"
1979 The Seeding of Sarah Burns Alex Lovell Television film
1979 The Runaways Avery Episode: "48 Hours to Live"
1979 The Miracle Worker Captain Keller Television film
1979 Topper Stan Ogilvy
1979–1986 Trapper John, M.D. Dr. Stanley Riverside II 151 episodes
1980 Here's Boomer Dan Episode: "Overboard"
1980 A Cry for Love Fred Television film
1981–1987 The Love Boat Various roles 4 episodes
1986, 1987 Hotel David Endicott / Dan Mason 2 episodes
1987 Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer Charles Forester Episode: "Lady Killer"
1987 Good Morning, Miss Bliss Charlie Davis Episode: "Pilot"
1987, 1994 Murder, She Wrote Various roles 3 episodes
1988 Perry Mason: The Case of the Avenging Ace Jason Sloan Television film
1988 Shakedown on the Sunset Strip Sgt. Gerber
1988 ABC Afterschool Special Mr. McNeil Episode: "Tattle: When to Tell on a Friend"
1989–1990 Mancuso, F.B.I. Dr. Paul Summers 3 episodes
1990 Matlock Dr. Gilbert Lehman Episode: "Nowhere to Turn"
1990 The Great Los Angeles Earthquake Mayor Frank Baldwin Television film
1991 Don't Touch My Daughter Gordon
1991 Deception: A Mother's Secret Peter Meyers
1991 The Legend of Prince Valiant Lord Keller 2 episodes
1992 A House of Secrets and Lies Dr. Hirsch Television film
1996, 1997 Xena: Warrior Princess Poseidon / Sisyphus 3 episodes

References

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  1. ^ Evans, Greg (2022-05-31). "Charles Siebert Dies: 'Trapper John, M.D.' Actor Was 84". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  2. ^ The $25,000 Pyramid: October 11, 1982 (Betty & Charles' first appearances ever!), retrieved 2022-12-07
  3. ^ "Charles Siebert, Actor on 'Trapper John, M.D.,' Dies at 84". The Hollywood Reporter. 2022-05-31.
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