Dick Simmons

Dick Simmons was an American actor who worked in films and television for decades. He grew up in Minneapolis after being born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and studied drama at the University of Minnesota. He left the Twin Cities in the 1930s, started making movies in 1937 and became an MGM contract player whose early parts were often uncredited. Credited roles came from 1943, beginning with The Youngest Profession, and he appeared in 17 films between 1943 and 1949. He set acting aside to serve as a flight officer with the Air Transport Command during World War II. In 1955 he won the role he was best known for, Sergeant William Preston on Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, and after the series ended in 1958 he worked mostly in television guest roles through 1982, including episodes of Leave it to Beaver, Perry Mason, The Munsters and CHiPs. He died in 2003.