Leonard Stone

Leonard Stone was an American character actor who built a long career in film, television, and theater. Born in Salem, Oregon, he studied speech and drama at Willamette University before training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He performed in the West End and on Broadway and spent eight years touring Australia and New Zealand in South Pacific. In 1959 he earned a Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Redhead, and he was part of the Tony-nominated cast of Look Homeward, Angel in 1957. On screen he played Mr. Beauregarde in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and Charles in Soylent Green (1973). His other films included The Big Mouth (1967), Getting Straight (1970), and Mame (1974). He appeared in more than 120 television shows, among them ten episodes of L.A. Law as Judge Paul Hansen, and his final role came in the 2006 TV movie Surrender Dorothy.