Norman Fell

Norman Fell Headshot

Actor

Birth Date: March 24, 1924

Death Date: December 14, 1998

Birth Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With his droopy eyes and dyspeptic disposition, Norman Fell was a journeyman actor, adept at both drama and comedy, when he was cast as Stanley Roper, the landlord concerned about a guy living with two girls in "Three's Company." Audra Lindley and Fell won the hearts of America, respectively, as the amorous wife and her unwilling husband and in 1979. they were given their own spinoff series, "The Ropers," which lasted for a season and a half.

After a stint in the US Air Force during World War II, Fell received his degree in drama from Temple University in his native Philadelphia. He headed to New York to further his studies with famed acting teacher Stella Adler. During the early years of his career, he was often cast in smaller roles and 'pepper-up-the-scene' parts in comedies and decidedly supporting parts in dramas.

Fell appeared in numerous live TV dramas in the early 1950s and made an impression on Broadway alongside Edward G. Robinson and Gene Rowlands in "Middle of the Night." He also landed his first regular TV role, as Mike, cynical best friend and fellow cab driver of Joe (Larry Blyden), on "Joe and Mabel" (CBS, 1956).

Heading to Hollywood, Fell landed his first feature role in Lewis Milestone's "Pork Chop Hill" (1959) and went on to appear in over 35 features. In 1960, he appeared with Frank Sinatra in "Ocean's Eleven" and was briefly seen as the radio announcer in "Inherit the Wind."

Fell appeared briefly in Mike Nichols' "The Graduate" (1967) and reteamed with the director for "Catch-22" (1970). The comic "If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium" (1969) offered Fell a strong role as a husband separated from his wife (Reva Rose) during a whirlwind European tour. He also scored as the doctor more preoccupied with his own cold than with patient Burt Reynolds' condition in "The End" (1978). Fell also supported Reynolds in "Paternity" (1981).

Most of his subsequent features have been unsuccessful genre fare along the lines of "Transylvania 6-5000" (1988) and "Hexed" (1993), although the Bette Midler vehicle, "For the Boys" (1991), gave Fell a good opportunity in the role of Eddie, the producer.

Television, however, has provided the best opportunities for the character actor. Fell has been a regular on several series including "87th Precinct" (NBC, 1961-62), in which he was the experienced police detective often used for comic relief. He was back as another cop in the short-lived "Dan August" (ABC, 1970), starring Burt Reynolds.

Fell headlined his first comedy series in 1973, the short-lived "Needles and Pins" (NBC), set in NYC's garment district. He earned an Emmy nomination as Nick Nolte's fight trainer in the miniseries "Rich Man, Poor Man" (ABC, 1976-77). TV stardom finally arrived with "Three's Company." Fell traded ripostes with the young tenants (John Ritter, Suzanne Sommers, and Joyce DeWitt) and masterly played off Lindley as his long-suffering wife.

Fell's sullen, yet lovable, appearance won him fan recognition. During this period, he had a rare dramatic role as Alex Haley's agent in "Roots: The Next Generations" (ABC, 1979). Opting away from steady series work after the demise of "The Ropers," Fell was frequently seen in supporting roles in TV-movies.

He made a return to series work in 1989 as one of "The Boys" (Showtime), a short-lived, pioneering pay-TV series. Additionally, Fell has appeared in TV commercials and occasional guest spots, displaying his mastery of the slow, almost constipated, slow burn.

Credits

The Destiny of Marty Fine

Actor
Daryl
Movie
1996

The Naked TruthStream

Guest Star
Series
1995
64%

Family Reunion: A Relative Nightmare

Actor
Grandpa Joe Dooley
Movie
1995

Hexed

Actor
Herschel Levine
Movie
1993

The Ben Stiller ShowStream

Guest Star
Series
1992
91%

The Naked Truth

Actor
The Dentist
Movie
1992

1st & Ten: In Your Face

Guest Star
Artie
Show
1990

The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirStream

Guest Star
Series
1990

Me Estás Volviendo Loco

Actor
Movie
1990

The Boneyard

Actor
Shepard
Movie
1990

You're Driving Me Crazy

Actor
Doctor "F"
Movie
1990

De quoi devenir fou

Actor
Movie
1989

Munsters Today

Guest Star
Show
1988

Stripped to Kill

Actor
Ray
Movie
1987

Un tueur chez les danseuses

Actor
Movie
1987

MatlockStream

Guest Star
Series
1986

The Twilight Zone

Actor
Series
1985

Transylvania 6-5000Stream

Actor
Mac Turner
Movie
1985

Murder, She WroteStream

Guest Star
Vince Shackman
Series
1984

Uncommon ValorStream

Actor
Garvin
Movie
1983
60%

Simon & Simon

Guest Star
Leo Nyquist
Series
1981

On the Right Track

Actor
The Mayor
Movie
1981

Paternity

Actor
Larry
Movie
1981

The Kinky Coaches and the Pom-Pom Pussycats

Actor
Jack McGuire
Movie
1981

Magnum, P.I.Stream

Guest Star
David Albertson
Series
1980

This Year's Blonde

Actor
Pat Toledo
Movie
1980

The RopersStream

Actor
Stanley Roper
Series
1979

Crunch

Actor
Jack McGuire
Movie
1979

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Suzanne Somers

Guest
Show
1978

The Comedy ShopStream

Guest
Series
1978

America 2-Night

Guest Star
Series
1978

The End

Actor
Dr. Samuel Krugman
Movie
1978

Three's CompanyStream

Actor
Stanley Roper
Series
1977

Three's CompanyStream

Guest Star
Stanley Roper
Series
1977

The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams

Guest Star
Mitch Morgan
Series
1977

The Bionic WomanStream

Guest Star
Milt Bigelow
Series
1976

Richie Brockelman: The Missing 24 Hours

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Mr. Brockelman
Movie
1976

The Blue Knight

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Show
1975

Starsky & HutchStream

Guest Star
Series
1975

Death Stalk

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Frank Cody
Movie
1975

Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold

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Stanley Nagel
Movie
1975

Rhoda

Guest Star
Series
1974

TattletalesStream

Guest
Game Show
1974

Thursday's Game

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Melvin Leonard
Movie
1974

Charley Varrick

Actor
Mr. Garfinkle
Movie
1973

The Stone KillerStream

Actor
Les Daniels
Movie
1973

The Streets of San FranciscoStream

Guest Star
Juror
Series
1972

The Heist

Actor
Pat Dillon
Movie
1972

Le Coup

Actor
Movie
1972

The Good Life

Guest Star
Show
1971

McMillan & WifeStream

Guest Star
Allan Kovacs
Series
1971

Cannon

Guest Star
Lt. Carl Masters
Series
1971

The Partridge FamilyStream

Guest Star
Mr. Bruner
Series
1970

Dan August

Actor
Sgt. Charles Wilentz
Series
1970

McCloudStream

Guest Star
Lt. Ed Feldman
Series
1970

Catch-22Stream

Actor
First Sgt. Towser
Movie
1970
81%

Murder My Friend

Actor
Charles Wilentz
Movie
1970

Once Is Never Enough

Actor
Sgt. Charles Wilentz
Movie
1970

Double Jeopardy

Actor
Movie
1970

Love, American Style

Actor
Jack 'J.K.' Lewis
Series
1969

Marcus Welby, M.D.Stream

Guest Star
George Manning
Series
1969

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium

Actor
Harve Blakely
Movie
1969

Three's a Crowd

Actor
Norman
Movie
1969

The Name of the Game

Guest Star
Series
1968

The Secret War of Harry Frigg

Actor
Capt. Stanley
Movie
1968

Sergeant Ryker

Actor
Sgt. Max Winkler
Movie
1968

BullittStream

Actor
Captain Baker
Movie
1968
98%

MannixStream

Guest Star
Daniel Brewer
Series
1967

Ghostbreaker

Actor
Lieutenant P J Hartunian
Show
1967

FitzwillyStream

Actor
Oberblatz
Movie
1967

The GraduateStream

Actor
Mr. McCleery
Movie
1967
86%

That GirlStream

Guest Star
Series
1966

The Trials of O'Brien

Guest Star
Mickey the Miser
Show
1965

The Wild, Wild WestStream

Guest Star
Series
1965

I SpyStream

Guest Star
Series
1965

A Man Called Shenandoah

Guest Star
Series
1965

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.Stream

Guest Star
Series
1964
100%

12 O'Clock High

Guest Star
Series
1964

BewitchedStream

Guest Star
Dr. Sigmund Freud
Series
1964

The Hanged Man

Actor
Gaylord Grebb
Movie
1964

The Killers

Actor
Mickey Farmer
Movie
1964
80%

Quick, Before It Melts

Actor
George Snell
Movie
1964

Mr. Novak

Guest Star
Show
1963

East Side West Side

Guest Star
Series
1963

The FugitiveStream

Guest Star
Lieutenant Ed Green
Series
1963

The Lieutenant

Guest Star
Series
1963

PT 109Stream

Actor
Edmund Drewitch
Movie
1963
64%

Alfred Hitchcock HourStream

Actor
Series
1962

The Lloyd Bridges Show

Actor
Mel Baxter
Show
1962

The Lloyd Bridges Show

Guest Star
Mel Baxter
Show
1962

Ben Casey

Guest Star
Arnold Halbert
Series
1961

Dr. Kildare

Guest Star
Series
1961

87th Precinct

Actor
Det. Meyer Meyer
Series
1961

The Tom Ewell Show

Guest Star
Howie Fletcher
Show
1960

The Rat RaceStream

Actor
Telephone Repairman
Movie
1960

Inherit the WindStream

Actor
WGN Chicago Radio Broadcaster
Movie
1960
93%

Ocean's ElevenStream

Actor
Peter Rheimer
Movie
1960
48%

The Untouchables

Guest Star
Series
1959

Johnny Staccato

Guest Star
Series
1959

Pork Chop Hill

Actor
Sgt. Coleman
Movie
1959

Perry MasonStream

Guest Star
Caspar Pedley
Series
1957

Joe & Mabel

Actor
Mike
Show
1956

The Alcoa Hour

Actor
Marvie
Show
1955

Studio One

Actor
Series
1948