Born in New Orleans, Ray Walston started his acting career as a spear carrier with a local stock company. When the family moved to Houston, Walston's father wanted to teach him the oil business, but Walston instead joined a traveling repertory company (selling tickets as well as acting). He went on to associate with Margo Jones at the Houston Civic Theater for six years, then spent three seasons with the Cleveland Playhouse before arriving in New York in 1945. He has won a Tony for his performance as the Devil in Broadway's "Damn Yankees", two Emmys for television's Picket Fences, and become a household name playing the extraterrestrial "Uncle Martin" on TV's My Favorite Martian.


Clarence Derwent Award His last screen appearance was in the Oct. 15, 2000 season premiere of "Touched by an Angel" (1994) as a wealthy entrepreneur who disinherits his materialistic son to teach him that there are more valuable things in life than money. Best remembered by the public for his starring role in My Favorite Martian (1963). Replaced Peter Sellers in Kiss Me, Stupid (1964) after Sellers had suffered a heart attack mere weeks into the production.