Barry Coe

Barry S. Coe (born Barry Clark Heacock; November 26, 1934 – July 16, 2019) was an American actor who appeared in film and on television from 1956 to 1978. Many of his movie parts were minor, but he co-starred in one series, titled Follow the Sun, which aired on ABC during the 1961–62 season. He also played "Mr. Goodwrench" on TV commercials in the 1970s and 1980s.

Life and career Early life Born Barry Clark Heacock, his name was changed to Joseph Spalding Coe when his mother, Jean Elizabeth Shea, married Joseph Spalding Coe in 1940 in Los Angeles. His father, Francis Elmer "Frank" Heacock, a writer and publicist for Warner Bros., was killed in an auto accident in North Hollywood, California, on April 5, 1940. Coe attended the University of Southern California and was discovered by a talent scout during a trip with his fraternity to Palm Springs in the mid-1950s. He was signed by 20th Century Fox.

20th Century Fox Coe's early film roles included appearances in House of Bamboo (1955), How to Be Very, Very Popular (1955), On the Threshold of Space (1956), and D-Day the Sixth of June (1956). He had a small role in Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender (1956). He was in adaptations of The Late George Apley and Deep Water for The 20th Century Fox Hour.

Coe had supporting roles in One Foot in Hell (1960) with Alan Ladd and The Wizard of Baghdad (1961). In 1960, he received a Golden Globe for the Most Promising Newcomer - Male, along with James Shigeta, Troy Donahue, and George Hamilton.

Follow the Sun In 1961, Coe and Brett Halsey played magazine writers Paul Templin and Ben Gregory, respectively, with Gary Lockwood as Eric Jason, on the ABC television network series Follow the Sun from September 17, 1961, through April 8, 1962. The program was set in Honolulu, Hawaii, and the writers often ventured into private detective work. Despite some memorable episodes, Follow the Sun was cancelled after 29 segments.

After Follow the Sun folded, Coe appeared in a supporting role in Fox's The 300 Spartans (1962) then guest-starred in 1962 on the first episode of the fourth season of Bonanza. He portrayed Clay Stafford, who reveals himself to be the "fourth" Cartwright, a half brother to Little Joe (Michael Landon) via their mother Marie. Although stepfather Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene) and Joe take Clay at his word, the other Cartwright brothers, Hoss (Dan Blocker) and Adam (Pernell Roberts) are skeptical and intend to investigate Clay's claim. The episode, "The First Born", could have introduced Coe as a new cast member. Entertainment writer Hal Ericson reported that friction (i.e., job security) on the set caused Bonanza producers to stick with the three brothers. Coe guest-starred on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and appeared as a communications aide in Fantastic Voyage (1966) and as Walt Kilby in The Cat (1966) and The Seven Minutes (1971). He had a semiregular role on Bracken's World.

Filmography