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David Doyle

1929 – 1997

American actor

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About David Doyle

Lived 1929 – 1997 (aged 67). David Doyle was an American stage actor, film actor, television actor, voice actor and actor.

David Fitzgerald Doyle (December 1, 1929 – February 26, 1997)

His maternal grandfather, John Fitzgerald, was a prominent railroad builder and banker in Nebraska.

Career Doyle is best remembered for his role as detective John Bosley on the television series Charlie's Angels, one of only two actors (the other being original angel Jaclyn Smith) to appear in all 110 episodes of the series (1976–1981).

He appeared in 3 episodes of The Patty Duke Show as the father of Richard Harrison.

Doyle made a number of appearances as a guest on the game show Match Game from 1977 to 1982, usually on the top row next to regular panelists Brett Somers and Charles Nelson Reilly. He appeared on one week of Password Plus in 1980, three weeks of Super Password, and on Tattletales with his wife Anne in 1982.

He voiced Grandpa Lou Pickles on the Nickelodeon animated series Rugrats from 1991 until his death, after which he was replaced by Joe Alaskey.

Doyle was also a stage actor. He played Orgon in the 1964 premiere of Richard Wilbur's translation of Tartuffe at the Fred Miller Theater in Milwaukee. His sister Mary played the maid, Dorine, in the same production. His New York stage credits include Beg, Borrow or Steal, Something About a Soldier, Here's Love, I Was Dancing, and a revival of South Pacific.

Personal life Doyle was married twice. In 1956 he married his first wife, Rachael, with whom he had a daughter, Leah (born 1961). Rachael died in 1968 after falling from a staircase. The next year, while in a revival of the play South Pacific, Doyle met Anne Nathan, a singer dancer, and they married a short time later.

The Season 5 Rugrats episode "Lady Luck" (Doyle's last episode voicing Grandpa Lou) aired posthumously in November of that year, and was dedicated to his memory.

Filmography Film

Television Year Title Role Notes 1959, 1961 The Art Carney Special Self 2 episodes 1961 Naked City Dan Moore Episode: "Murder Is a Face I Know" 1962 General Electric Theater Episode: "Acres and Pains" 1962, 1963 Car 54, Where Are You? Dutton, Holland, Daniels 3 episodes (uncredited) 1964 The Defenders Episodes: "The Seven Hundred Year Old Gang: Parts 1 and 2" 1964–65 The Patty Duke Show Jonathan Harrison / Mr. Harrison 3 episodes1965 For the People Sweet William Episode: "Dangerous to the Public Peace and Safety" The Trials of O'Brien Murray Episode: "A Gaggle of Girls" 1968 Kiss Me Kate TV movie 1970 The Storefront Lawyers Cogweiler Episode: "This is Jerry, See Jerry Run"1971 That Girl Albert Berg Episode: "That King" Funny Face DeHaven Episode: "What's in a Mouth" Cade's County Dr. Geis Episode: "A Gun For Billy" The Doris Day Show Warden McPherson Episode: "The Wings of an Angel" 1971–72 The New Dick Van Dyke Show Ted Atwater 4 episodes1972 Hawaii Five-O Hard Hat Episode: "Follow the White Brick Road" Bridget Loves Bernie Walt Fitzgerald1973 Banacek Elliot Episode: "Ten Thousand Dollars a Page" Incident on a Dark Street Luke Burgess TV movie, failed premise pilot Police Story Kurt Mueller TV movie, premise pilot Adam's Rib Dubray Episode: "Danish Pastry" Love, American Style Segment: "Love and the Golden Memory" Money to Burn Warden CaulfieldABC Movie of the Week Love Story Ross Episode: "Mirabelle's Summer" Blood Sport Mr. Schmidt TV movie Miracle on 34th Street R.H. Macy TV movie1974 Family Theatre: Married is BetterTV special All in the Family Jim Sanders Episode: "Et tu, Archie" Petrocelli Caswell Turner Episode: "Music to Die By" The Stranger Within Bob ABC Movie of the Week Kolchak: The Night Stalker Cardinale Episode: "Firefall" Kojak Sgt. Harry Sumar Episode: "The Best War in Town" 1974, 1975 Police Story Harry Dunnhill, Ralph Driscoll 2 episodes1975 Sanford and Son Clancy Fitzgerald Episode: "Golden Boy" Karen Blakemore Episode: "A Day in the Life" The First 36 Hours of Dr. Durant Dr. Atkinson TV movie, unsold pilot Ellery Queen Don Becker Episode: "The Adventures of Auld Lang Syne" Barney Miller Emil Ditka Episode: "Ambush" McCoy Episode: "Bless the Big Fish" 1976 Crackle of Death Cardinale TV movie 1976–81 Charlie's Angels John Bosley Main castNominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama SeriesNominated - Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor – Television Series1977 ABC Weekend Special Uncle Ulysses Episode: "Homer and the Wacky Doughnut Machine" Black Market Baby Joseph Carmino TV movie 1978 Wild and Wooly Teddy Roosevelt TV movie 1978–83 Fantasy Island Ernie Miller / Fred Forbush / Sam Woolf / Sancho Panza / Herbert Solomon 4 episodes 1978–85 The Love Boat Alvin / Cliff 4 episodes 1981 Hart to Hart Jim Casey Episode: "Hartland Express" 1982 The Blue and the Gray Phineas Wade Miniseries1983 Wait till Your Mother Gets Home! Herman Ohme TV movie The Invisible Woman Neil Gillmore TV movie The Fall Guy Crase Episode: "Wheels" 1985 Murder, She Wrote Brad Lockwood Episode: "Sudden Death"1986 You Again? Briggs Episode: "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Traffic Lights" New Love, American Style Episode: "Love and the Lamborghini" Foofur Mel Voice role 1986–87 General Hospital Ted Holmes1987 Starman Artemis Guinness Episode: "Grifters" Sweet Surrender Frank Macklin 1988 Maybe Baby Pete TV movie1989 Ghost Writer Herb Baxter TV movie Out of This World Star the Dog Episode: "Star Dog", voice role1990 TaleSpin Sheriff Gomer Cleghorn Episode: "Citizen Khan", voice role Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again Mr. Weatherbee TV movie 1991 They Do It With Mirrors Neville TV movie 1991–97 Rugrats Grandpa Lou Pickles, various voicesRecurring role 1993 Bonkers W.W. Whacky Episode: "Gone Bonkers", voice role Sonic the HedgehogAdditional voices 1994 BeethovenPolice Officer Frank, Blind Shep, Old Man Episode: "The Mighty Cone-Dog", voice role 1995-1996 Jake Tennelli Voice, 2 episodes:"Flexes Its Muscles" and"Works Out" 1995 What-a-MessAdditional voices1996 The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Dean Episode: "Simisola" Road Rovers Professor Hubert Episode: "A Hair of the Dog That Bit You", voice role Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Mike, guardian angel Episode: "Swear to God, This Time We're Not Kidding" Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series Sam Delaney Episode: "The Human Factor", voice role Quack Pack Additional voices Episode: "The Unusual Suspects"1997 The Blues Brothers Animated Series Vet Episode: "Strange Death of Betty Smythe", voice role (posthumous release) Sunset Beach Passenger Episode: 1.1 What the Deaf Man Heard TV movie (posthumous release)

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Campion High School, Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Also known as
David Fitzgerald Doyle

People in David Doyle's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped David Doyle's

Frequently asked questions

Who was David Doyle?

American actor (1929–1997)

When was David Doyle born?

David Doyle was born on 1 December 1929 in Omaha.

When did David Doyle die?

David Doyle died on 26 February 1997 in Los Angeles.

What was David Doyle's occupation?

David Doyle was a stage actor, film actor, television actor, voice actor and actor.

What nationality was David Doyle?

David Doyle was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: David Doyle

· Wikidata: Q119198

· DBpedia: David Doyle

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). David Doyle. https://biography.guide/david-doyle-stage-actor/

MLA: "David Doyle." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/david-doyle-stage-actor/.

Chicago: "David Doyle." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/david-doyle-stage-actor/.

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