Sam Anderson

Sam Anderson (born April 2, 1947) is an American actor. He is best known for his character roles such as Sam Gorpley on Perfect Strangers, Principal Willis DeWitt on Growing Pains, Holland Manners on Angel, dentist Bernard Nadler on Lost, Doctor Harad in Friends, Edwin Kingston in Matlock, and in film, as the principal in Forrest Gump.

Early life Anderson was born in Clark, South Dakota and grew up in Wahpeton, North Dakota. During the 1970s, he taught drama at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, California.

Career Anderson is best known for his roles as mailroom supervisor Mr. Gorpley on Perfect Strangers, and as Bernard on Lost. In addition, he was one of the recurring actors on various episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati, playing various roles, including an immigration officer in the episode "The Americanization of Ivan". In film, he notably played the school principal in Forrest Gump.

Anderson is also known as the assistant manager of the Hotel Royale in Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Royale", and as Doctor Harad in Friends. His other guest-starring roles include Remington Steele, Hill Street Blues, The Golden Girls, Murder, She Wrote, Picket Fences, The West Wing, Everybody Loves Raymond, and many other shows. Anderson guest-starred in Season 8 of NCIS as Walter Carmichael, a middle school teacher whose classroom becomes a crime scene where one of his students is kidnapped.

Anderson's most recent (2024) role is being a part of the reboot of the Matlock series on CBS. He plays the husband (Edwin) of Kathy Bates character Matty Matlock.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations Ovation Awards 2019: Nominated for Lead Actor in a Play for the role of Ichabod Banks in the Road Theatre Company production of The Bird and Mr. Banks