Joseph Campanella was an actor whose presence onscreen was always rich with character. Between his towering stature at 6-foot-one, the smiles lines dug deep into his cheeks and his forehead creased from intense worry, he looked like the kind of guy who gave life a long look, then enjoyed it to the fullest.

On television, his career began in the 1950s with a series of dramatic roles, including a recurring role on The Bold Ones: The Lawyers, before memorably joining the cast of Mannix as Mannix's direct superior Lew Wickersham for the series' debut season in 1967. Although that show went under drastic revisions that ultimately found his character written off the show, Campanella eventually returned in 1972, playing a gifted surgeon who Mannix discovers that many people want dead.

First appearance on Mannix

Final appearance on Mannix

Campanella's acting career stretches from 1952 to 2009, with many stand-out guest roles on a diverse range of shows, including dramas (The Big Valley, The Wild Wild West, Night Gallery, Route 66), comedies (The Love Boat, The Doris Day Show, Mama's Family), soap operas (Guiding Light, Dallas) and voicework for animated series (Spider-Man, Batman: The Animated Series).

The Wild Wild West

On Wednesday, May 16, Variety reports that Joseph Campanella passed away at the age of 93.

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