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Bill Mumy

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Bill Mumy
Mumy in 2013
Born
Charles William Mumy Jr.

(1954-02-01) February 1, 1954 (age 70)
San Gabriel, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • musician
  • writer
  • producer
Years active1960−present
Spouse
Eileen Joy Davis
​
(m. 1986)​
Children2, including Liliana
AwardsInkpot Award (2015)[1]
Websitewww.billmumy.com Edit this at Wikidata

Charles William Mumy Jr. (/ˈmuːmi/; born February 1, 1954[2]) is an American actor, writer, producer, and musician. He came to prominence in the 1960s as a child actor whose work included television appearances on Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and a role in the film Dear Brigitte, followed by a three-season role as Will Robinson in the 1960s sci-fi series Lost in Space. Mumy later appeared as lonely teenager Sterling North in the film Rascal (1969) and Teft in the film Bless the Beasts and Children (1971).

In the 1990s, Mumy performed the role of Lennier in all five seasons of the sci-fi TV series Babylon 5 and narrated the Emmy Award–winning series Biography.

Mumy is also known for his musical career as a guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer: he is an Emmy nominee for original music in Adventures in Wonderland (1992). As a musician Mumy performs as a solo artist, an occasional guest performer, and as half of the duo Barnes & Barnes. From 1988 through the 90s he performed at San Diego Comic-Con and other comics-related events as part of the band Seduction of the Innocent (named after the titular book by Fredric Wertham). The band released one CD, The Golden Age.[3]

Early life and career

[edit]

Mumy was born in San Gabriel, California, to Charles William Mumy, a cattle rancher, and Muriel Gertrude Mumy (née Gould).[4] He began his professional career at age seven and has worked on more than four hundred television episodes, eighteen films, various commercials, and scores of voice-over projects.[5] He has also worked as a musician, songwriter, recording artist, and writer.[6]

Television and film career

[edit]

Among Mumy's earliest television roles was six-year-old Willy in the "Donald's Friend" (1960) episode of the NBC-TV family drama series National Velvet, starring Lori Martin. He starred in three episodes of CBS-TV's original Twilight Zone: "It's a Good Life" (S3 E8 November 1961), as six year old Anthony, who terrorizes his town with psychic powers (a role he later reprised along with his daughter Liliana in the "It's Still a Good Life" episode of the second revival series); "In Praise of Pip" (September 1963), as a vision of Jack Klugman's long-neglected dying son; and "Long Distance Call" (March 1961) as Billy Bayles, who talks to his dead grandmother through a toy telephone.

Mumy in the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode Bang! You're Dead, 1961

In 1961, Mumy was cast on CBS-TV's Alfred Hitchcock Presents series in "The Door Without a Key", featuring John Larch, who played his father in "It's a Good Life". The same year, Mumy starred as little Jackie in the episode "Bang! You're Dead", featuring Marta Kristen, who later played his sister Judy on Lost in Space. Mumy was cast as Mark Murdock in the "Keep an Eye on Santa Claus" (1962) episode of the ABC-TV drama series Going My Way, starring Gene Kelly. His fellow guest stars were Cloris Leachman (who played his mother in "It's a Good Life"), Steve Brodie, and Frank McHugh.[7]

At age eight, Mumy appeared in Jack Palance's ABC-TV circus drama The Greatest Show on Earth (1963); he was cast as Miles, a parentless boy, in the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Shifty Shoebox" (1963), and he portrayed Freddy in the "End of an Image" (1963) episode of NBC-TV's modern Western series Empire, starring Richard Egan.

In 1964, he was cast as Richard Kimble's nephew in ABC-TV's The Fugitive episode, "Home Is the Hunted"; as Barry in the NBC-TV medical drama The Eleventh Hour episode "Sunday Father"; as himself three times in the ABC sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet; in the Disney film For the Love of Willadena; and as a troubled orphan taken in by the Stephenses in the Bewitched fantasy sitcom episode "A Vision of Sugarplums" (December 1964), on ABC-TV.

Mumy was reportedly the first choice to portray Eddie Munster in the 1964 CBS situation comedy The Munsters, but his parents objected to the extensive makeup requirements. The role instead went to Butch Patrick. Mumy appeared in one episode as a friend of Eddie.

Mumy guest starred in an episode of NBC-TV's I Dream of Jeannie, "Whatever Became of Baby Custer?" (1965). That same year, he also appeared in an episode of Bewitched titled "Junior Executive" (1965), in which he played a young Darrin Stephens.

Bill Mumy with Brigitte Bardot in Dear Brigitte, 1965

Mumy starred in Dear Brigitte (1965), a film adaptation of the novel Erasmus with Freckles, as Erasmus Leaf, a child mathematical genius who develops a crush on Brigitte Bardot (played by herself in the film). His parents, played by James Stewart and Glynis Johns, attempt to manage his obsession.[8]

Lost in Space and beyond

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From 1965 to 1968, Mumy portrayed Will Robinson in Lost in Space, the recipient of numerous warnings (including "Danger, Will Robinson") from the show's robot character, voiced by Dick Tufeld.[9]

Mumy was later cast in Bless the Beasts and Children (1971) as Teft, a leader in a group of misfit teenage boys resolved to save a herd of bison from hunters. He also played a musician friend of Cliff DeYoung's character in the television film Sunshine (1973), later reprising the role in Sunshine Christmas and in the TV series Sunshine. In 1974, Mumy played Nick Butler in the pilot episode of NBC's The Rockford Files and made an appearance in a later episode in season 1 as a sidewalk artist. In 1988, he played Ben Matlock's genius nephew, Dr. Irwin Bruckner, on Matlock.

In 1996, Mumy was a writer and co-creator of Space Cases,[10] a Nickelodeon television show with themes similar to those of Lost in Space. Between 1994 and 1998, he played the ambassadorial aide Lennier in the syndicated science fiction series Babylon 5. In November 1998, he played Kellin, a Starfleet officer, in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Siege of AR-558", in which he assists in defeating a Jem'Hadar detachment. To Mumy's delight,[11] his character was human this time due to makeup time and his distaste as being known as an "alien actor"; while playing Lennier in Babylon 5, he was required to wear prosthetic makeup. Mumy later appeared in a 2006 episode of Crossing Jordan and in the Syfy original film A.I. Assault.[12]

In 2018, Mumy appeared in the pilot episode of the Netflix remake series Lost in Space. His character's name is Dr. Z. Smith, in homage to the character played by Jonathan Harris in the 1965 television series.

Voice acting career

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Mumy has narrated over 50 episodes of the Arts & Entertainment Network's Biography series, as well as hosted and narrated several other documentaries and specials for A&E, Animal Planet, The Sci-Fi Channel, and E!. He has also worked on animated shows such as Ren and Stimpy, Scooby-Doo, Batman: The Animated Series, Steven Spielberg's Animaniacs, Bravest Warriors, The Oz Kids and Disney's Buzz Lightyear of Star Command and Doc McStuffins.

Mumy's work also includes voice overs in national commercials for Bud Ice, Farmers Insurance, Ford, Blockbuster, Twix, Oscar Mayer and McDonald's.[13]

Music

[edit]

Mumy is an accomplished musician who plays the banjo, bass, guitar, harmonica, keyboards, mandolin, and percussion. His various musical credits include songs he has written and recorded with America, performed on tour with Shaun Cassidy, and played with Rick Springfield's band in the film Hard to Hold. He created the band The Be Five with other Babylon 5 actors.[14]

He and Marta Kristen performed "Sloop John B" in the Lost in Space S3E14 episode Castles In Space.[1]

Mumy has released a number of solo CDs, including Dying to Be Heard, In the Current, Pandora's Box, After Dreams Come True, Los Angeles Times and Ghosts, as well as nine albums with music partner Robert Haimer as Barnes and Barnes.[15] Their most famous hit is the song "Fish Heads", which Rolling Stone named one of the top 100 videos of all time. He also performs with the Jenerators, a blues-rock band based in Los Angeles featuring Tom Hebenstreit on vocals, electric guitars, and keyboards; Mumy on vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, harmonica, keyboards and percussion; Gary Stockdale on vocals and bass; Miguel Ferrer on vocals, percussion and drums; David Jolliffe on guitar, percussion and vocals; and Chris Ross on drums and percussion. Additionally, Mumy released a Byrds tribute song, "When Roger Was Jim" (2012). In 2017, along with John Cowsill (The Cowsills) and Vicki Peterson (The Bangles) he founded the Action Skulls. Their first CD, Angels Hear, which also included posthumous contributions from the bassist Rick Rosas, was released on September 27, 2017.[16]

Mumy produces and hosts The Real Good Radio Hour, a weekly series on KSAV Internet Radio focusing on various styles of music and the artists who pioneered them.[17]

Lost in Space activities in later years

[edit]

In 1996, Mumy and his Lost in Space costar Jonathan Harris were reunited at a Walt Disney convention in Orlando, Florida. Mumy worked again with Harris on the retrospective special Lost In Space: Forever (1998), where they reprised their roles in a scene written by Mumy (Harris rewrote his own lines). This occurred the year after the rest of the cast (including both Mumy and Harris) stated in a TV Guide article that the Sci Fi Channel planned to do a Lost in Space marathon while promoting a new film. Harris was to appear in the planned television film Lost in Space: The Journey Home, but died before production was scheduled to start, in 2002, and it was subsequently cancelled. Mumy read the eulogy at Harris' funeral and was asked to narrate an account of his longtime friend's life on A&E Biography that year.

In a 2010 interview on Blog Talk Radio's Lessons Learned, Rick Tocquigny was asked if Mumy was a Jonathan Harris fan before they appeared together on Lost in Space. Tocquigny said that at age five, Mumy was too young to watch his mentor's show The Third Man, which would have been aired late at night, but he was old enough to see The Bill Dana Show.[18]

On June 14, 2006, Mumy got to work with Harris one last time, though posthumously. Years before Harris died, he recorded voice work for the animated short The Bolt Who Screwed Christmas, narrating the film and playing the part of The Bolt. As a tribute to Harris, writer-director John Wardlaw added a scene that reunited Lost in Space cast members Mumy, Marta Kristen, and Angela Cartwright as the animated Ratchett family.[19]

Mumy appears in two episodes of the 2018 series Lost in Space on Netflix. He plays the role of Dr. Smith, whose identity is stolen by June Harris, the villain.

Mumy attends Lost in Space reunions and shows, and co-authored a 2015 book, Lost (and Found) in Space with Angela Cartwright.[20] He and Cartwright co-authored the 2021 book, Lost (and Found) in Space 2: Blast Off into the Expanded Edition.[21][22]

Other work

[edit]

Mumy and co-author Peter David published a short story, "The Black '59" (1992), in the anthology Shock Rock, edited by F. Paul Wilson.[23]

He has also written a number of comics. With his friend, the late Miguel Ferrer, Mumy created Comet Man and Trypto the Acid Dog. They also co-wrote the Marvel Graphic Novel The Dreamwalker.[24]

Personal life

[edit]

Mumy married Eileen Joy Davis on October 9, 1986.[4] They live in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles with their two children, Seth (b. 1989) and Liliana (b. 1994).[25][26]

Television and filmography

[edit]
Mumy in Dear Brigitte, 1965
Year Film/Television Role Notes
1960 The Tom Ewell Show Jeffrey Nelson Season 1 Episode 5: "Tom Puts the Girls to Work"
1961 The Twilight Zone Billy Bayles Season 2 Episode 22: "Long Distance Call"
1961 The Twilight Zone Anthony Fremont Season 3 Episode 8: "It's a Good Life"
1961 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Jackie Chester Season 7 Episode 2: "Bang, You're Dead"
1962 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Mickey Hollins Season 7 Episode 15: "The Door Without a Key"
1962 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Tony Mitchell Season 1 Episode 8: "House Guest"
1962 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color Petey Loomis Episode: "Sammy, the Way-Out Seal"
1962 The Jack Benny Program 34-Lb Boy Season 13 Episode 12: "Jack and the Crying Cab Driver"
1962 Wagon Train Toddy Season 6 Episode 15: "The Sam Darland Story"
1963 The Twilight Zone young Pip Phillips Season 5 Episode 1: "In Praise of Pip"
1963 A Child Is Waiting Boy counting Jean's pearls
1963 A Ticklish Affair Alex Martin
1963 Palm Springs Weekend 'Boom Boom' Yates
1963 Perry Mason Miles Jefferson Season 7 Episode 2: "The Case of the Shifty Shoebox"
1964 Bewitched Michael (Orphan Boy) Season 1 Episode 15: "A Vision of Sugar Plumbs"
1964 The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Billy Season 13 Episode 2: "Rick's Old Printing Press"
1964 The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Billy Season 13 Episode 7: "The Pennies"
1964 The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Billy Season 13 Episode 8: "The Ballerina"
1965 Bewitched Darrin Season 2 Episode 10: "Junior Executive"
1965 The Virginian Willy Season 3 Episode 28: "Old Cowboy"
1965 Dear Brigitte Erasmus 'Ras' Leaf
1965 I Dream of Jeannie Custer Season 1 Episode 11: "Whatever Became of Baby Custer?"
1965 The Munsters Googie Miller Season 1 Episode 25: "Come Back Little Googie"
1965–68 Lost in Space Will Robinson 84 episodes
1968 Wild in the Streets Boy Uncredited
1969 Rascal Sterling North
1969 Lancer Andy Cutler Season 2 Episode 3: "The Kid"
1970 Here Come the Brides Simon Bill Season 2 Episode 15: "Break the Bank of Tacoma"
1971 Bless the Beasts and Children Teft
1973 Papillon Lariot
1974 The Rockford Files Nick Butler Season 1 Episode: "Backlash of the Hunter" (pilot)
1975 The Rockford Files Trask Season 1 Episode 14: "Aura Lee, Farewell"
1975 Sunshine Weaver 15 episodes
1983 Twilight Zone: The Movie Tim (Segment #3)
1984 Hard to Hold Keyboard Player
1988 Matlock Dr. Irwin Bruckner Season 2 Episode 20: "The Genius"
1990 Captain America Young General Fleming
1991 The Flash Roger Braintree Season 1 Episode 19: "Good Night, Central City"
1991 Superboy Tommy Puck Season 4 Episode 1: "A Change of Heart, Part 1"
1991 Superboy Tommy Puck Season 4 Episode 2: "A Change of Heart, Part 2"
1992 Superboy Tommy Puck Season 4 Episode 19: "Obituary for a Super Hero"
1992 Double Trouble Bob
1993 Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero Fenton Season 1 Episode 5: "Monstrous Meltdown"
1994 Animaniacs The Farmer Voice, Season 1 Episode 62: "Witch One"[27]
1994 The Ren & Stimpy Show Dr. Brainchild Voice, Season 4 Episode 3: "Blazing Entrails"
1994–98 Babylon 5 Lennier 109 episodes
1995 Batman: The Animated Series Warren Lawford / Fox Voice, Season 4 Episode 1: "The Terrible Trio"[27]
1996 The Oz Kids Sam Voice[27]
1997 The Weird Al Show UPS Guy Season 1 Episode 4: "Back to School
1997 Space Ghost Coast to Coast Himself Voice, episode: "Switcheroo '97"
1998 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Kellin Season 7 Episode 8: "The Siege of AR-558"
1998 Lost in Space Forever Himself / Will Robinson TV special
2000 Buzz Lightyear of Star Command Eon Voice, Season 1 Episode 9: "Tag Team"[27]
2000 Buzz Lightyear of Star Command Eon Voice, Season 1 Episode 19: "A Zoo Out There"[27]
2003 The Twilight Zone Adult Anthony Fremont Season 1 Episode 30: "It's Still a Good Life"
2004 Comic Book: The Movie Himself Video
2006 Holly Hobbie & Friends Bud Morris Voice, Season 1 Episode 2: "Holly Hobbie and Friends: Christmas Wishes"[27]
2009 The Bolt Who Screwed Christmas Knob Ratchett Theatrical short
2011 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien Agent Bryson Voice, Season 3 Episode 8: "The Widening Gyre"
2013–18 Bravest Warriors Ralph Waldo Pickle Chips / Johnny Tezuka / Reverend Picklechips / Judge / President Fishhead Voice, 11 episodes
2014 Transformers: Rescue Bots Vigil Voice, Season 2 Episode 14: "The Vigilant Town"[27]
2014 Transformers: Rescue Bots Vigil Voice, Season 3 Episode 6: "No Place Like Dome"[27]
2018 The Loud House Timothy "Tim" McCole Voice, Season 3 Episode 1: "A Fridge Too Far"[27]
2018 Lost in Space (2018) Dr. Zachary Smith Season 1 Episode 1: "Impact"
2019 Lost in Space (2018) Dr. Zachary Smith Season 2 Episode 3: "Echoes"
2023 Babylon 5: The Road Home Lennier Voice, direct-to-video[28][27]

Books

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  • Cartwright, Angela; Bill Mumy (2016). Lost (and Found) in Space: We Planet That Way: A Memoir in Photographs. Stockbridge, MA: TV Classics Press. ISBN 9781944068233. OCLC 980498937.
  • Cartwright, Angela; Bill Mumy (2021). Lost (and Found) in Space 2: Blast Off into the Expanded Edition. n/a: Next Chapter Publishing. ISBN 978-1735621531. OCLC 1285557101.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Inkpot Award". December 6, 2012.
  2. ^ Miller, John Jackson (June 10, 2005). "Comics Industry Birthdays". Comics Buyer's Guide. Archived from the original on February 18, 2011.
  3. ^ "Still Offensive After All These Years".
  4. ^ a b "Bill Mumy profile". Film Reference Library. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  5. ^ Erickson, Hal. "Bill Mumy: Biography". AllMovie. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  6. ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Bill Mumy: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  7. ^ ""Keep an Eye on Santa Claus", Going My Way, December 12, 1962". IMDb. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
  8. ^ Mark Deming, Mark. "Dear Brigitte (1965)". AllMovie. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  9. ^ Noland, Claire (January 25, 2012). "Dick Tufeld dies at 85; actor who intoned 'Danger, Will Robinson!'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 11, 2015. Besides warning young Will Robinson of impending danger, Tufeld's Robot uttered other lines that became catchphrases for faithful viewers — including "That does not compute" — and needled the antagonistic Dr. Zachary Smith with barbs like "Dr. Smith is a bubble-headed booby."
  10. ^ BOLLETTIERI, SPENCER (February 8, 2022). "Before Prodigy, Nickelodeon Already Created Its Own Star Trek". Screen Rant.
  11. ^ Mumy, Bill (September 3, 2013). "The Interviews: An Oral History of Television". The Television Academy Foundation's The Interviews (Interview). Interviewed by Amy Harrington. North Hollywood: Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. YouTube title:Bill Mumy discusses appearing on 'Star Trek Deep Space Nine'
  12. ^ Erickson, Hal (2015). "Biography: Bill Mumy". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 16, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  13. ^ "Biography". billmumy.com. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  14. ^ "Bill Mumy's Return Trip". People. June 3, 1991.
  15. ^ Lapka, Larry. "Barnes & Barnes: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  16. ^ Andy Hermann, "Meet Action Skulls, a New Band Featuring Vicki Peterson, John Cowsill and Bill Mumy", LA Weekly, August 4, 2017.
  17. ^ "The Real Good Radio Hour with Bill Mumy". ksav.org. March 23, 2013. Archived from the original on March 23, 2013.
  18. ^ "Bill Mumy of Lost in Space fame shares his life lessons". BlogTalkRadio. September 22, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2011.
  19. ^ Herrera, Margaux (July 1, 2011). "The Bolt Who Screwed Christmas Director Talks Crude Humor and Working with the Late Jonathan Harris". Miami New Times. Retrieved August 15, 2017..
  20. ^ King, Susan (September 14, 2015). "Warning! Warning! 50th anniversary 'Lost in Space' Blu-ray and book approaching!". Los Angeles Times.
  21. ^ Lost (and Found) in Space 2: Blast Off into the Expanded Edition. Next Chapter Publishing. 2021. ISBN 978-1735621531.
  22. ^ "Tinseltown Talks: Bill Mumy, Angela Cartwright launch new 'Lost in Space' book". The Oakland Press. September 23, 2021.
  23. ^ Ashley, Michael; Contanto, William (May 30, 1995). The Supernatural Index: A Listing of Fantasy, Supernatural, Occult, Weird, and Horror Anthologies. Greenwood. p. 196. Archived at Google Books. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  24. ^ "Bill Mumy on the Grand Comics Database".
  25. ^ David, Peter (July 3, 2009). More Digressions: A New Collection of "But I Digress" Columns. Mad Norwegian Press. p. 193. ISBN 978-1935234005.
  26. ^ "Biography". www.billmumy.com. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Bill Mumy (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 4, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  28. ^ Couch, Aaron (May 10, 2023). "'Babylon 5: The Road Home' Voice Cast Unveiled (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Dye, David (1988). Child and Youth Actors: Filmographies of Their Entire Careers, 1914–1985. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. p. 166. ISBN 9780899502472. OCLC 17442407.
  • Holmstrom, John (1996). The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995. Wilby, Norfolk, UK: Michael Russell. p. 303-304. ISBN 9780859551786. OCLC 37491135.
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