Orson Bean

Acting

Orson Bean

Born — Died

1928-07-22 — 2020-02-07

Place of birth

Burlington, Vermont, USA

Known for

Acting

Credits

87 titles

Orson Bean (born Dallas Frederick Burrows; July 22, 1928 – February 7, 2020) was an American film, television, and stage actor, as well as a comedian, writer, and producer. He appeared frequently on televised game shows from the 1960s through the 1980s and was a longtime panelist on the television game show To Tell the Truth. On February 7, 2020, while walking near Venice Boulevard and Shell Avenue, in Venice, California, Bean was struck by two cars, with the second striking him fatally. He was 91.

Known for

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson poster
7.6

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962

Modern Family poster
7.9

The Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan is a wonderfully large and blended family. They give us an honest and often hilarious look into the sometimes warm, sometimes twisted, embrace of the modern family.

Modern Family

2009

The Mike Douglas Show poster
5.8

The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that originally aired only in the Cleveland area during much of its first two years on the air. It then went into syndication in 1963 and remained on television until 1982. It was distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia.

The Mike Douglas Show

1961

Two and a Half Men poster
7.4

A hedonistic jingle writer's free-wheeling life comes to an abrupt halt when his brother and 10-year-old nephew move into his beach-front house.

Two and a Half Men

2003

Desperate Housewives poster
7.9

Looking down on her friends and family isn't a way of life for Mary Alice Young... it's a way of death. One day, in her perfect house, in the loveliest of suburbs, Mary Alice ended it all. Now she's taking us into the lives of her family, friends and neighbors, commenting from her elevated P.O.V.

Desperate Housewives

2004

How I Met Your Mother poster
8.1

A father recounts to his children - through a series of flashbacks - the journey he and his four best friends took leading up to him meeting their mother.

How I Met Your Mother

2005

Film credits

2020s · 2 titles

2010s · 8 titles

The Equalizer 2 poster
6.8

Robert McCall, who serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed, embarks on a relentless, globe-trotting quest for vengeance when his former partner is murdered.

The Equalizer 2

2018

A Golden Christmas 3 poster
5.3

Heather is a charming free spirit whose self-absorbed fiancé Roger never seems to hear a word that comes out of her mouth. Bobby is a naval officer who comes home from serving overseas, looking to start a new chapter in his life. Both Heather and Bobby long to meet someone who makes them feel like they are at home in this world, but they are starting to doubt that person exists. Thanks to two Golden Retrievers, Bobby's spirited eleven-year-old niece Myra, and a fun-filled theatre production of 'A Christmas Carol,' these two unlucky and unlikely people end up falling in love at Christmas. But can they overcome the issues of their past and present in order to build a future together?

A Golden Christmas 3

2012

Sleep Cycle poster
NR

Families form patterns. Genes, habits, stories get passed down through the generations, seemingly on repeat.

Sleep Cycle

2014

Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage poster
NR

Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage is a warm and revealing portrait of the charismatic, groundbreaking actor’s journey from his native Puerto Rico to the creative hotbed of 1960s New York City, to prominence on Broadway and in Hollywood. Filled with passion, determination and joy, Juliá’s brilliant and daring career was tragically cut short by his untimely death at age 54.

Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage

2019

No artwork available
NR

A short film directed by Rupert Sanders based on a story written by Sanders and Milo Ross.

D-Minus

2011

Ashley's Ashes poster
2.5

A touching story as a man learns how to live his life again after he inherits an urn of ashes by discovering the life and friends of the person inside.

Ashley's Ashes

2010

Two-Legged Rat Bastards poster
6.5

A short film detailing the strange estrangement of an elderly father and his son. Set on a park bench in the present day, Eddie, a cantankerous old alcoholic, attempts to connect with his son Winstead, who's spent the majority of his adult life trying to get away from him. In the course of their conversation Eddie reveals how he lost his leg - in a high stakes poker game 30 years ago.

Two-Legged Rat Bastards

2011

Hating Breitbart poster
5.8

One man with a website who forever changed the media paradigm, upending the traditional press and changing the ground rules of political journalism.

Hating Breitbart

2012

2000s · 11 titles

Alien Autopsy poster
5.7

Humouristic reconstruction of the 1995 scandal when two British lads were accused of having faked a documentary from the Roswell incident in 1947.

Alien Autopsy

2006

Frank McKlusky, C.I. poster
4.3

As a child, Frank McKlusky watched his daredevil father "Madman" McKlusky become comatose in an ill-fated motorcycle stunt. Now as a risk-avoiding adult, he lives with his parents and always wears protective gear. When he suspiciously loses his partner on the job, Frank must become a master of disguise, take a sexy new partner and grab evidence to bust up the biggest insurance scam going!

Frank McKlusky, C.I.

2002

Soccer Dog 2: European Cup poster
6.5

Soccer Dog: European Cup opens with the titular hero, Kimble, escaping the clutches of an evil scientist, bent on performing animal experiments. Our plucky canine hero then falls into the hands of Zack (Jake Thomas), an American boy who's been brought to Scotland after the death of his mother to be reunited with the father he never knew, Brian (Nick Moran). After a bumpy introduction, father and son eventually connect by playing soccer together, and when the unusually nimble Kimble storms onto the field one day, their lives change forever.

Soccer Dog 2: European Cup

2004

Game of Life poster
1.0

In Game of LIfe, a children's soccer team is the common link for a multi-layered story giving a candid look into the intersecting lives of five families living in Los Angeles. Game of LIfe examines the complexities of racial and class divisions, and reveals that despite the fragile volatility of human relationships, family is what holds us together and unites us all.

Game of Life

2007

Knee High P.I. poster
3.5

Hank Dingo is the world's smallest private detective with the world's biggest ego. A rough, tough gumshoe full of attitude, he doesn't crack cases... he smashes them! Hank throws himself into the "Case of the Missing Lawn Jockeys," beating the hell out of suspects left and right. But he'll have to survive a widow's scorn and an oil Sheik's fury - not to mention a room full of ravenous, sex-starved concubines - to solve this mystery.

Knee High P.I.

2003

Crossroads poster
5.7

The life of a young Jesuit seminarian is turned upside down when he falls in love with a young woman while working as a volunteer at a soup kitchen.

Crossroads

2006

The Gristle poster
6.3

Multiculturalism reaches the depths of the criminal underworld as eight diverse con men must learn to work together to pull off a heist that's anything but ordinary. The target of this melting pot of thieves is a kidney inside a patient who's inside a hospital. This darkly comic caper stars Orson Bean and Michael Dorn.

The Gristle

2004

Yesterday's Dreams poster
7.0

Yesterday's Dreams is the story about a lonely 40-year-old septic tank cleaner who lives with his abusive father, yet yearns to meet a woman to settle down with and raise a family.

Yesterday's Dreams

2005

Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Charlie's Angels poster
5.4

A candid and campy portrayal of life behind the scenes of the original Charlies Angels.

Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Charlie's Angels

2004

Mattie Fresno and the Holoflux Universe poster
5.5

Mattie endures an uneventful life, until her grandfather leaves a videotaped will. According to his unorthodox theory, death is no barrier to their relationship and he promises to "always be there", triggering a series of hallucinations.

Mattie Fresno and the Holoflux Universe

2007

Burning Down the House poster
8.5

A down-on-his-luck film director sets fire to his home so he can collect the insurance money and fund his new movie. But crime apparently does pay, because once the rumor mill gets wind of his plans, everyone suddenly wants a slice of his new project's pie.

Burning Down the House

2001

1990s · 8 titles

Being John Malkovich poster
7.4

One day at work, unsuccessful puppeteer Craig finds a portal into the head of actor John Malkovich. The portal soon becomes a passion for anybody who enters its mad and controlling world of overtaking another human body.

Being John Malkovich

1999

Jacob's Ladder poster
7.4

After returning home from the Vietnam War, veteran Jacob Singer struggles to maintain his sanity. Plagued by hallucinations and flashbacks, Singer rapidly falls apart as the world and people around him morph and twist into disturbing images. His girlfriend, Jezzie, and ex-wife, Sarah, try to help, but to little avail. Even Singer's chiropractor friend, Louis, fails to reach him as he descends into madness.

Jacob's Ladder

1990

Final Judgement poster
4.0

A priest is suspected in the brutal murder of a young stripper. To prove his innocence, he descends into the world of strip clubs and pornography, hoping to catch the killer.

Final Judgement

1992

Just My Imagination poster
4.7

A woman lives a normal, peaceful life in a small town until the day when a famous rock star who went to college with her quotes and cites her in one of his songs.

Just My Imagination

1992

Chance of a Lifetime poster
5.4

Since the death of her husband 10 years ago, Evelyn has been working hard for her company, but had no private life. Now her doctor shocks her with the news that she may live only another 6 months. Spontanely she follows a TV ad and sets out for vacation in Mexico. There she meets widower Lloyd and they fall in love, go bungee jumping... until she gets another diagnosis from her doctor.

Chance of a Lifetime

1991

Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman: The Movie poster
8.2

As Colorado Springs' Commisioner, Sully opposes a deal to mine for copper to make electricity. In order to sway Sully's decision, Mr. Garrick threatens Sully. Sully and Michaela's daugther, Katie, is then kidnapped while the town celebrates Michaela's birthday. The search for Katie takes Sully, Micheala, and their friends on an adventure through Mexico that is filled with danger at every turn.

Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman: The Movie

1999

Instant Karma poster
4.8

The writer of a bad TV series begins to rethink his life when he meets and falls in love with a beautiful actress.

Instant Karma

1990

No artwork available
6.5

An unlikely romance develops between a Lakota warrior and a young black woman at an 1890s black college.

UnBowed

1999

1980s · 5 titles

1970s · 5 titles

1950s · 5 titles

Series credits

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson poster
7.6

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson poster
7.6

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962

Modern Family poster
7.9

The Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan is a wonderfully large and blended family. They give us an honest and often hilarious look into the sometimes warm, sometimes twisted, embrace of the modern family.

Modern Family

2009

The Mike Douglas Show poster
5.8

The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that originally aired only in the Cleveland area during much of its first two years on the air. It then went into syndication in 1963 and remained on television until 1982. It was distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia.

The Mike Douglas Show

1961

The Mike Douglas Show poster
5.8

The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that originally aired only in the Cleveland area during much of its first two years on the air. It then went into syndication in 1963 and remained on television until 1982. It was distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia.

The Mike Douglas Show

1961

Two and a Half Men poster
7.4

A hedonistic jingle writer's free-wheeling life comes to an abrupt halt when his brother and 10-year-old nephew move into his beach-front house.

Two and a Half Men

2003

Desperate Housewives poster
7.9

Looking down on her friends and family isn't a way of life for Mary Alice Young... it's a way of death. One day, in her perfect house, in the loveliest of suburbs, Mary Alice ended it all. Now she's taking us into the lives of her family, friends and neighbors, commenting from her elevated P.O.V.

Desperate Housewives

2004

How I Met Your Mother poster
8.1

A father recounts to his children - through a series of flashbacks - the journey he and his four best friends took leading up to him meeting their mother.

How I Met Your Mother

2005

The Love Boat poster
6.2

Passengers who search for romantic nights aboard a beautiful ship travelling to tropical or mysterious countries, decide to pass their vacation aboard the "Love Boat", where Gopher, Dr. Bricker, Isaac, Julie, and Captain Stubing try their best to please them, and sometimes help them fall in love. Things are not always so easy, but in the end, love wins.

The Love Boat

1977

Diagnosis: Murder poster
7.1

Dr. Mark Sloan is a good-natured, offbeat physician who is called upon to solve murders.

Diagnosis: Murder

1993

The Merv Griffin Show poster
6.8

No synopsis available yet.

The Merv Griffin Show

1962

Murder, She Wrote poster
7.5

An unassuming mystery writer turned sleuth uses her professional insight to help solve real-life homicide cases.

Murder, She Wrote

1984

Will & Grace poster
6.9

Will Truman and Grace Adler are best friends living in New York, and when Grace's engagement falls apart, she moves in with Will. Together, along with their friends, they go through the trials of dating, sex, relationships and their careers, butting heads at times but ultimately supporting one another while exchanging plenty of witty banter along the way.

Will & Grace

1998

The Closer poster
7.8

Deputy Police Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson transfers from Atlanta to LA to head up a special unit of the LAPD that handles sensitive, high-profile murder cases. Johnson's quirky personality and hard-nosed approach often rubs her colleagues the wrong way, but her reputation as one of the world's best interrogator eventually wins over even her toughest critics.

The Closer

2005

The King of Queens poster
7.2

Life’s good for deliveryman Doug Heffernan, until his newly widowed father-in-law, Arthur, moves in with him and his wife Carrie. Doug is no longer the king of his domain, and instead of having a big screen television in his recently renovated basement, he now has a crazy old man.

The King of Queens

1998

What's My Line? poster
7.0

Four panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while blindfolded, their identity - by asking only "yes" or "no" questions.

What's My Line?

1950

Cold Case poster
7.7

The Philadelphia homicide squad's lone female detective finds her calling when she is assigned cases that have never been solved. Detective Lilly Rush combines her natural instincts with the updated technology available today to bring about justice for all the victims she can.

Cold Case

2003

Love, American Style poster
6.2

An anthology comedy series featuring a line up of different celebrity guest stars appearing in anywhere from one, two, three, and four short stories or vignettes within an hour about versions of love and romance.

Love, American Style

1969

The Dick Cavett Show poster
6.8

The Dick Cavett Show has been the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks.

The Dick Cavett Show

1968

Superstore poster
7.5

A hilarious workplace comedy about a unique family of employees at a super-sized mega store. From the bright-eyed newbies and the seen-it-all veterans to the clueless summer hires and the in-it-for-life managers, together they hilariously tackle the day-to-day grind of rabid bargain hunters, riot-causing sales and nap-worthy training sessions.

Superstore

2015

The Twilight Zone poster
8.5

An anthology series containing drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, and/or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist.

The Twilight Zone

1959

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman poster
7.6

Dr. Michaela Quinn journeys to Colorado Springs to be the town's physician after her father's death in 1868.

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman

1993

Hot in Cleveland poster
7.2

Three fabulous, eccentric, LA best friends of a certain age have their lives changed forever when their plane unexpectedly lands in Cleveland and they soon rediscover themselves in this new "promised land."

Hot in Cleveland

2010

Tonight Starring Jack Paar poster
7.5

Tonight Starring Jack Paar is an American talk show hosted by Jack Paar under The Tonight Show franchise from 1957 to 1962. It originally aired during late-night. During most of its run it was broadcast from Studio 6B inside the RCA Building. The same studio would also host early episodes of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Its theme song was an instrumental version of "Everything's Coming Up Roses", and the closing theme was "So Until I See You" by Al Lerner.

Tonight Starring Jack Paar

1957

Tonight Starring Jack Paar poster
7.5

Tonight Starring Jack Paar is an American talk show hosted by Jack Paar under The Tonight Show franchise from 1957 to 1962. It originally aired during late-night. During most of its run it was broadcast from Studio 6B inside the RCA Building. The same studio would also host early episodes of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Its theme song was an instrumental version of "Everything's Coming Up Roses", and the closing theme was "So Until I See You" by Al Lerner.

Tonight Starring Jack Paar

1957

Grace and Frankie poster
7.7

Elegant, proper Grace and freewheeling, eccentric Frankie are a pair of frenemies whose lives are turned upside down - and permanently intertwined - when their husbands leave them for each other. Together, they must face starting over in their 70s in a 21st century world.

Grace and Frankie

2015

Robert Montgomery Presents poster
6.0

Robert Montgomery Presents is an American dramatic television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950 until June 24, 1957. The live show had several sponsors during its seven-year run, and the title was altered to feature the sponsor, usually Lucky Strike cigarettes, for example, Robert Montgomery Presents Your Lucky Strike Theater, ....The Johnson's Wax Program, and so on.

Robert Montgomery Presents

1950

Studio One poster
5.4

An American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. Studio One, presented by Westinghouse, was one of the first of the anthology TV programs. The episodes were often abridged remakes of movies from years gone by and many future well-known television and movie actors appeared in the productions.

Studio One

1948

Studio One poster
5.4

An American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. Studio One, presented by Westinghouse, was one of the first of the anthology TV programs. The episodes were often abridged remakes of movies from years gone by and many future well-known television and movie actors appeared in the productions.

Studio One

1948

Studio One poster
5.4

An American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. Studio One, presented by Westinghouse, was one of the first of the anthology TV programs. The episodes were often abridged remakes of movies from years gone by and many future well-known television and movie actors appeared in the productions.

Studio One

1948

Naked City poster
5.7

Naked City is a police drama series which aired from 1958 to 1963 on the ABC television network. It was inspired by the 1948 motion picture of the same name, and mimics its dramatic “semi-documentary” format. In 1997, the episode “Sweet Prince of Delancey Street” was ranked #93 on TV Guide’s “100 Greatest Episodes of All Time”.

Naked City

1958

The Facts of Life poster
7.1

Mrs. Edna Garrett, housemother and dietitian at the Eastland School, teaches a group of girls in her charge how to solve those problems that every teenager has to face.

The Facts of Life

1979

7th Heaven poster
6.4

Reverend Eric Camden and his wife Annie have always had their hands full caring for seven children, not to mention the friends, sweethearts and spouses that continually come and go in the Camden household.

7th Heaven

1996

I've Got a Secret poster
7.7

A panel tries to determine a contestant's secret: something that is unusual, amazing, embarrassing, or humorous about that person.

I've Got a Secret

1952

Dinah! poster
7.0

Dinah's show premiered 9 September 1974 and continued through to 4 September 1981. She started out the 70's with Dinah's Place which usually featured one guest and was more of a home oriented show about cooking, crafts and occasionally music. This format lasted until May of 1974. When the show came back in October of 1974 the format had changed drastically to a variety talk show which was called Dinah. and went on until 1981. This show was also known as "Dinah and Friends" during the summer of 1976.

Dinah!

1974

Ellen poster
6.2

Ellen works in a Los Angeles bookstore called Buy the Book and hangs around with her friends discussing lovers, work and family.

Ellen

1994

The Ed Sullivan Show poster
6.8

The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the CBS Sunday Night Movie, which ran only one season and was eventually replaced by other shows. In 2002, The Ed Sullivan Show was ranked #15 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

The Ed Sullivan Show

1948

Becker poster
7.2

Becker is a dedicated, outspoken and talented doctor with a gruff exterior. While he tends to offend those who try to get close to him, he is extremely dedicated to his medical practice in the Bronx, N.Y., where he always goes the extra mile to help those in need. But Dr. John Becker looks at the world around him and sees a society gone mad, full of incongruities and just plain wrong thinking. And he has no qualms about saying anything that comes to mind – anything.

Becker

1998

Tiny Toon Adventures poster
7.8

Follow the adventures of a group of young cartoon characters who attend the Acme Looniversity to become the next generation of characters from the Looney Tunes series.

Tiny Toon Adventures

1990

The Phil Silvers Show poster
7.1

The Phil Silvers Show, originally titled You'll Never Get Rich, was a sitcom which ran on CBS from 1955 to 1959 for 142 episodes, plus a 1959 special. The series starred Phil Silvers as Master Sergeant Ernest G. Bilko of the United States Army. The series was created and largely written by Nat Hiken, and won three consecutive Emmy Awards for Best Comedy Series. The show is sometimes titled Sergeant Bilko or simply Bilko in reruns, and is very often referred to by these names, both on-screen and by viewers. The show's success transformed Silvers from a journeyman comedian into a star, and writer-producer Hiken from a highly-regarded behind-the-scenes comedy writer into a publicly recognized creator.

The Phil Silvers Show

1955