Larry Gates

Larry Gates (September 24, 1915 - December 12, 1996) was an American actor probably best known for his role as H.B. Lewis on daytime's Guiding Light and as Doc Baugh in the film version of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof . He played the role of Lewis from 1983 to 1996 and received the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor at the 1985 awards.

Gates had a long career in film, television, and theater. He appeared in the Broadway productions of The Teahouse of the August Moon (1953) Bell, Book and Candle (1956) and A Case of Libel (1964).He played Polonius oppossite Sam Waterston in a New York revival of Hamlet .

His film roles included supporting parts in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Death of a Gunfighter, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Sand Pebbles, and perhaps most memorably, In the Heat of the Night playing landowner Endicott, where he famously slapped Sidney Poitier's character, Virgil Tibbs, who immediately slapped him back.

On television, Gates had numerous roles on such anthology drama series as Philco Television Playhouse, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone , Goodyear Television Playhouse, Kraft Television Theatre, Studio One, and Playhouse 90. He continued to make dozens of guest appearances in a wide variety of primetime series, including Bonanza, Route 66, The Defenders, Rawhide, and Twelve O'Clock High.

He also played the role of President Herbert Hoover in the 1979 miniseries Backstairs at the White House.

Gates died of leukemia at the age of 81.

External links

• Larry Gates at the Internet Movie Database