The best child actor on TV.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 23 | February 2, 2021 7:53 AM |
He's a bad man! He's a very bad man!
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 1 | February 2, 2021 2:32 AM |
He and Jonathan Harris stole ALL the storylines from the other cast members on Lost In Space.
It was odd seeing him in a non-child role in "Bless The Beasts and Children".
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | February 2, 2021 2:37 AM |
R2 what happened to his cute pug nose?
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | February 2, 2021 2:39 AM |
He was vey solid; he grew into an awkward phase in that third season that had the best opening theme and costumes.
There was an episode from the first season when some kind of evil force had taken over the father, John; John told Will in a scene that he deserved to be living a normal life doing the things that other boys his age were doing.
Will took after his mother in that he was red-haired; he wasn't the spitting image of his father. I always wonder if John wanted someone more like himself.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | February 2, 2021 2:42 AM |
He left the absolute best remembrance of the late Cloris Leachman the other day:
"I had the great privilege and pleasure of working closely with Cloris Leachman four times in my acting career. I played her son in all four of those projects which were starring roles for both of us. We worked on "The Loretta Young Show", "Going My Way" (with Gene Kelly) and "The Twilight Zone" (in the classic episode, "It's A Good Life" and the sequel 40 years later, "It's Still A Good Life" which also starred my daughter, Liliana Mumy).
I've been fortunate to work with many iconic talents over the course of my life, but NONE were better than Cloris. She was an amazing talent. Any actor who was lucky enough to work with her will immediately know what I mean when I say she truly bumped up your game. You rose to the occasion when acting alongside Cloris Leachman because she wouldn't accept anything less than the very best you had inside to bring and she helped you find it. Cloris was a force to be reckoned with. I can't say I ever knew anyone bolder than her. She was bawdy and brave and sassy and hysterically quick and funny and she took no prisoners.
She taught me a lot about acting when I was only a very young child. We remained friends over the decades. Her son, George, and I were in a band together. My kids went to Easter Egg parties at her home when they were little. I will always appreciate her greatness and I will never forget how lucky I was to work with her multiple times.
Thankfully, Cloris' immense talents were very well acknowledged and she lived a long, uncompromising life. I'm sorry she's gone but I am grateful she was here for so long and left us so much. Lastly, I'll add that many people are not aware of the fact that Cloris was an incredibly talented pianist. I consider myself blessed to have heard her play. Thinking Real Good thoughts for you, "Mom"... You had a good life... A Real Good life."
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | February 2, 2021 2:53 AM |
Happy Birthday, Bill!
A toast to one of the few child stars who has maintained a career, raised a family, and avoided the drugs/alcohol scene!
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 7 | February 2, 2021 2:57 AM |
He's a very bright guy. He's written comic books and TV screenplays as well as being an actor.
I think I would agree with you he is probably the finest child actor ever on TV, OP. He brought so much surprising gravitas to the part of Will Robinson.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | February 2, 2021 2:58 AM |
He also gave us the "Fish Heads" song!
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | February 2, 2021 2:58 AM |
Happy Birthday Billy, now lest you me and the Robot go off into the wilderness and see what happens.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 10 | February 2, 2021 2:58 AM |
When I first saw it I thought his song "The Ballad of William Robinson" would be a joke. It actually was a touching salute to the show.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 11 | February 2, 2021 3:02 AM |
He was very cute in Rascal when he went skinny dipping.
| by Anonymous | reply 12 | February 2, 2021 3:04 AM |
R2, he looks like the lead singer in an 80s tribute band
| by Anonymous | reply 13 | February 2, 2021 3:09 AM |
In the new remake of Lost in Space on Netfix, he had a cameo as the real Dr. Smith.
Spoiler Alert, the Dr Smith that ends up with the Robinson is not who she claims to be.
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | February 2, 2021 3:36 AM |
[quote] I think I would agree with you he is probably the finest child actor ever on TV,
Ron Howard was a very good child actor, but he was terrible on Happy Days.
| by Anonymous | reply 16 | February 2, 2021 4:05 AM |
I so wanted to be him when I was a kid. His TV father was Italian as was mine, he had two sisters as did I and my mother was an RN working full time AND playing all the 50's style mother roll equally as well. The only thing I never had was the robot and a pedo uncle Smith.
| by Anonymous | reply 17 | February 2, 2021 4:12 AM |
[quote] Spoiler Alert, the Dr Smith that ends up with the Robinson is not who she claims to be.
Nor could you be certain about the original Dr Smith for the early short window the show was interesting. . Enemy deep cover agent or American traitor. But whatever he was you don't infiltrate as deeply as he did by being a shrieking buffoon or panicking coward.
I don't address retconning fandom.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 18 | February 2, 2021 4:41 AM |
[quote]whatever he was you don't infiltrate as deeply as he did by being a shrieking buffoon or panicking coward.
The queen butched it up for the ride, then once they made it into space, the purse dropped out of his mouth.
| by Anonymous | reply 19 | February 2, 2021 4:56 AM |
And Harris was completely straight.
| by Anonymous | reply 20 | February 2, 2021 5:16 AM |
He was one if my earliest boy crushes (the other was Burt Ward).
| by Anonymous | reply 21 | February 2, 2021 6:51 AM |
Yeah as a boy I couldn't imagine anybody more handsome than Burt Ward.
| by Anonymous | reply 22 | February 2, 2021 7:21 AM |
I've never bought the line that Jonathan Harris was a 100% he blooded heterosexual stallion.
And, I never will.
EVERY single role he took, he played as a flaming queen.
He flamed doing interviews.
He flamed morning, noon AND especially at night.
| by Anonymous | reply 23 | February 2, 2021 7:53 AM |
