Biography
Roger Perry was a prolific American film and television who appeared in dozens of roles, most notably as a guest star on a memorable 1967 episode of "Star Trek" (NBC, 1966-69), over the course of his 50-plus years in show business. Perry was born in Davenport, Iowa in 1933 and throughout his early 20s he served in the United States Air Force as an intelligence officer. After his time with the Air Force was complete, Perry set out to become an actor and moved to Hollywood. He was discovered by the iconic comedian Lucille Ball who signed him as a contract player for her Desilu Studios. From there Perry nabbed roles in a few forgettable TV series from the early 1960s before nabbing his first significant TV role as Jim Harrigan on the ABC sitcom "Harrigan and Son" (ABC, 1960-61). That show, which was produced by Desilu, lasted one season. Perry continued working steadily as a TV actor throughout the 1960s, landing numerous guest spots on shows like "The Munsters" (CBS, 1964-66) and "The Andy Griffith Show" (CBS, 1960-68). Despite being mostly relegated to bit parts, Perry nabbed his most lasting role on a 1967 episode of the iconic science fiction series "Star Trek." He played an Air Force pilot on an episode titled "Tomorrow Is Yesterday," and decades after the episode initially aired, was still remembered fondly for his role by die-hard "Star Trek" fans. Perry continued working steadily in the ensuing decades, landing recurring parts on popular shows like "The Facts of Life" (NBC, 1979-1988) and "Falcon Crest" (CBS, 1981-1990), but by the 1990s his acting output slowed. He appeared in only a handful of parts from the early 90s onward, including the 2005 comedy "Dirty Joe" (2005). Perry's last film role was in the 2010 horror film "Wreckage," which starred Aaron Paul of "Breaking Bad" (ABC, 2008-2013) fame. After a long and prolific acting career spanning seven decades and dozens of roles, Roger Perry died from prostrate cancer on July 12, 2018 in Indian Wells, California. He was 85.
