David Ogden Stiers (born October 31, 1942) is an American character actor, voice actor and musician, most noted for his role in the television sitcom M*A*S*H, and the science fiction drama The Dead Zone. A connoisseur of classical music, Stiers has been a guest conductor for over 50 orchestras in North America and maintained a position as Associate Conductor of The Newport Symphony Orchestra and the Ernest Bloch Music Festival.
Born in Peoria, Illinois, Stiers attended Urbana High School, along with film critic Roger Ebert. He later relocated to Eugene, Oregon where he graduated high school and briefly attended University of Oregon. He later ventured to San Francisco where he performed with the California Shakespeare Company, San Francisco Actors Workshop, and the improv group The Committee, whose members included Rob Reiner and Howard Hesseman. Soon after, Stiers studied drama at Juilliard. During his studies, Stiers was mentored by accomplished theater actor John Houseman and would later join his City Center Acting Company.
Despite success in New York, Stiers returned to California and transitioned into television. His early credits included The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Kojak, and Rhoda. Stiers also appeared in the pilot of Charlie's Angels and was offered a role on the show, however, Stiers turn down the opportunity. In 1977, Stiers joined the iconic television juggernaut M*A*S*H.
As Major Charles Emerson Winchester III, Stiers filled the void created by the departure of Larry Linville's Frank Burns. In contrast to Linville's Burns character, Stiers was a different type of foil to Alan Alda's Hawkeye Pierce and Mike Farrell's B.J. Hunnicutt. For his portrayal of the pompous, Boston aristocrat, Stiers received two Emmy Award nominations. Following the completion of M*A*S*H, Stiers expanded his work on television with regular guest appearances in North and South, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Murder She Wrote and Frasier. He also appeared in two unsuccessful television projects, Love & Money and Justice League of America. In 2002, Stiers has had a recurring role as Reverend Purdy on the successful USA Network show The Dead Zone with Anthony Michael Hall.
With a vast television resume, Stiers expanded into film as well. His early films included Jack Nicholson's Drive, He Said and the George Burns comedy Oh, God!. He followed up with roles in Better Off Dead, The Accidental Tourist, and Doc Hollywood. During the 1990s, Stiers joined Woody Allen's ensemble cast in Shadows and Fog, Mighty Aphrodite, Everyone Says I Love You and The Curse of the Jade Scorpion. His most recent film appearance was in the 2001 Frank Capra-esque film The Majestic with Jim Carey.
With a distinct, authoritative voice, Stiers has provided voice work for a plethora of film and television projects. His first work was on George Lucas's critically acclaimed THX 1138. Stiers has also narrated PBS documentary films such as Ric Burns project New York: A Documentary Film and The American Experience. Furthermore, he has collaborated with Disney on eight animated features such as Beauty and The Beast, Pocahontas, Lilo and Stitch, Spirited Away. In recent years, Stiers has lent his voice to video game world with work in Kingdom Hearts II, Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, and Myst V: End of Ages.
