Donald James Marshall (May 2, 1936 â€" October 30, 2016) was an
American actor best known for his role as Dan Erickson in the
television show Land of the Giants.Marshall was born on May 2, 1936,
to Alama Marshall in San Diego. He lived with his mother and his
maternal grandmother, Leola Williams, his two older sisters, and his
twin brother (Douglas). He graduated from San Diego High School in
1954. While studying engineering between 1956 and 1957, he was
encouraged to try acting by a friend, Peter Bren. Marshall was still
in the army at this time, but later studied acting at the Bob Gist
Dramatic Workshop, while taking a course in theatre arts at Los
Angeles City College. While at college, he was a pole vaulter on the
track team.Marshall's first professional role was in a 1962 Columbia
Studios feature The Interns in an uncredited role. In 1964, he was in
Shock Treatment, another uncredited role. Also in 1964, Marshall took
the role of Chris Logan, playing opposite Nichelle Nichols in CBS
Repertoire Workshop episode titled "Great Gettin' Up Mornin'", a
made-for-TV-movie about an African-American family preparing their
children for their first day at a racially integrated school in
America's South. That same year, Nichols played Marshall's fiancée in
a controversial episode of Gene Roddenberry's series The Lieutenant.
In 1965, Marshall appeared in a pilot for a series Premiere in the
episode "Braddock". In 1966, he appeared as recurring character Luke
in Daktari.Later in the 1960s he appeared in Roddenberry's next
series, Star Trek portraying Lieutenant Boma in the episode "The
Galileo Seven" (1967). Other TV series he appeared in were Tarzan (the
series with Ron Ely), Dragnet 1967, and Ironside. In 1968, he appeared
as Ted Neumann, the recurring love interest of Julia Baker, in the
television series Julia, a series about an African-American widow
raising her son on her own.
American actor best known for his role as Dan Erickson in the
television show Land of the Giants.Marshall was born on May 2, 1936,
to Alama Marshall in San Diego. He lived with his mother and his
maternal grandmother, Leola Williams, his two older sisters, and his
twin brother (Douglas). He graduated from San Diego High School in
1954. While studying engineering between 1956 and 1957, he was
encouraged to try acting by a friend, Peter Bren. Marshall was still
in the army at this time, but later studied acting at the Bob Gist
Dramatic Workshop, while taking a course in theatre arts at Los
Angeles City College. While at college, he was a pole vaulter on the
track team.Marshall's first professional role was in a 1962 Columbia
Studios feature The Interns in an uncredited role. In 1964, he was in
Shock Treatment, another uncredited role. Also in 1964, Marshall took
the role of Chris Logan, playing opposite Nichelle Nichols in CBS
Repertoire Workshop episode titled "Great Gettin' Up Mornin'", a
made-for-TV-movie about an African-American family preparing their
children for their first day at a racially integrated school in
America's South. That same year, Nichols played Marshall's fiancée in
a controversial episode of Gene Roddenberry's series The Lieutenant.
In 1965, Marshall appeared in a pilot for a series Premiere in the
episode "Braddock". In 1966, he appeared as recurring character Luke
in Daktari.Later in the 1960s he appeared in Roddenberry's next
series, Star Trek portraying Lieutenant Boma in the episode "The
Galileo Seven" (1967). Other TV series he appeared in were Tarzan (the
series with Ron Ely), Dragnet 1967, and Ironside. In 1968, he appeared
as Ted Neumann, the recurring love interest of Julia Baker, in the
television series Julia, a series about an African-American widow
raising her son on her own.
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