Biography for
David Ogden Stiers More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

31 October 1942, Peoria, Illinois, USA

Birth Name

David Allen Ogden Stiers

Height

6' 4" (1.93 m)

Mini Biography

David Ogden Stiers was born in Peoria, Illinois, moved with his family to Eugene, Oregon during high school and began his acting career in Northern California, acting in the Actor's Workshop and California Shakespeare Festival. He later moved to New York, where he studied drama at Julliard, and joined the Houseman Acting Company at its outset. He often lends his voice to animated films, with Lilo & Stitch (2002) being his 25th theatrically-released Disney animated film. He is also an avid fan of classical music, and has conducted many orchestras, including the Yaquina Chamber Orchestra in Newport, Oregon, where he is the principal guest conductor.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Matt Dicker

Mini Biography

David Ogden Stiers began his career in San Francisco at the Actors' Workshop and went on to work with John Houseman's Acting Company in New York on such productions as The Beggar's Opera, Measure for Measure, The Hostage and the hit musical The Magic Show. His other theatre work includes performances with the Committee Revue and Theatre, the California Shakespeare Festival (where he played leads in the classics) and at the Pasadena Playhouse in Love Letters with Meredith Baxter. In addition to his long-running role in "M*A*S*H" (1972), Stiers' work on television also includes the mini-series "North and South" (1985) and "North and South, Book II" (1986), "The First Olympics: Athens 1896" (1984) and roles in such productions as Anatomy of an Illness (1984) (TV), The Bad Seed (1985) (TV), J. Edgar Hoover (1987) (TV), The Final Days (1989) (TV), Father Damien: The Leper Priest (1980) (TV) and Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry (1986) (TV).

His screen credits include The Accidental Tourist (1988), The Man with One Red Shoe (1985), Creator (1985), Harry's War (1981), Magic (1978) and Oh, God! (1977).

IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous

Trade Mark

Disney movies

Deep, elegant voice

Trivia

Has conducted 70 orchestras in over 100 appearances. He is resident conductor of the Newport Symphony Orchestra in Newport, Oregon.

Some of the "M*A*S*H" (1972) actors jokingly had his dressing room painted orange and purple while Stiers was off for Thanksgiving break.

Was a high school classmate of Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert.

Provided the voice of Cogsworth the clock in Disney's Beauty and the Beast (1991). His advice to the Beast on what to give Belle, "Flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep..." was his own creation.

Provided several other voices for Disney: Gov. Ratcliffe & Wiggins in Pocahontas (1995) and Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998) (V); Cogsworth and the narrator in Beauty and the Beast (1991); and the Archdeacon in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996).

He is often given small roles in Woody Allen films for which he receives high billing considering his screen time.

On "M*A*S*H" (1972), he played an Harvard alum and in real life, Stiers taught theater games at Harvard.

Didn't learn to drive until 1975, when his role on the "Kojak" (1973) episode, "Kojak: Money Back Guarantee (#3.12)" (1975), called for him to be seen driving.

Has a son from a relationship in the 1960s.

Graduated High School at North Eugene High School, Oregon.

Played French horn in the orchestra at Julliard, which is rather more amusing considering an episode of "M*A*S*H" (1972) where he bothers Hawkeye and B.J. with persistent bad horn playing.

His last name is pronounced "styers".

Best known by the public for his role as Major Charles Winchester on "M*A*S*H" (1972).

His acting mentor was the late Harry Morgan.

Personal Quotes

Why he chose to come out as gay, May, 2009: I could claim noble reasons as coming out in order to move gay rights forward, but I must admit it is for far more selfish reasons. Now is the time I wish to find someone and I do not desire to force any potential partner to live a life of extreme discretion for me.