Biography
Elisha Cook Jr. (1903–1995) was an American character actor. He appeared in numerous films and television series from the 1930s to the 1980s, often in supporting roles as neurotics, weaklings or villains.
Born in San Francisco and raised in Chicago, he began acting in vaudeville and stock theatre as a teenager before working on Broadway. He moved to Hollywood in 1936. His performance as the gunsel Wilmer Cook in The Maltese Falcon (1941) led to typecasting in similar parts. Other notable roles include Harry Jones in The Big Sleep (1946), George Peatty in The Killing (1956), 'Stonewall' Torrey in Shane (1953), Watson Pritchard in House on Haunted Hill (1959) and Mr. Nicklas in Rosemary's Baby (1968). He also appeared in episodes of Star Trek (1966) and ALF (1986).
