Biography
Karl Swenson was an American actor of stage, radio, film and television. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he began his career in radio in the 1930s and appeared on Broadway, initially using the stage name Peter Wayne. He later moved into film and television, accumulating credits across Westerns and other genres.
Swenson is known for his voice role as Merlin in the Disney animated film The Sword in the Stone (1963), his appearance in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963), and his recurring role as Lars Hanson in the television series Little House on the Prairie (1974–1978). He played Dr. Morris in the film Seconds (1966). He was married to actress Joan Tompkins and died in Torrington, Connecticut, in 1978.
