---
name: "William Lanteau"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/william-lanteau"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "12 November 1922"
died: "3 November 1993"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-20T06:28:16.668147+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# William Lanteau

Actor. Born 12 November 1922 in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, USA. Died 3 November 1993.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 12 November 1922, St. Johnsbury, Vermont, USA
- **Died:** 3 November 1993
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lanteau, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16013023, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0487140/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/49941

## Streaming the US now

- **Peacock:** [*On Golden Pond*](https://film.one/film/on-golden-pond.md) (72)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

William Lanteau was an American character actor. Born William Lanctot on 12 November 1922 in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, he served in the US Army during the Second World War and made his first television appearance in 1954. He worked extensively in theatre, with Broadway credits including *Li'l Abner*, *The Matchmaker* and *Mr. Roberts*.

Lanteau appeared in more than eighty television series, among them *The Andy Griffith Show*, *Wonder Woman*, *Cheers*, *The Wonder Years* and *Murder, She Wrote*. He was best known for playing Mayor Chester Wanamaker in *Newhart* (1982–1990). On screen he featured in films such as *Sex and the Single Girl* (1964), *From Noon till Three* (1976) and *Cold Steel* (1987).

He played Charlie Martin, the mail carrier, in both the stage and 1981 film versions of *On Golden Pond*. Lanteau died in Los Angeles on 3 November 1993, aged 70, from complications following heart surgery.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, latimes.com, nytimes.com, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *On Golden Pond* (1981), Fi1m 72, as Charlie Martin — [page](https://film.one/film/on-golden-pond.md)

## Complete filmography (48)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Shadow of a Doubt* (1991), as Henry Newton
- *Coach* (1989), series, as Herb
- *Monsters* (1988), series, as Tom Hart
- *Moving Target* (1988), as Mr. Bauman
- *The Wonder Years* (1988), series, as Mr. Frace — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-wonder-years.md)
- *Shadow Chasers* (1985), series, as Dr. Edwards
- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Howard
- *Goodnight, Beantown* (1983), series, Actor
- *This Girl for Hire* (1983), as Maurice
- *Newhart* (1982), series, as Chester Wanamaker
- *Cheers* (1982), series, as Mr. Sayers — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/cheers.md)
- *Cagney & Lacey* (1982), series, as Dr. Sinclair — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/cagney-and-lacey.md)
- *On Golden Pond* (1981), as Charlie Martin — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/on-golden-pond.md)
- *Bungle Abbey* (1981), as Edgar Forsythe
- *First, You Cry* (1978), as Notions Clerk
- *Diff'rent Strokes* (1978), series, as The Clerk
- *Happily Ever After* (1978), as Tennis Court Manager
- *CHiPs* (1977), series, as Rogovia
- *Our Town* (1977), as Howie Newsome
- *From Noon Till Three* (1976), as Reverend Cabot
- *The Art of Crime* (1975), as Medical Examiner
- *Wonder Woman* (1975), series, as Colonel Flint
- *Ellery Queen* (1975), series, as Avery Dickson
- *Lincoln* (1974), series, as Mr Richards
- *Come Die with Me* (1974), as Salesman
- *Barnaby Jones* (1973), series, as Mr. Turlock
- *The Waltons* (1972), series, as Salesman
- *The Harness* (1971), as Charlie, the Banker
- *The Courtship of Eddie's Father* (1969), series, as Gus the Waiter (uncredited), Vincent Pryor
- *Here's Lucy* (1968), series, as Sherwood, Kincaid, Mr. Minkle, Spike
- *The Ghost & Mrs. Muir* (1968), series, as Seth Duncan
- *The Mothers-in-Law* (1967), series, as Mark Redfield
- *Ironside* (1967), series, as Arnold Beckman
- *Hotel* (1967), as Mason
- *Green Acres* (1965), series, as Registrar
- *Sex and the Single Girl* (1964), as Sylvester
- *The Man from U.N.C.L.E.* (1964), series, as Analyst
- *The Lucille Ball Comedy Hour* (1964), as Mr. Henderson
- *Petticoat Junction* (1963), series, as Arthur Bronson
- *The Lucy Show* (1962), series, as Floorwalker
- *The Honeymoon Machine* (1961), as Tommy Dane
- *The Facts of Life* (1960), as Airline Clerk
- *Surfside 6* (1960), series, as Steve Crest
- *The Andy Griffith Show* (1960), series, as Ed Sawyer
- *Captain Brassbound's Conversion* (1960), as 1st Officer
- *Li'l Abner* (1959), as Available Jones
- *The Twilight Zone* (1959), series, as Dolan — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-twilight-zone.md)
- *Perry Mason* (1957), series, as Ross Darley

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© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/william-lanteau