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Vale: Harold Gould

Veteran character actor Harold Gould, who appeared in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, has died, aged 86.

Veteran character actor Harold Gould, who appeared in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, has died, aged 86.

Gould died on Saturday of prostate cancer at the Motion Picture and Television Fund retirement community in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles.

He was probably best known for two television roles in the 1970s, on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and later on its spinoff, Rhoda, as the father of Rhoda Morgenstern (Valerie Harper). Martin was the patient and consoling parent, a foil for his brassy wife, Ida (Nancy Walker).

A decade and a half or so later, he was a regular guest star on The Golden Girls as a sweetly dashing widower who courted Rose Nylund (Betty White).

But he also made guest appearances on numerous shows.

In the 1960s he appeared on Dennis the Menace, The Donna Reed Show, Hazel, National Velvet, Perry Mason, Mister Ed, Dr. Kildare, The Twilight Zone, The Virginian, 12 O’Clock High, The Fugitive, Judd for the Defense and Hogan’s Heroes. In the 1970s he was seen on Cannon, Mannix, Hawaii Five-O, Medical Story, Police Story, Family, Soap,  The Love Boat and episode of Love, American Style.

In the 1980s he appeared on St. Elsewhere, Webster, Trapper John, M.D., L.A. Law and Night Court; in the 1990s, on Dallas, Lois and Clark, Touched by an Angel and Felicity; and in this century on The King of Queens, Judging Amy and Cold Case. Most recently he appeared on Nip / Tuck.

Gould appeared in such films as Harper, Love and Death,  Silent Movie, Freaky Friday, Patch Adams and The Sting and had a prolific career on stage.

Source: NY Times

4 Responses

  1. Harold Gould returned in later series of Golden Girls as another romantic partner of Rose – Miles Webber, an ongoing role that endeared him to a whole new audience. Betty White has lost another close co-star.

  2. I am most saddened by this loss – his recurring role as Arnie in Golden Girls was so charming and delightful, and remembering his turn as Rhoda’s Dad brings back other memories. A guest appearance as Billy Crystal’s hospital room,mate in Soap, just before Billy’s character considers a sex change was so memorable. He was a dashing and likeable character actor. He is probably already trading quips with Nancy Walker in the afterlife!

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