Mr. Milquetoast

Wally Cox will always be remembered as the nerdy little man with a goofy voice and thick lensed glasses. Those were the roles he played and played brilliantly. He was in reality a manly kind of guy, a man's man. One of his best friends since childhood was actor Marlon Brando. It was Brando in fact that encouraged Cox to study at the Stella Adler school when they were room mates in New York.
The milquetoast character that he created was his bread and butter though. He started his career on radio in the 1940's and moved onto nightclubs. His big break came on the Arthur Godfrey show where he sang in high pitched yodel. In 1952 he was given the starring role in the television series Mr. Peepers. Cox played Mr. Peepers a nerdy junior high science teacher. This show lead him to appear in guest star roles in many television sitcoms through out the 50's, 60's and 70's. It was game shows where Wally Cox would really shine as a performer. His quick dry wit made him a very popular guest. He is mostly remembered for appearing in the upper left corner of Hollywood Squares. Wally Cox also did a lot of voice over work including the voice of "Underdog".
Wally Cox died after having a heart attack in his Hollywood home in 1978. He was 48 years old. He was remembered shortly after by his good friend Robert Blake when he was appearing on The Tonight Show. His ashes were in the possession of Marlon Brando until he scattered them in Tahiti.