Hank Patterson
Encyclopedia
Hank Patterson was an American actor
and musician
. He is most known for playing stableman Hank Miller on Gunsmoke
and Fred Ziffel on Petticoat Junction
and Green Acres
.
Patterson was born in Springville, Alabama
. He had intended to be a serious pianist, but became instead a vaudeville
piano player, eventually moving to Hollywood where he played in a series of movies, largely Westerns and science fiction
from 1939 to 1973. He also played in a number of television
westerns including a memorable role as an elderly bounty hunter in an episode of Have Gun Will Travel in 1961. He was also in a couple of episodes of The Twilight Zone
.
Patterson's great-niece is actress Téa Leoni
.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. He is most known for playing stableman Hank Miller on Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
and Fred Ziffel on Petticoat Junction
Petticoat Junction
Petticoat Junction is an American situation comedy produced by Filmways which originally aired on CBS from 1963 to 1970. The series is one of three interrelated shows about rural characters created by Paul Henning; the others are The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres.The setting for the series...
and Green Acres
Green Acres
Green Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...
.
Patterson was born in Springville, Alabama
Springville, Alabama
Springville is a town in St. Clair County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 2,521.-Geography:Springville is located at .According to the U.S...
. He had intended to be a serious pianist, but became instead a vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
piano player, eventually moving to Hollywood where he played in a series of movies, largely Westerns and science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
from 1939 to 1973. He also played in a number of television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
westerns including a memorable role as an elderly bounty hunter in an episode of Have Gun Will Travel in 1961. He was also in a couple of episodes of The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
.
Patterson's great-niece is actress Téa Leoni
Téa Leoni
Elizabeth Téa Pantaleoni , better known by her stage name Téa Leoni, is an American actress. She has starred in a wide range of films including Jurassic Park III, The Family Man, Deep Impact, Fun with Dick and Jane, Spanglish, Bad Boys, and Ghost Town.-Early life:Leoni was born in New York City...
.