Vince Edwards

Vince Edwards, born Vincent Edward Zoine on July 9, 1928 in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York, was an American actor, director and occasional singer whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid‑1990s. He first broke into Hollywood after studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where his classmates included Anne Bancroft and Grace Kelly, and signing a contract with Paramount Pictures in 1950. His early film work featured roles in Mister Universe (1951) and the lead in Hiawatha (1952), but it was the title‑character in the medical drama Ben Casey (1961‑1966) that launched him to national stardom and made his name a household staple. Edwards not only acted in the series but also directed several episodes, showcasing his versatility behind the camera. After Ben Casey ended he returned to the big screen with notable performances such as Major Cliff Bricker in The Devil’s Brigade (1968) and the lead in the sci‑fi adventure Space Raiders (1983). Throughout the 1970s and 1980s he appeared in numerous television guest spots, directed episodes of Battlestar Galactica and provided the voice of Jake Rockwell in the animated series Centurions. Despite a flourishing career, Edwards struggled with a compulsive gambling habit that he later addressed publicly with his fourth wife, Janet Friedman, hoping to warn others about the perils of addiction. He recorded several singles in the 1950s, including an early version of “The Wonder of You,” and remained active in entertainment until his final film The Fear (1995). Vince Edwards died of pancreatic cancer on March 11 1996 in Los Angeles, and is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, leaving behind three children.