Updated: May 17, 2024

Jonathan Harris, born Jonathan Charasuchin ( November 6, 1914 to November 3, 2002 )

Two of his best-known roles were as the timid accountant Bradford Webster in the TV version of The Third Man and Dr. Zachary Smith of the 1960s science fiction television series Lost in Space. Near the end of his career, he provided the voice of "Manny", a praying mantis in the animated feature A Bug's Life, and then "The Cleaner" in the animated sequel Toy Story 2. Harris was a popular character actor for 30 years on television, making his first guest appearance on an episode of The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre in 1949.

The part led to other roles in such shows as: The Web, Lights Out, Goodyear Television Playhouse, Sanford and Son, 2 episodes of Hallmark Hall of Fame, Armstrong Circle Theatre, 3 episodes of Studio One, Telephone Time, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Climax!, The Outlaws, The Twilight Zone, Bonanza, The Rogues, The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, 1 episode of Bewitched, among many others. Harris returned to television, where he landed a co-starring role opposite Michael Rennie in The Third Man, from 1959-65. He played Bradford Webster, an eccentric, cowardly assistant. Harris beat out two other actors for the role of conniving, milksop, cowardly agent Dr. Zachary Smith on Lost in Space for CBS. The character did not appear in the original 1965 pilot episode ( nor did the Robot ). The series was already in production when he joined the cast and the starring / co-starring billings had already been contractually assigned, so Harris received a "Special Guest Star" credit on every episode. Jonathan Harris died at age 87 from a blood clot in his heart, and is interred at Westwood Memorial Park.