William Lindsey "Bill" Erwin (December 2, 1914 – December 29, 2010) was an American television, film, and stage actor with over 250 television and film credits. As a veteran character actor, he was widely known for his role of Sid Fields, an embittered, irascible man on Seinfeld – for which he received an Emmy nomination – as well his regular appearances in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Film
In the late 1950s, Erwin was in such pictures as "A Streetcar Named Desire" He played Jack Nicholson’s father in "Cry Baby Killer," He would later co-star alongside Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour in the Somewhere in Time.
Erwin has appeared in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, She’s Having a Baby, Home Alone, and Dennis the Menace.
Television
His TV credits were even more numerous in the 1950s as he appeared in such television shows as I Love Lucy, Crusader, Trackdown, Colgate Theatre, "Perry Mason" and The Rifleman. In the 1960s, Erwin appeared in television shows such as: The Andy Griffith Show, Mister Ed, Maverick, The Twilight Zone, 87th Precinct, The Fugitive, and Mannix. Continuing his growing television stardom, Erwin, in the 1970s, was found in such television shows as: Barnaby Jones, Cannon, and Gunsmoke. Entering into the 1980s and 1990s, Erwin established his legacy on television by appearing in shows like ER, Highway to Heaven, Voyagers, Seinfeld, Dukes of Hazzard, Married With Children, Growing Pains, Full House, The Golden Girls, Moonlighting, My Name is Earl, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. He had been on television continuously from 1948 to 2006.
In the Seinfeld episode ("The Old Man"), Erwin played Sid Fields ("Sid Fields" was the name of the writer for Abbott and Costello, and a person admired by Jerry Seinfeld), a member of the Foster-A-Grandpa Program. Erwin was Jerry’s foster grandparent, and his aggressive character and sheer hatred for Jerry made the relationship fail. Furthermore, Erwin’s character bit Kramer on the arm causing him to lose his dentures. Irwin received an Emmy nomination for outstanding guest actor for the role, and later reunited with Michael Richards when he guest starred on the short-lived The Michael Richards Show.
In the 2000s, Erwin appeared on Monk, The West Wing, King of Queens, Everwood and My Name Is Earl.
Death of Bill Erwin
Bill Erwin died of natural causes in Studio City.
Bill Erwin was 96 years old at the time of his death.
"The Twilight Zone" Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?
Bill Erwin as Peter Kramer (The Shop Owner? – need a fact check )