American film and television actor Paul Gilbert. He played various roles and appeared as himself from The Spike Jones Show in 1954 through Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In in 1973. Gilbert also appeared in other early television shows such as The NBC Comedy Hour, The Colgate Comedy Hour, Lux Video Theatre, Perry Mason, and The Dick Van Dyke Show.

He was born on December 27, 1918 in New York City as Ed MacMahon but changed his name to to Paul Gilbert to get a Screen Actors Guild card. Gilbert and his fourth wife Barbara Crane adopted Melissa Gilbert who played Laura Ingalls Wilder and Jonathan Gilbert who played Willie Oleson on the NBC TV series Little House on the Prairie. When Melissa was 8, they divorced. His ex-wife and children remained in San Fernando. He moved to nearby Encino but stayed an active father to Melissa and Jonathan, joining the family for holidays.

Gilbert died suddenly of a stroke on February 13, 1975. He was 56 years old.

Source: Wikipedia