David Ogden Stiers

American actor and conductor who appeared in numerous productions on Broadway, and originated the role of Feldman in The Magic Show, in 1974. Stiers played Major Charles Emerson Winchester III, MD, on the television series M*A*S*H, 1977-1983, which earned him two Emmy Award nominations.

He appeared prominently in the 1980s in the role of District Attorney Michael Reston in several Perry Mason TV films, and voiced a number of Disney characters, including Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast (1991), Governor Ratcliffe and Wiggins in Pocahontas (1995), and Dr. Jumba Jookiba in the Lilo & Stitch franchise. He also voiced Kamaji in the English-language version of Spirited Away (2001). He appeared in TV again on the supernatural drama series The Dead Zone as Reverend Gene Purdy, a role he portrayed from 2002 to 2007. He joined the cast of Stargate: Atlantis in its third season (2006-2007) as Oberoth, leader of the human-form replicators.

Stiers continued to contribute voice work for films and television productions in his later years, narrating M. Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water (2006) and having a recurring role on the animated series Regular Show. Stiers spent his later years as a conductor of the Newport Symphony Orchestra.

Stiers came out as gay in 2009, telling Oklahoma City blog Gossip Boy that he feared coming out would hurt his career and that "a lot of my income has been derived from voicing Disney and family programming. What they might allow in a more known actor, they prefer not having to deal with in minor players." He said his main reason for coming out was for the sake of a future potential partner: "I could claim noble reasons as coming out in order to move gay rights forward, but I must admit it is for far more selfish reasons. Now is the time I wish to find someone, and I do not desire to force any potential partner to live a life of extreme discretion with me.