Tony Dow

Tony Dow was an American actor and director.

Best known as "America's big brother" for his role as Wally Cleaver on Leave It To Beaver, Dow appeared in the show from 1957 through 1963.

He returned to the role on the 1983 CBS telefilm Still the Beaver, and a revival series, The New Leave It To Beaver, through 1989.

Dow got his start as a TV director on The New Leave It to Beaver, and he spent the next dozen years directing episodes of other shows like Harry and the Hendersons, Coach, Babylon 5, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and serving as a visual effects supervisor on a 1996 Doctor Who telefilm.

Following Leave It to Beaver, Dow appeared on such series as Dr. Kildare, My Three Sons ,and Mr. Novak and played a character named Chet on Never Too Young, a Malibu-set soap opera tailored to teens. He also served in the National Guard — though he refused to carry a weapon of any kind — and attended UCLA and Columbia University.

Later, Dow appeared on The Mod Squad, Emergency!, Quincy M.E., Knight Rider, Charles in Charge, and Murder, She Wrote and portrayed a cop on General Hospital.

Dow died July 27, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. He was 77.