Oliver Clark

Oliver Clark (born January 4, 1939) is an American character actor.

Clark was born Richard Mardirosian in Buffalo, New York, the son of Afro (née Karahos) and Matthew Mardirosian. He is of Armenian heritage. His brother, Tom Mardirosian, is also an actor. Clark made numerous appearances in film and television, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s. Two of his best-known characters were John Doe #6 on the NBC drama St. Elsewhere, a likeable and humorous psychiatric patient, and Mr. Herd, a patient of psychologist Bob Hartley on the CBS situation comedy The Bob Newhart Show. He played Mr. Belding in the original pilot of the series Good Morning Miss Bliss but was subsequently replaced by Dennis Haskins.

Clark also played Roger Barton on an episode of The Golden Girls, and played Joe Carruthers, the man who later becomes Santa Claus, in the holiday comedy film Ernest Saves Christmas.

Clark also appeared on two episodes of M*A*S*H, Season 5 Episode 16 38 "Across "as Hawkeye's college buddy who's now a Navy Doctor on board an aircraft carrier off the Korean coast, and a wiz at crossword puzzles, Hawkeye contacts him via telephone when he gets stuck on the final word to finish the puzzle, but a mistake in communicating the true nature of his call, leads the buddy to believe a medical emergency is going on at MASH, and leaves the ship in the company of a visiting high ranking Naval Medical officer, an Admiral, (Dick O'Neill) to make the long trip to MASH, only to find the real reason, and the mistake; and Season 6, Episode 20 "Mail Call Three" as a second Captain Benjamin Pierce (an Infantry Officer), where each Captain had been mistakenly receiving the other's mail.

Clark also played roles on Barney Miller, appearing in six episodes:

Clark was a regular on the 1975 situation comedy Karen. In 1977, he appeared in an episode of the ABC crime drama The Feather and Father Gang.