Actor. He was an American motion picture and television actor. He was best known for playing Fred Johnson, the one-armed man who killed Richard Kimble's wife on the classic 1960's television series "The Fugitive." The show aired for five seasons. For this role, he was ranked #5 on the "TV Guide" list of "The 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time." Besides being an actor, he was a dancer, stuntman, and acting coach. Born Carl William Raisch, the son of German immigrants, he became a dancer with Ziegfeld Follies dance troupe after high school. He married one of the Ziegfeld dancers, Adele Smith. He had a few uncredited acting roles on stage in the 1930s. During World War II, he served with the United States Merchant Marine. In 1945, Raisch's right arm was badly burned in a shipboard fire and had to be amputated above the elbow. After the war, he found roles that a one-arm actor could do, which was usually a villain. Most of his 20+ film roles were uncredited. After leaving acting, he became an acting coach in Los Angeles. He died of lung cancer.
Actor. He was an American motion picture and television actor. He was best known for playing Fred Johnson, the one-armed man who killed Richard Kimble's wife on the classic 1960's television series "The Fugitive." The show aired for five seasons. For this role, he was ranked #5 on the "TV Guide" list of "The 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time." Besides being an actor, he was a dancer, stuntman, and acting coach. Born Carl William Raisch, the son of German immigrants, he became a dancer with Ziegfeld Follies dance troupe after high school. He married one of the Ziegfeld dancers, Adele Smith. He had a few uncredited acting roles on stage in the 1930s. During World War II, he served with the United States Merchant Marine. In 1945, Raisch's right arm was badly burned in a shipboard fire and had to be amputated above the elbow. After the war, he found roles that a one-arm actor could do, which was usually a villain. Most of his 20+ film roles were uncredited. After leaving acting, he became an acting coach in Los Angeles. He died of lung cancer.
Bio by: Linda Davis
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