A well-oiled voice artist, he was a great mimic of voices.
Appeared in only one movie in his five-decade career -- With Six You Get Eggroll (1968) starring Doris Day -- in which he had a minor part as a desk sergeant.
Attended Columbia University and earned his degree in journalism before serving a hitch in the Navy.
Blond, block-faced and brawny support actor with the trademark sagging jowls best known for his blue-collar buddies and military cohorts on TV comedy -- could play bruising or dim-witted.
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, on February 18, 1922, his family moved to New York City when he was a young boy. His father was a film salesman for Fox Film Assn.
Got a job in radio sound effects with NBC at the onset of his career. He also did a nightclub act using his talent with voices and appeared on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts radio show and won.
Has a daughter, Jennifer, and a grandson.
Has one daughter, Jennifer, still living.
He appeared in dozens of TV shows but he's best known for four recurring roles: as Cpl. Henshaw in "The Phil Silvers Show" (1955), as Sgt. Charlie Hacker on "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." (1964), as Alice's boyfriend Sam on "The Brady Bunch" (1969) and as Archie Bunker's best friend Barney Hefner on "All in the Family" (1968).
His daughter Mya died in 1970.
His on-camera career usually found him playing bullies, but oddly enough, after his on-camera career dried up he found work playing just the opposite, doing voices for gentle, simple-minded cartoon characters.
His surviving daughter, Jennifer, is the mother of his grandson, Jon Hanson Jr.
Played Al the Plumber in the 1970s Liquid-Plumr commercials, a gig that lasted 15 years.
Retired from acting in the late 1990s.
Was in the original Broadway cast of "Stalag 17" in the early 1950s when he came to the attention of Phil Silvers for his classic Army-based TV show.
Was the cartoon voice of Magilla the Gorilla.