A former 12-year-old child prodigy, his youthful highlight was performing a piano recital at Carnegie Hall.
Attending both Georgetown University and the University of Colorado, he graduated in 1958 and focused on acting. He studied with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse.
Before becoming an actor, Ted Bessell had seriously considered the Catholic Priesthood as a vocation.
Bessell moved into directing and helmed episodes of "The Tracey Ullman Show," and in 1989 shared an Emmy as a producer on Fox Broadcasting's "Tracey Ullman", which was honored as best variety or comedy program.
Best remembered by the public for his role as Donald Hollinger in That Girl (1966).
For five years (until his death) his professional partner was Penny Marshall at Parkway Productions.
He and former co-star Marlo Thomas were discussing a feature film remake of their 60s "That Girl" series in which the two main characters, now 25 years older, would meet again and fall in love.
He scored his biggest burst of post-"That Girl" fame in the final season of "Mary Tyler Moore" (1970), playing Mary Richard's beau.
His surviving wife, Linnell Nobori, is an artist. They have two daughters, Sarah and Mary.
Interred in Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica, California.
Is interred at Woodlawn Cemetary, Santa Monica, CA
One of his ex-wives is Donna Gordon, a well-known exotic dancer during the 1970s and 1980s. The couple divorced sometime in the 1980s.
Pronounced dead shortly after 1 a.m. in UCLA Medical Center emergency room.
Remained friends with "That Girl" (1966) costar Marlo Thomas until his death.
Ted was in the process of directing the movie version of the television series, "Bewitched" (1964) when he became fatally ill.