GEORGE NADER & MARK MILLER

George Nader (October 19, 1921, Pasadena, California – February 4, 2002, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, United States) was an American film and television actor of Lebanese descent. He appeared in a variety of films from 1950 through 1974, including Phone Call from a Stranger (1952), Congo Crossing (1956), and The Female Animal (1957).

During this period, he also did episodic television and starred in several series, including the unique NBC adventure offering, The Man and the Challenge (1959–60). However, his best-remembered role may have been as “Roy”, the hero who saves the world from the clutches of “Ro-man” in the low-budget 3-D sci-fi romp Robot Monster (1953).

Born in Pasadena, California, Nader began his film career in 1950, after having earned his bachelor of arts in theatre arts at Occidental College. Nader appeared in several productions at the Pasadena Playhouse. That work led to a number of bit parts in 1951 and ’52.

His big break was his first starring role, which came in Robot Monster (1953), a 3-D feature film directed by Phil Tucker. This role and his rugged good looks won him a Universal Studios contract in the 1950s, and he made a number of films for Universal. In 1955, he won a Golden Globe Award for “Most Promising Newcomer.”

Despite this accolade, Nader often found himself struggling in the shadow of more famous leading men, such as Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis, and Jeff Chandler. His films of that period included 1954’s Carnival Story and Sins of Jezebel and 1956’s Away All Boats.

He also was Esther Williams’ leading man in her first straight dramatic film, The Unguarded Moment, released by Universal in 1956. He moved into television in the late 1950s, appearing in several short-lived series including The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen and The Man and the Challenge. In the 1961-1962 season, he appeared as insurance investigator Joe Shannon in the syndicated crime drama Shannon; his co-star was Regis Toomey.

Nader also appeared frequently on The Loretta Young Show, a dramatic anthology series on NBC.