Stuart Margolin was born on January 31 1940 in Davenport, Iowa. He spent much of his childhood in Dallas, Texas. Growing up he was kicked out of various local Dallas public schools, and ultimately attended a boarding school in Nashville and a private school in Dallas.
Stuart Margolin moved to New York City to live with his older brother Arnold Margolin when the latter was appearing on Broadway as a replacement in The Diary of Anne Frank. Afterwards he attended a summer theatre camp in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. There he met Barney Brown, an acting instructor who mentored Robert Duval, Gene Hackman, and Dustin Hoffman. He graduated from Scottsdale High School in Arizona in 1958. He moved to California to continue his studies under Barney Brown at the Pasadena Playhouse.
Stuart Margolin made his television debut in 1961 on The Gertrude Berg Show in the recurring role of Lester Wexley. The following year he appeared in a recurring role on the show Ensign O'Toole. In the Sixties he guest starred on the shows The Lieutenant, Burke's Law, Channing, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, The Fugitive, Ben Casey, 12 O' Clock High, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Branded, Blue Light, Hey Landlord, Pistols 'n' Petticoats, Occasional Wife, The Second Hundred Years, He & She, The Virginian, The Monkees, Bewitched, The F.B.I., Judd for the Defense, That Girl, It Takes a Thief, Land of the Giants, and My World and Welcome to It. He made his film debut in Women of the Prehistoric Planet in 1966. During the Sixties he also appeared in the movies Don't Just Stand Thee (1968), Kelly's Heroes (1970), and The Gamblers (1970). He wrote the TV movie The Ballad of Andy Cocker.
In the Seventies Stuart Margolin played Deputy Sheriff Mitch Mitchell, the sidekick of the title character on the television Western Nichols. It was the first time he worked with James Garner. He played the recurring role of Angel Martin on James Garner's next television series, The Rockford Files. He guest starred on the television shows Getting Together; The Partridge Family; Love, American Style; The Mary Tyler Moore Show; Cannon; Gunsmoke; M*A*S*H; Rhoda; Lanigan's Rabbi; and The Associates. He appeared in the movies Limbo (1972), The Stone Killer (1973), Death Wish (1974), The Gambler (1974), The Big Bus (1976), Futureworld (1976), Heroes (1977), and Days of Heaven (1978).
It was in the Seventies that Stuart Margolin broke into directing with Love, American Style. He directed episodes of The Texas Wheelers, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Phyllis, Sara, Wonder Woman, The Rockford Files, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, The Love Boat, and The Fitzpatricks, as well as TV movies. He write screenplay for the movie A Man, a Woman and a Bank (1979).
In the Eighties Stuart Margolin played the recurring role of Philo Sandeen on the TV series Bret Maverick. He also had regular roles on the shows Mr. Smith and Mom P.I. He guest starred on the shows The Fall Guy; Magnum, P.I.; CBS Children's Mystery Theatre; Hill Street Blues; Danger Bay; Crazy Like a Fox; The Tracey Ullman Show; and A Family For Joe. He appeared in the mini-series Vendetta: Secrets of a Mafia Bride. He appeared in the movies S.O.B. (1981), Class (1983), Running Hot (1984), A Fine Mess (1986), Iron Eagle II (1988), Bye Bye Blues (1989), and Deep Sleep (1990). He directed episodes of Bret Maverick; Hart to Hart; Magnum, P.I.; CBS Children's Mystery Theatre; Crazy Like a Fox; Danger Bay; Tough Cookies; Neon Rider; and B. L. Stryker. He directed episodes of the mini-series Vendetta: Secrets of a Mafia Bride. He wrote episodes of Neon Rider and Vendetta: Secrets of a Mafia Bride.
In the Nineties Mr. Margolin reprised his role as Angel in several Rockford Files television movies. He guest starred on the shows Matlock, The Ray Bradbury Theatre, Monkey House, Johnny Bago, E.N.G., Dead Man's Gun, Promised Land, Jake and the Kid, Touched by an Angel, 18 Wheels of Justice, and Beggars and Choosers. He appeared in the movies Guilt by Suspicion (1991), Impolite (1992), The Lady of the Land (1997), and The Hi-Line (1998). He directed episodes of the shows Fly by Night, The Ray Bradbury Theatre, Quantum Leap, North of 60, Lonesome Dove: The Series, Promised Land, and Beggars and Choosers. He wrote an episode of North of 60 and the story for the film Grizzly Falls (1999).
In the Naughts Stuart Margolin had a regular role on the TV show Tom Stone. He guest starred on the shows Da Vinci's Inquest, Strange Frequency, These Arms of Mine, Intelligence, Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, and The Bridge. He appeared in the film The Hoax (2006). He directed episodes of the shows These Arms of Mine, Tom Stone, Wild Card, The Handler, Da Vinci's Inquest, Da Vinci's City Hall, Intelligence and The Bridge.
In the Teens Stuart Margolin guest starred on the TV shows Call Me Fitz, Republic of Doyle, NCIS, and The X-Files. He appeared in the movies Arbitrage (2012), The Discoverers (2013), The Second Time Around (2016), SGT. Will Gardner (2019), and What the Night Can Do (2020).
Chances are very good that Stuart Margolin will always be best remembered as Angel Martin on The Rockford Files. Jim Rockford's former cell mate, Angel was a bit shifty and was often trying to run some con game or another. At the same time, Angel was loyal to Jim, who was at time exasperated by his antics. Of course, Mr. Margolin played many more roles than Angel over the years. In the X-Files episode "The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat," he played a NASA scientist who learned how to manipulate memory. In The Stone Killer he played a contractor who sets up hits for the mob and in A Fine Mess he played a bumbling criminal out to get the two lead characters after they overhear him and his partner doping a horse. Over the years he played a wide array of roles from the captain of an alien spaceship in the Monkees episode "The Monkees Watch their Feet" to a mill foreman in Days of Heaven. Of course, Mr. Margolin also directed several hours worth of television. He was an immensely talented and versatile man.
