Roger C. Carmel

Roger Charles Carmel, born on September 27, 1932, in Brooklyn, New York, was a prominent American actor known for his distinctive performances across television and film. He gained widespread recognition for portraying the flamboyant and often bumbling criminal Harry Mudd in the original Star Trek series. His extensive career also included notable roles such as the accountant Doug Wesley on The Dick Van Dyke Show and the villain Colonel Gumm on Batman. Carmel's versatility allowed him to appear in a variety of popular shows, including The Patty Duke Show, I Spy, Hogan's Heroes, and The Munsters, among many others.

In addition to his television work, Carmel made his mark in films, featuring in Alfred Hitchcock's classic North by Northwest. He lent his voice to various characters, notably Smokey Bear in fire safety campaigns and Decepticon Lieutenant Cyclonus in the Transformers animated series. He also portrayed Señor Naugles in commercials for a Mexican fast-food chain and appeared in Jerry Lewis's 1981 film Hardly Working.

Carmel briefly starred as Roger Buell in the sitcom The Mothers-in-Law before being replaced amid a salary dispute, though rumors suggested drug issues may have played a role. Tragically, he passed away from congestive heart failure on November 11, 1986, in Hollywood, California, just before he was to reprise his iconic role as Harry Mudd in Star Trek: The Next Generation. He rests in New Mount Carmel Cemetery in Glendale, Queens, New York.