Addison Powell

Who was Addison Powell?

Addison Powell was an American actor whose numerous television, stage and film credits included Dark Shadows, The Thomas Crown Affair and Three Days of the Condor. He was best known for playing Dr. Eric Lang, a mad scientist who created Adam, on Dark Shadows.

Powell was born in 1921 in Belmont, Massachusetts. His parents, Edward Henry and Kathrene Powell, were school teachers. Powell received a bachelor's degree from Boston University. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force as a navigator during World War II. Powell ultimately flew more than 30 combat missions as a navigator on board B-17 bombers from their base in East Anglia, the United Kingdom. He earned a second degree from the Yale School of Drama following the end of the war. Powell married his wife, Bunnie in 1950. The couple had three children during their marriage and resided on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Powell's film credits included In the French Style in 1962 and 1968's The Thomas Crown Affair, in which he played Abe, a bank robber, opposite Steve McQueen. In 1975, Powell appeared in Three Days of the Condor, which starred Robert Redford. He also portrayed Admiral Chester W. Nimitz in the 1977 biopic, MacArthur, which starred Gregory Peck.