William Boyett

Who was William Boyett?

William Boyett was an American actor best known for his work as the low-key but authoritative Sergeant William 'Mac' MacDonald on the police drama Adam-12. Adam-12 executive producer Jack Webb selected him for the role after several performances in Webb's Dragnet. Boyett stayed with the series for its entire 1968–1975 run.

Boyett appeared in a number of television programs, such as Perry Mason, Highway Patrol, Tales of the Texas Rangers, Sea Hunt, I Spy, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Fantasy Island, The Rockford Files, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The A-Team and Night Court.

He also acted in several motion pictures, such as The Hidden and The Rocketeer. Boyett earned much praise for The Hidden as a hospital patient named Jonathan P. Miller, possessed by an alien being with a taste for red Ferraris and rock and roll music. Boyett also played Battalion Chief McConnike on the 1970s series Emergency!.

Boyett was born in Akron, Ohio and lived there until the 1940s when he moved with his family to Los Angeles, California. He won a Shakespeare competition in high school which led to acting jobs in radio. He served in the Navy during World War II and afterward performed on the stage in both New York and Los Angeles.