George Simmons

George Simmons' almost ageless appearance kept him in work or shows and movies from the late 1940s through the 1980s. Like most successful extras, Simmons had a unique trait that set him apart from the rest of the crowd because he was a registered nurse. Whenever a series needed an actor to supervise some of the sequences they would use Simmons as a technical advisor to make sure the procedures looked like they were authentic. Like most actor's, Simmons had a varied resume throughout his career. His big trouble was that his small stature and his everyday appearance worked against him in the 1960s because he just didn't fit into the western bar scenes. This all changed when the television dramas increased in popularity and now the very appearance that worked against him now helped him gain work in most of the television shows that constantly appeared in the 1960s. By the fourth season of The Man From U.N.C.L.E., he became a reoccurring agent constantly checking the machines or walking in the background as Robert Vaughn or David McCallum walked by. When U.N.C.L.E. was abruptly cancelled, Simmons continue to find work appearing as bar patrons, waiters, and paramedics. During the 1970s, he caught another break, he was kept around the set of MASH because of his experience as a registered nurse. Whenever they needed an extra to supervise the surgery or to make the surgeries look authentic, Simmons was one of the show's medical advisers that they used. Once MASH wrapped up, Simmons continued to appear in the background and in bit roles throughout the 1980s. He eventually decided to retire and he moved to Las Vegas. George Simmons may not be a household name, but you will not find an extra who ever had anything bad to say about Simmons. He was known to be quiet but professional extra. He knew how to act and he did exactly what the director told him too. Even though he passed away in 2005, he left behind an enormous amount of work for the world to appreciate.