Actor, Singer. He was a prolific actor who was best known for sporting whiskers and playing the character roles of cooks, gamblers, reporters, soldiers, clerks, bums, cops, sergeants, farmers, bandleaders, desk clerks, mourners, prisoners, bus drivers, mailmen, storekeepers, bellhops, and stage drivers, usually in classic western films and western television series usually as a grizzled sidekick to the hero. He will be best remembered for playing the role of 'Willy Warner' in the Sci-Fi horror thriller film, "The Vampire" (1957). The film which was directed by Paul Landres, which was written for the screen by Pat Fielder, and which also starred John Beal, Coleen Gray, Lydia Reed, Dabbs Greer, and Kenneth Tobey, tells the story of a kind, small-town doctor who mistakenly ingests pills made from vampire bat blood and they turn him into a dangerous fanged creature. He will also be best remembered for playing the role of the loveable but cranky and somewhat hot-headed cook 'George Washington "Wish" Wishbone' in 216 episodes of the classic western television series, "Rawhide," from 1959 to 1965. The series which was created by Charles Marquis Warren, and also starred Clint Eastwood, Eric Fleming, Steve Raines, James Murdock, Rocky Shahan, Robert Cabal, and Sheb Wooley, as drovers, cooks, and other assorted characters, who are led by Gil Favor a trail boss who is on a continuous cattle drive. He is assisted by Rowdy Yates. The crew runs into characters and adventures along the way. He also sang the song, "The Glory Trail," in the episode entitled, "Incident Of The Stalking Death," which originally aired on November 13, 1959, when Gil shoots and wounds a puma while out scouting for the cattle drive. The puma escaped and kills the young son of a local rancher's widow. Gil and the guys go on the hunt for the puma along with a friend of the widow who also happens to want to kill Gil because he's jealous of the attention the widow shows Gil, and he also sang the song, "Buffalo Gals," in the episode entitled, "Incident Of The Tinker's Dam," which originally aired on February 5, 1960, when Wishbone buries his brother "alive" to keep Kiowas from killing him for romancing the stony chief's wife. T.J. turns out to be a comical embarrassment: a pot fixer whose customers fight to scalp him for his shoddy tinking, which is his ploy for woman chasing. For years, trail cook Wishy's fellow drovers heard the cook laud his misplaced little brother's prowess as a warrior, politician, you name it. But angering the Kiowa at the moment is deadly serious because the tribe is divided over signing a treaty. Young braves oppose old Chief Wankawa inking the doc. He was born one of three children as Paul Alden Brinegar Jr. in Tucumcari, New Mexico, to farmer Paul Alden Brinegar Sr. (1886-1971), and his wife Louise McElroy Brinegar (1889-1980), on December 19, 1917. The family moved several times when he was a child including to Alamogordo, New Mexico, then to Las Cruces, New Mexico, and then finally to Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was educated locally in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and it was here that he first became interested in acting. He appeared in stage productions of several plays while in high school and then graduated in 1935. He then attended the prestigious Pasadena Junior College in Pasadena, California, where he studied drama, art, and literature. Following his education, he moved back to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to live with his parents and two younger brothers. He later found work as an independent writer and following the outbreak of World War II, he joined the United States Navy and served with them for four years in the South Pacific as a Chief Radio Operator. Following his military service, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he applied his military training to earn a living as a radio repairman. He then decided to pursue an acting career further and he began appearing in films and eventually on television. He made his actual film debut playing the role of a 'Gambler' in the western film, "Abilene Town" (1946). The film which was directed by Edwin L. Marin, which was written by Harold Shumate, which was based on the novel, "Trail Town," by Ernest Haycox, and which also starred Randolph Scott, Ann Dvorak, and Edgar Buchanan, tells the story of a sheriff who tries to stop homesteader conflicts in the West after the Civil War. Besides, playing the role of a 'Gambler' in the western film, "Abilene Town" (1946), and playing the role of 'Willy Warner' in the Sci-Fi horror thriller film, "The Vampire" (1957), his many other film credits include, "Larceny" (1948), "Take One False Step" (1949), "Sword In The Desert" (1949), "Pinky" (1949), "The Gal Who Took The West" (1949), "Young Man With A Horn" (1950), "A Ticket To Tomahawk" (1950), "Storm Warning" (1951), "Insurance Investigator" (1951), "Journey Into Light" (1951), "Here Come The Nelsons" (1952), "The Captive City" (1952), "Pat And Mike" (1952), "We're Not Married!" (1952), "It Happens Every Thursday" (1953), "Fast Company" (1953), "Captain Scarface" (1953), "So Big" (1953), "Phantom Of The Rue Morgue" (1954), "Rails Into Laramie" (1954), "The Rocket Man" (1954), "Human Desire" (1954), "Dawn At Socorro" (1954), "Rogue Cop" (1954), "A Star Is Born" (1954), "Four Guns To The Border" (1954), "The Silver Chalice" (1954), "Cell 2455, Death Row" (1955), "I Died A Thousand Times" (1955), "Ransom!" (1956), "Inside Detroit" (1956), "World Without End" (1956), "Santiago" (1956), "Fighting Trouble" (1956), "Flight To Hong Kong" (1956), "The Spirit Of St. Louis" (1957), "The Iron Sheriff" (1957), "Hell On Devil's Island" (1957), "Copper Sky" (1957), "Cattle Empire" (1958), "How To Make A Monster" (1958), "Mann Of Action" (1958), "Country Boy" (1966), "Charro!" (1969), "High Plains Drifter" (1973), "I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now?" (1975), "Crisis In The Sun Valley" (1978), "The Texas Rangers" (1981), "The Creature Wasn't Nice" (1981), "The Wild Women Of Chastity Gulch" (1982), "The Young Landlords" (1983), "Chattanooga Choo Choo" (1984), "Annihilator" (1986), "Life Stinks" (1991), "The Gambler Returns: The Luck Of The Draw" (1991, He played the role of 'George Washington "Wish" Wishbone' from "Rahide," in the film), and "Maverick" (1994). Besides, playing the role of the loveable but hot headed cook George 'Wishbone' Washington in 216 episodes of the classic western television series, "Rawhide," from 1959 to 1965, his many other television roles include, "Racket Squad," "The Whistler," "The Lineuo," 'The Lone Ranger," "Public Defender," "Treasury Men In Action," "The Man Behind The Badge," "Fireside Theatre," "Cavalcade Of America," "Celebrity Playhouse," "Highway Patrol," 'The Loretta Young Show," "Tales Of The Texas Rangers," "TV Reader's Digest," "The Adventures Of Jim Bowie," "Telephone Time," "Cheyenne," "Whirlybirds," "Noah's Ark," "Schlitz Playhouse," "Playhouse 90," "The Ford Television Theatre," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Tales Of Wells Fargo," "The 20th Century-Fox Hour," "Code 3," "Sugarfoot," "State Trooper," "Shirley Temple's Storybook," "The Life And Legend Of Wyatt Earp" (1955-1958, He played the role of 'Jim Kelley' in 34 episodes of the western televsion series), "Lawman," "The Texan," "Trackdown," "Peter Gunn," "Perry Mason," "The Hero," "Bonanza," "Iron Horse," "Daniel Boone," "Lassie," "The Guns Of Will Sonnett," "Death Valley Days," "Lancer" (1968-1970, He played the role of 'Jelly Hoskins' in 39 episodes of the western television series), "Nichols," "Dusty's Trail," "Cannon," "Medical Center," "The Six Million Dollar Man," "Harry O," "Petrocelli," "Barbary Coast," "Emergency!" "The Quest," "Little House On The Prairie," "The Magical World Of Disney," "Code R," "The Life And Times Of Grizzly Adams," "Project U.F.O." "Lucan," "Hollywood Christmas Lane Parade Of The Stars," "Here's Hollywood," "Stump The Stars," "The Dukes Of Hazzard," "Trapper John, M.D." "Strike Force," 'Capitol," "ChiPS," "Matt Houston" (1982-1983, He played the role of 'Lamar Pettybone' in the private eye detective television series), "George Burns Comedy Week," "Knight Rider," "The Famous Teddy Z," "They Came From Outer Space," and "The Adventures Of Brisco County, Jr." His last role was playing 'Jim 'Dog' Kelly' in the biographical action-adventure western film, "Wyatt Earp: Return To Tombstone" (1994). The film which was directed by Paul Landres and Frank McDonald, which was written for the screen by Daniel B. Ullman and Rob Word, and which also starred Hugh O'Brian, Bruce Boxleitner, Harry Carey Jr., and Bo Hopkins, tells the story of Wyatt Earp who returns to Tombstone, Arizona. He says he's there because someone passed away and he needs to look for someone. While looking for that person, he and the townsfolk can't help but recall his past including revealing secrets about his early life, like his battle with the Clantons, his relationship with Doc Holliday, and how he got his gun the Buntline special. He also visits old friends, and teaches bad guys some manners. It combines colorized footage from the western television series, "The Life And Legend Of Wyatt Earp (1955) with new scenes shot in Tombstone, Arizona. He retired from acting shortly thereafter. During his acting career he also used the name Paul Brinegar, Paul Brinegar Jr., Paul 'Wishbone' Brinegar, and Rev. He passed away from emphysema in Los Angeles, California, on March 27, 1995, at the age of 77. Following his death, he was cremated through Utter-McKinley and his ashes were scattered. In his memory, donations were asked by his family to be sent to the Motion Picture and Television Fund in Woodland Hills, California. He was married to the actress Shirley May Talbott Brinegar (1928-2022), from 1962 until his death on March 27, 1995. The couple had two children together. His wife Shirley passed away in Granada Hills, California, on October 20, 2022, at the age of 94, and she was buried in San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills, California.