An American actor born Charles Francis Maxwell in The Bronx, New York, US. He was a graduate of the University of Michigan, and made his stage debut in the late 1930s. His film debut was on The Violators (1957). He was blacklisted during the McCarthy era, but his innocence was proven years later. During that period, he was forced to work in radio and mobile theaters, then he went to New York and worked in Broadway plays in small roles. His notable credits include The Wild Angels (1966), Mr. Majestyk (1974), and The United States Steel Hour (1956). He advocated for TV and radio actors' rights, and was president of AFTRA from 1984 to 1989. He married twice and had one daughter, Chris Ann Maxwell. He died of heart complications on 4 August 2004 in Santa Monica, California.