Bill Mumy - Television Career

Television Career

He is well known as a player in the original Twilight Zone (1959 to 1964), especially in the episode "It's a Good Life" (November 1961), in which he played a child who terrorizes his town with his psychic powers. Mumy played the character of young Pip, a boy who enjoyed playing with his father but was always ignored, in the episode "In Praise of Pip" (September 1963), and the character of Billy Bayles, a boy who talks to his dead grandmother through a toy telephone, in the episode "Long Distance Call" (March 1961). He later played an adult Anthony, whose daughter (played by his daughter, Liliana Mumy) has similar powers, in episode "It's Still a Good Life" (February 2003) of the second revival of The Twilight Zone. Also, he wrote the episode "Found and Lost" in the second revival of The Twilight Zone.

In 1961, Billy played on Alfred Hitchcock Presents television series in "Door Without a Key." The same episode features the actor who played his father on the Twilight Zone's episode of "It's a Good Life." The same year, he starred as little Jackie in the episode "Bang! You're Dead", which also featured actress Marta Kristen, who played his sister Judy on Lost in Space.

In 1963, at the age of eight, he appeared in Jack Palance's ABC circus drama The Greatest Show on Earth. Later that year he appeared as Miles, a parentless boy, in the Perry Mason episode, "The Case of the Shifty Shoebox."

In 1964, he appeared as Richard Kimble's nephew in ABC's The Fugitive in the 15th episode entitled "Home Is The Hunted"; as Barry in the NBC medical drama The Eleventh Hour, episode "Sunday Father"; as himself three times in the ABC sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet; in the Disney film For the Love of Willadena; and as a troubled orphan taken home with Darrin and Samantha Stephens in Bewitched episode "A Vision of Sugarplums" (December 1964).

Mumy was reportedly the first choice to portray the role of Eddie Munster in the 1964 situation comedy The Munsters, but his parents objected because of the extensive make-up, and the role instead went to Butch Patrick. Mumy did appear in one episode as a friend of Eddie. Also in 1965, he guest starred on an episode of I Dream of Jeannie "Whatever Became Of Baby Custer?" as a neighborhood kid, who witnesses Jeannie's magic.

In 1973, he played a musician friend of Cliff DeYoung in the TV movie Sunshine, and later reprised the role in Sunshine Christmas.

In 1974, he played Nick Butler in the pilot episode of The Rockford Files.

He is perhaps best known for his role as Will Robinson on the CBS science fiction television series Lost in Space (1965–1968), as well as for his role as ambassadorial aide Lennier in the syndicated series Babylon 5 (1994–1998). Mumy has garnered praise from the science fiction fandom for his portrayal of these two characters.

In 1996, he was a writer and co-creator of the show Space Cases, a Nickelodeon television show with themes similar to Lost in Space.

He played a Starfleet member in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Siege of AR-558" (November 1998). To his delight (since, as Lennier, he always appeared onscreen in prosthetic makeup), he played a human character who assists Ezri Dax in turning cloaked Dominion mines against an army of Jem'Hadar.

Recent acting performances can be seen in a 2006 episode of Crossing Jordan and the Sci Fi original film A.I. Assault.