American Actor, Director and Producer. Born Solomon Becker, he was best known for his role as Chief Francis Ethelbert Sharkey in the television series, ‘Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea’, for three seasons. He made his first TV appearance in 1952’s ‘Danger’ and had roles in ‘Perry Mason’, ‘Bonanza’, ‘Rawhide’, ‘The Asphalt Jungle’, ‘Gunsmoke’, ‘Sea Hunt’ and ‘Twilight Zone’ before landing the role of Chief Sharkey from 1965 through 1968. On film, he appeared in ‘Teachers Pet’ (1958), ‘Compulsion’ (1959) and ‘Code of Silence’ (1960). In 1969, he began working behind the camera as a director and associate producer on the TV series ‘Room 222’, which won him an Emmy Award for directing during the 1969-1970 season. In 1973, he partnered with actor Carroll O’Connor to form O’Connor-Becker Productions, and went on to direct episodes for several TV shows, such as ‘The Courtship of Eddie’s Father’, ‘The Mod Squad’, ‘Love, American Style’, ‘The Brady Bunch’, ‘Mission: Impossible’, ‘M*A*S*H’ and ‘Archie Bunker’s Place’.  He directed one motion picture, ‘The Thirsty Dead’ (1974), which he also produced. In 1983, the partnership with O’Connor split up and Becker continued producing under his own Becker Productions for several programs and made-for-TV movies, including ‘Riding the Pony Express’, ‘Bender’, ‘The Last Hurrah’ and ‘Bronk’. From 2004 through 2007, he appeared in a few TV movies and in the films, ‘The Writer’ (2004) and ‘Neighborhood Watch’ (2005), before retiring. Becker died of natural causes. (bio by: Louis M.)