Ken Osmond, Who Played Eddie Haskell On 'Leave It To Beaver,' Dies At 76

David Moye
·2 min read

Actor Ken Osmond, who is best known for playing the smarmy Eddie Haskell on the long-running “Leave It To Beaver” sitcom, died Monday morning.

He was 76.

Variety is reporting that Osmond died at his Los Angeles home surrounded by friends and family members, but no cause of death was announced.

Osmond had reportedly suffered from respiratory issues, according to Harry Lane, his former partner at the Los Angeles Police Department when he served as a police officer from 1970-88.

Osmond was hired to play Haskell in 1957 for a guest appearance, but was a cast member for the entire series thanks to the hilarious way he’d switch on a dime from bullying series star Jerry Mathers to obsequiously kissing up to adults.

After the series ended, Osmond did guest shots on shows like “Petticoat Junction” and “The Munsters” before joining the LAPD and growing a mustache to become less recognizable.

It worked a little too well.

In the 1970s, infamous porn actor John Holmes billed himself as “Eddie Haskell” in a few X-rated films, which Osmond told TV Guide in 1988 ended up becoming “a pain in my butt for 11 years,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Osmond was shot in a chase with a suspected car thief in 1980, but survived because he was wearing a bulletproof vest.

He was put on disability and retired from the force in 1988.

Retirement from the force turned out to be a second act for Osmond’s acting career.

He returned to playing Haskell in “Still The Beaver,” a 1983 reunion movie, as well as the revival “The New Leave it to Beaver,” which ran from 1983 to 1989 on TBS, according to Fox News.

Osmond’s last turn as Haskell came in 1997 when he did a cameo in a big-screen version of “Leave It to Beaver” starring Christopher McDonald and Janine Turner.

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