Edward Binns (September 12, 1916 – December 4, 1990) was an American actor. He had a wide-spanning career in film and television, often portraying competent, hard working and purposeful characters in his various roles. He is best known for his work in acclaimed films as 12 Angry Men (1957), North by Northwest (1959), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), Fail Safe (1964), The Americanization of Emily (1964), Patton (1970) and The Verdict (1982). Early life Binns was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Esther (née Bracken) and Edward Thomas Binns. His family were Quakers. He graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in 1937. Career Stage Binns's theatrical career began shortly after his 1937 college graduation, when he participated in a repertory theatre in Cleveland. He followed that with a year as actor and director of the Pan-American Theatre in Mexico City. Next, he went to the University of Pennsylvania as an instructor, directing stock theater companies. One of the first members of the newly formed Actors Studio, Binns began studying with Elia Kazan in late 1947. His Broadway credits include Ghosts (1982), Caligula (1959) and Command Decision (1947). Military service Beginning in 1942, Binns served in the Army Air Forces. After graduating from Officer Candidate School, he was an armament officer in the China-Burma-India Theater. Film After appearing in a number of Broadway plays, Binns began appearing in films in the early 1950s. Some of his roles included playing Juror No. 6 in Sidney Lumet's 12 Angry Men (1957) and Lieutenant General Walter Bedell Smith in the Academy Award-winning film Patton (1970) starring George C. Scott. Binns was featured as a police detective in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest (1959) and played a key role as bomber pilot Colonel Grady in Fail-Safe (1964). His other films include Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), The Americanization of Emily (1964), The Plainsman (1966), Night Moves (1975) and The Verdict (1982). Television Binns starred as Lieutenant Roy Brenner in Brenner, a crime drama on CBS (1959–1962). He also appeared in "more than 500 television programs, live, taped and film", including NBC's legal drama Justice, Rod Cameron's syndicated State Trooper, the syndicated adventure series Whirlybirds, the ABC/Warner Brothers western series, The Dakotas, the ABC rodeo drama, Stoney Burke, Gunsmoke (in 1957 as “Bill Strapp”, a heartless killer in S3E6’s “Jesse”) and ABC's war drama 12 O'Clock High. He was cast in CBS's Richard Diamond, Private Detective (as