Erville Alderson (September 11, 1882 – August 4, 1957) was a prolific American character actor whose tall, lanky frame and weathered, dignified face made him a go-to performer for portraying rural patriarchs, preachers, and historical figures for nearly four decades.
A veteran of the stage, Alderson made a significant mark in the silent era, most notably playing the stern abolitionist father Nate Bartlett in D.W. Griffith’s Revolutionary War epic, America (1924). In the sound era, he became a familiar face in supporting roles in A-list classics, playing the Confederate spy who deceives Gary Cooper in Sergeant York (1941).
With nearly 200 film credits to his name, he worked with legendary directors like John Ford and Frank Capra, and can be spotted in beloved films such as The Grapes of Wrath (1940), Gone with the Wind (1939), and It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). His reliable presence cemented his legacy as a quintessential face of classic Hollywood’s background tapestry.
