Fell in the movie 'Hexed' in 1993

December 15, 1998
Web posted at: 2:59 a.m. EST (0759 GMT)

In this story:

• Won Golden Globe
• Studied at Temple University, Stella Adler's school
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LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- Norman Fell, the veteran comic actor who was best known during a 30-year career in Hollywood as a cranky landlord on the hit series "Three's Company," died Monday, his longtime business manager said.

Fell, 74, was diagnosed several weeks ago with cancer. He died at the Motion Picture and Television Fund's retirement home in a Los Angeles suburb, where he was being cared for, manager Stan Schneider said. Family members were at his side.

"I can't believe it, it's so fast," Schneider said. "Until he got ill maybe three weeks ago, he came into this office once a week."

Won Golden Globe

Fell starred in some 30 films, including "The Graduate," "Pork Chop Hill," "Catch-22" and "Bullitt," and appeared in four television series and more than 20 made-for-TV movies. But he was best known as Stanley Roper on "Three's Company" -- a role that won him a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.

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Fell and Audra Lindley played Stanley and Helen Roper on ABC's "Three's Company," which debuted in 1977 and starred John Ritter, Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers as their tenants.

The Ropers spent a fair amount of time poking into the unusual living arrangements of their young neighbors and the rest sparring among themselves. Fell and Lindley left the sitcom in 1979 to star in "The Ropers," which aired until 1980.

Lindley, 79, died in 1997 of complications from leukemia.

"Three's Company" continued until 1984 with Don Knotts as the new landlord and other cast changes.

"I think he felt toward the end ... (the role) typecast him. But it was the one everyone knew him as. Everyone called him Mr. Roper, on the street, wherever he went," Schneider said.

Studied at Temple University, Stella Adler's school

Born in Philadelphia in 1924, Fell became interested in show business while still in high school, then studied acting at Stella Adler's school in New York. He served as a tail gunner in the Pacific during World War II and earned his bachelor's degree in drama from Temple University.

At the beginning of his career, he struggled to win small parts in New York stage and TV productions, including 1954's "Twelve Angry Men." His first regular series role was in the short-lived 1956 comedy "Joe and Mabel."

Moving to Los Angeles in 1958, Fell won supporting roles in films and, in 1961-62, the part of police Detective Meyer in the drama "87th Precinct," based on the Ed McBain mystery novels. Fell also appeared in Burt Reynolds' 1970-75 detective drama "Dan August."

He is survived by his two daughters, Tracy Klorman and Mara Polon, and two grandchildren.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.