Leslie Merle Carlson (February 24, 1933 – May 3, 2014) was a character, film and television actor. He has acted on stage in Canada, the U.S. and England, his films include the horror films Deranged and Black Christmas, and his television credits include The Twilight Zone, and The X-Files.

Carlson was born in 1933 in Mitchell, South Dakota. he has both a BFA and an MA from the University of South Dakota, which he attended in the 1950s.

Carlson began his acting career performing in several stage plays in both the U.S and England, his performances include A Walk in the Woods in 1991 at the Gateway Theatre and Glengarry Glen Ross, Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, Hamlet, Joggers, All My Sons, and Death and the Maiden. He immigrated to Canada in the late 1960s and began acting in many films and TV shows in the early '70s. His most memorable film roles were in the horror classic Black Christmas and Deranged, both in 1974. Carlson has appeared in four movies from director David Cronenberg including Videodrome and The Dead Zone. His TV appearances include The X-Files, Friday the 13th: The Series, 21 Jump Street and Road to Avonlea.

Personal life

Carlson was married to actress Patricia Hamilton, and they have one child together, actor Ben Carlson. He has another son, Edmund Carlson, with his second wife, Joan Warren. He died in Toronto on May 3, 2014, aged 81.