Whatever Happened To the Cast of the Original ‘Perry Mason’?

PERRY MASON, Raymond Burr, 1957-66 — Everett Collection

Perry Mason remains one of the most beloved series of the ’50s and ’60s, so much so that it sparked several reboots. The show premiered on CBS in 1957 and followed a Los Angeles defense attorney who had a way of turning seemingly hopeless murder cases around, usually with a last-minute courtroom confession. The original series ran for nine seasons, and its structure helped set the template for legal dramas that followed, but it was the cast that made the show truly special, and sadly, all of the main cast members have since passed away.

In honor of its legacy, here’s what happened to the core cast, with a focus on their careers before and after Perry Mason.

Raymond Burr as Perry Mason

Everett Collection

Raymond Burr spent years playing villains before Perry Mason changed his career. In the 1940s and early ’50s, he appeared in films such as Desperate (1947), Raw Deal (1948), and His Kind of Woman (1951), often cast as intimidating characters. His role in Rear Window (1954) as Lars Thorwald remains one of his most recognizable film performances.

After Perry Mason ended in 1966, Burr moved into another major television role with Ironside (1967 to 1975), where he played Robert Ironside, a former police chief who continued solving cases after being paralyzed. He also appeared in films like Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956) and later returned to that franchise in Godzilla 1985. In the 1980s and early ’90s, he came back to his signature role in Perry Mason television movies.

Burr died on September 12, 1993, at the age of 76 from kidney cancer that had spread to his liver.

Barbara Hale as Della Street

Everett Collection

Barbara Hale had already built a steady film career in the 1940s before Perry Mason, appearing in The Window (1949), a suspense film that earned strong reviews, as well as The Jackpot (1950) opposite James Stewart and A Lion Is in the Streets (1953) with James Cagney. She also worked in Westerns like Seminole (1953) and The Oklahoman (1957). She appeared in all 271 episodes of Perry Mason and won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1959 for her performance.

She later returned for Perry Mason television movies between 1985 and 1995, including four produced after Burr’s death, making her the only actor to appear across the entire run of the franchise.

Hale died on January 26, 2017, at the age of 94 from complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

William Hopper as Paul Drake

PERRY MASON, from left: William Hopper, Raymond Burr, 1957-66.

Everett Collection

William Hopper had a long list of film credits before Perry Mason, including appearances in Stagecoach (1939), The Maltese Falcon (1941), and Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), often in smaller roles. In the 1950s, after returning to acting, he took on more visible parts, including the father of Natalie Wood‘s character in Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and a role in The Bad Seed (1956). He also appeared in science fiction films like 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957). His role as private investigator Paul Drake became the defining part of his career, and he remained with the show for all nine seasons. After Perry Mason ended, he retired from acting.

Hopper died on March 6, 1970, at the age of 55 after suffering a stroke and developing pneumonia.

William Talman as Hamilton Burger

Everett Collection

William Talman made a name for himself in film noir before Perry Mason, with key roles in Armored Car Robbery (1950) and The Hitch-Hiker (1953). He also appeared in films like Crashout (1955) and Big House, U.S.A. (1955), often playing intense characters. On Perry Mason, he portrayed district attorney Hamilton Burger, who regularly lost cases but was still committed to justice. Outside the series, he made guest appearances on shows like Wagon Train, Gunsmoke, and The Wild, Wild West. In 1960, he was briefly removed from Perry Mason after an arrest at a party, though the charges were later dismissed and he was reinstated. Late in his life, he recorded a widely seen anti-smoking public service announcement after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

He died on August 30, 1968, at the age of 53 from lung cancer that had spread to his liver, bones, and brain.

Ray Collins as Lt. Arthur Tragg

Ray Collins, at home with his collection of Perry Mason books and scripts, 1961

Nolan Dale Patterson/Everett Collection

Ray Collins had one of the most extensive careers of the group, starting on stage and performing in hundreds of productions before moving into radio. He became a regular in Orson Welles‘ Mercury Theatre and appeared in the famous 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast. In film, he played political boss Jim Gettys in Citizen Kane (1941) and appeared in The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947). By the time he joined Perry Mason, he was already a well-established character actor. However, his health declined in the early 1960s, leading to fewer appearances. Collins died on July 11, 1965, at the age of 75 from emphysema.

Now tell us, who is your favorite character from Perry Mason?