Efrem Zimbalist Jr. 1918-2014

An undated publicity photo of actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

Handsome, debonair and blessed with a distinguished voice that reflected his real-life prep school upbringing, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. was a prolific actor whose greatest fame came as a brilliant G-man in the classic series, "The F.B.I."

The actor died on Friday, May 2, 2014, at the age of 95.

By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan; The Associated Press contributed to this report

"House of Strangers"

Born in New York City on Nov. 30, 1918, Efrem Zimbalist Jr.'s father was a violin virtuoso, his mother an acclaimed opera singer. He studied violin himself before turning his interest to the theater.

After serving in World War II, he made his stage debut in "The Rugged Path," starring Spencer Tracy, and appeared in other plays and a soap opera before being cast in minor film roles, including "House of Strangers" (1949), with Edward G. Robinson and Richard Conte (left).

"Bombers B-52"

Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as a daring USAF bomber pilot who has eyes for Natalie Wood in the 1957 drama, "Bombers B-52."

"Home Before Dark"

Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and Jean Simmons, as a woman just released from a mental institution, in the drama, "Home Before Dark" (1958).

"77 Sunset Strip"

Efrem Zimbalist Jr. had a recurring role in the Western series "Maverick" (as con man Dandy Jim Buckley), before starring in "77 Sunset Strip" (1958-64). The private eye series featured Zimbalist as a cultured former O.S.S. officer and language expert whose partner was an Ivy League Ph.D. He earned an Emmy nomination in 1959, but after a few seasons he tired of the long hours and what he believed were bad scripts.

"A Fever in the Blood"

Angie Dickinson and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. in the 1961 film noir, "A Fever in the Blood."

"By Love Possessed"

Barbara Bel Geddes and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. in "By Love Possessed" (1961).

"The Chapman Report"

Efrem Zimbalist Jr. played a researcher of sexual behavior, and Jane Fonda one of his interview subjects, in the 1962 drama, "The Chapman Report."

"The F.B.I."

When "77 Sunset Strip" ended in 1964, Zimbalist became an even bigger star playing the empathetic, methodical G-Man Lewis Erskine in "The F.B.I."

"The FBI"

At the end of each episode, after Zimbalist and his fellow G-men had captured that week's mobsters, subversives, bank robbers or spies, the series would post real photos from the FBI's most-wanted list. Some of them led to arrests, which helped give the show the complete seal of approval of the agency's real-life director, J. Edgar Hoover.

"The F.B.I." aired until 1974.

"Wait Until Dark"

Efrem Zimbalist Jr. played the husband of Audrey Hepburn, as a blind woman caught in a murderous plot, in the 1967 thriller, "Wait Until Dark."

"The Nanny"

Later roles in films and TV movies included "Airport 1975", "Who Is the Black Dahlia?" and "Hot Shots!"; the series "Hotel"; the mini-series "Scruples"; and appearances on such series as "The Nanny" (with Fran Drescher, left); "Remington Steele" (starring his daughter, Stephanie Zimbalist); and "Babylon 5."

He also did voice work for several animated series, including "Iron Man," "Spider-Man," "Justice League," and as Alfred the butler in several iterations of "Batman."

Father and Daughter

Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. and Stephanie Zimbalist are pictured at the Hollywood History Museum on November 11, 2003 in Hollywood, Calif.

G-Man

Granddaughter Alexis Zimbalist looks on as actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (center) and FBI director Robert Mueller show off the badge that was presented to the actor as an honorary special agent, the highest civilian honor awarded by the FBI, on June 8, 2009 in Los Angeles.

As the star of "The F.B.I." (which ran from 1964 to 1974), the 90-year-old actor was an icon who inspired a generation of FBI agents.