Inside the “Perry Mason” Cast's Lives 60 Years After the Show Ended

The series aired from 1957 to 1966 and defined the TV courtroom drama

NEED TO KNOW

• Perry Mason, starring Raymond Burr, was a groundbreaking courtroom drama that aired from 1957 to 1966
• The series inspired 30 TV movies, with Burr starring in 26 before his death in 1993
• Cast members later reflected on their experiences on the show

While procedurals usually revolve around catching the crooks and criminals, television's pioneer courtroom drama Perry Mason first posed the question "What if they didn't do it?"

Airing from 1957 to 1966, CBS' Perry Mason was one of Hollywood’s first weekly, hour-long television series. By the end of its nine season run, it was one of the most popular shows of its time. Raymond Burr starred as the titular lawyer, who almost always helped exonerate his clients.

At his side was legal secretary Della Street, played by Barbara Hale. William Hopper’s Paul Drake assisted as Mason’s go-to private detective with a knack for finding the evidence Mason and his clients needed.

The show was an adaptation of a series of novels written by Erle Stanley Gardner, beginning with 1933’s The Case of the Velvet Claws. The show also featured notable guest stars, including Robert Redford, Bette Davis, Angie Dickinson and Burt Reynolds.

Nearly two decades after the series ended, Mason and Della returned in a TV movie. The film was so successful that, ultimately, 30 movies were made. Those films also had a bevy of famous guest stars, including Debbie Reynolds, Jerry Orbach, Robert Guillaume, David Hasselhoff and Paul Anka.

Here's a look at what happened to the Perry Mason cast, 60 years after the television courtroom was adjourned.

01 of 08

Raymond Burr as Perry Mason

Burr was so dedicated to his role as Perry that he lived in a bungalow on the studio lot. He would rise on shooting days at 3:30 a.m. to practice his famed courtroom monologues.

Despite winning two Emmys for the role, he told PEOPLE in 1986 that doing the series was “the only thing I regret in my life — I’m sorry I spent nine years of my life tying myself down. I couldn’t be married, have a family, even have friends.”

After the original series ended, Burr starred in the TV series Ironside from 1967 to 1975. His character was paralyzed in a shooting, later becoming the first TV detective to use a wheelchair. He received six Emmy nominations for the part, but never won.

“I’m not very actorish,” he once said. “I don’t play actor 24 hours a day. When the job is done, I go on to be myself, whoever that is.”

Burr struggled to find a steady role after Ironside and appeared in short-lived series like Kingston: Confidential as well as the miniseries 79 Park Avenue.

In the first 1985 TV movie, Mason had become an appellate judge, but he stepped down to defend Della, who was erroneously accused of murdering her boss. Mason, of course, got her acquitted. The film was such a massive success that more followed.

While Burr got to the bottom of crimes on Perry Mason, his personal life off-screen was shrouded in mystery.

During his career, he claimed to have been married three times and had a son who died of cancer, but he refused to address these relationships at length. After his death, no proof of two of the marriages — or his son — could be found. He was, however, briefly married to actress Isabella Ward.

Instead, Burr lived with actor Robert Benevides. For years, the pair resided in Fiji and owned and operated a vineyard in California.

Burr ultimately starred in 26 Perry Mason TV films. While making his last TV movie, Burr was treated for cancer. However, the well-known philanthropist delayed treatment in order to keep filming because he had “earmarked his earnings” for “various charities,” his doctor told PEOPLE in 1993.

Burr died at 76 on Sept. 12, 1993. His last Perry Mason movie, Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss, aired two months after his death.

02 of 08

Barbara Hale as Della Street

Hale won an Emmy in 1959 for her role as Della, and Mason’s trusty legal secretary was the biggest presence on the show besides Burr.

She, too, was plagued by the show’s long working hours, telling PEOPLE in 1986, “I’d put a terry cloth robe over my pajamas and drive in to work.”

Pre-Perry Mason, Hale had worked primarily in movies, and she’d been considering retirement. After the series, she made appearances as a TV guest star (including in an episode of Ironside) and starred in a handful of films, including 1970’s Airport.

She also became the spokeswoman for Amana Radarange microwave ovens.

Hale said of filming the first reunion movie, “On the opening day of shooting, we were in the courtroom. I was late getting on the set, and Ray was already there, busy with the script."

She continued, "He said, ‘Morning,’ walked to the front of the room, turned around, stopped, and we grinned at each other. We hadn’t seen each other in this situation in 20 years. He said, ‘I have never known so many years to evaporate before.’ ”

Hale’s son William Katt also joined the cast for some of the reunion films.

After Burr’s death, she continued to appear in the Perry Mason films. Her last role was in 1995’s The Case of the Jealous Jokester.

Hale married actor Bill Williams (whose birth name was Herman Katt) in 1946. In addition to son William, they had daughters Jodi and Juanita.

Hale died at age 94 on Jan. 26, 2017.

03 of 08

William Hopper as Paul Drake

William Hopper played Drake, the head of Paul Drake Detective Agency, which was conveniently located in the same building as Mason’s office. Drake’s team usually scrounged up the clues that later exonerated Mason’s clients.

Hopper received one Emmy nomination for the role.

The actor was the only child of famed gossip columnist Hedda Hopper. William frequently appeared in movies in the ‘30s and ‘40s, but temporarily left Hollywood after serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

In 1955, he played Natalie Wood’s father in Rebel Without a Cause.

But his Perry Mason role was ultimately his best known, and he stopped taking other parts after the series ended, except for one final movie, 1970’s Myra Breckinridge.

William shared one child, Joan, with his first wife, Jane Gilbert. They separated in 1962. He then married Jeanette Juanita Ward, and they were together until his death at 55 years old on March 6. 1970.

04 of 08

William Talman as Hamilton Burger

William Talman played Hamilton Burger, the Los Angeles District Attorney who went head-to-head with Mason — and constantly lost. His side triumphed in only three cases during the show’s run.

Talman was married to Lynne Carter from 1942 to 1952. They shared daughter Lynda. Talman married actress Barbara Read in 1953. They welcomed daughter Barbie and son William III.

In 1963, he wed Margaret Flannigan. They had son Timothy and daughter Susan. Flannigan also had two children from a previous relationship.

After Perry Mason ended, Talman appeared on The Wild, Wild West and The Invaders. He died of lung cancer at age 53 on Aug. 30, 1968, at age 53.

Before he died, he filmed two anti-smoking PSAs that aired widely after his death. 

05 of 08

Ray Collins as Lieutenant Arthur Tragg

Ray Collins’ Lieutenant Tragg was a police homicide detective on the beloved series.

He primarily appeared in season 1, 2 and 3. Throughout later installments, though, Collins wasn't as frequently seen as he dealt with an illness that affected both his physical health and his memory.

His last episode was season 7’s "The Case of the Capering Camera.”

Before Perry Mason, Collins worked widely, beginning with radio dramas and eventually moving the film and television. His first movie was 1941’s Citizen Kane, in which he played Kane’s political rival.

Collins died on July 11, 1965, from emphysema. He was 75.

06 of 08

Wesley Lau as Lieutenant Anderson

Wesley Lau’s Lieutenant Anderson began making regular appearances in season 5 as Collins took a step back from the series. 

After the show ended, Lau continued to appear widely on TV, in episodes of shows like Bonanza, Mod Squad, Mission: Impossible and The Six Million Dollar Man. He also reunited with Burr in an episode of Ironside. 

In 1960, Lau married Marie Louise Metcalf. They shared two children.

Lau died at age 63 on Aug. 30, 1984.

07 of 08

William Katt as Paul Drake, Jr.

Due to Hopper's death in 1970, the studio needed someone to fill his shoes in the reunion films. Hale’s son, William Katt, stepped in as Paul Drake, Jr., the son of Hopper’s character. He appeared in nine of the TV movies.

Katt’s later TV work has focused primarily on voice acting, with roles in shows like Animaniacs and Batman: The Animated Series. He’s also worked widely in film, most recently, in 2022’s Pursuit.

He's best known for his role as Ralph in ABC's show The Greatest American Hero (1981-1983), and in 2026, he will be executive producing the Greatest American Hero comic-book revival.

“The Greatest American Hero was ahead of its time—quirky, heartfelt, and deeply human,” Don Handfield, CEO of AMP Comics said in a statement. “We’re honored to continue its legacy and couldn’t be more excited to have William Katt involved every step of the way."

Also in 2026, Katt will appear in Whiskey Panda studio's feel-good film When We Get There, as the character Bob.

Katt was married to Deborah Kahane from 1979 to 1992. They share sons Clayton and Emerson. In 1993, he married Danielle Hirsch. They have daughter Dakota. Katt is also the stepfather to her son, Andrew.

08 of 08

William R. Moses as Ken Malansky

Moses played Ken Malansky, who first appeared in 1989’s The Case of the Lethal Lesson as a law student who was accused of murder. Mason, of course, gets him an exoneration. In later TV movies, viewers see him as a lawyer who works as a private detective for Mason.

Malansky — who starred on Falcon Crest in the ‘80s — also had a recurring role on Melrose Place and appeared on episodes of Touched by an Angel, Ally McBeal, Crossing Jordan, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Grey’s Anatomy, Chicago Med and How to Get Away with Murder. From 2022-2023, he joined General Hospital regularly as Jeff Webber. 

In July 2025, Moses appeared on Reza Rifts podcast where he discussed how a Sprite commercial launched his career, reminisced on his iconic roles in Perry Mason and Mystic Pizza and reflected on his General Hospital experience.

"Soap operas [are] a very different ecosystem different from anything else I've ever known," he said. "I came away with an appreciation for the amount of work it is."

Moses was married to actress Tracy Nelson from 1987 to 1997. They share daughter Remington Moses. In 2000, he married Sarah Moses. They welcomed daughters Elizabeth and Grace.

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