House Peters Jr., 92, the Actor Who Gave Heft to Mr. Clean, Dies
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: October 2, 2008

LOS ANGELES (AP) — House Peters Jr., an actor who appeared with bald head and hoop earring as the original Mr. Clean in Procter & Gamble’s commercials for household cleaners, died here on Wednesday. He was 92.

House Peters Jr., who played cowboys for decades. The cause was pneumonia, said his son, Jon Peters.

The elder Peters played many supporting roles in his career, usually as a heavy or villain. But he is best remembered as Mr. Clean, a muscular man with a no-nonsense attitude toward dirt and grime. From the late 1950s and into the early 1960s, he helped advertise the household cleaner.

Mr. Peters’s prime acting career ran from mid-1930s to the late 1960s. He worked with Roy Rogers and Gene Autry on their television shows and appeared in “Perry Mason,” “Gunsmoke,” “The Twilight Zone” and “Lassie.” He also wrote an autobiography, “Another Side of Hollywood,” in which he describes growing up the son of an actress and silent film actor in Beverly Hills, Calif. His father, Robert House Peters Sr., has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Robert House Peters Jr. was born Jan. 12, 1916, in New Rochelle, N.Y. He studied drama in high school and became inspired to pursue acting as a profession.

Besides his son Jon, his survivors include his wife, Lucy Pickett; a daughter; another son; and four grandchildren.

mojoman wrote on Oct 3^rd, 2008 at 9:05pm:

Mr Clean Mr Clean, no more dirt for you to clean, take it easy Boss, RIP