Wayde Preston

Wayde Preston (born William Erksine Strange; September 10, 1929 – February 6, 1992) was an American actor cast from 1957 to 1960 in the lead role in 67 episodes of the ABC/Warner Bros. Western television series, "Colt .45". 
Background.
Born William Erksine Strange in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Preston was reared in Laramie in southern Wyoming by his educator parents, John and Bernice Strange. He had two younger sisters, Joan and Mary. In 1947, he graduated from Laramie High School, where he was active in football, track, band, and the Reserve Officer Training Corps. He attended the University of Wyoming in Laramie, where he studied pharmacy. 
Preston became a musician and played in bands during the late 1940s. In 1950, he was drafted into the United States Army. Trained in an artillery unit at Fort Bliss, Texas, he became a first lieutenant and fought in the Korean War. Afterward, he was a park ranger at Grand Teton National Park in northwestern Wyoming, and performed musically on the rodeo circuit before he got his break as an actor.
Acting career.
In "Colt .45" he played Christopher Colt, a government undercover agent who masquerades as a pistol salesman traveling throughout the Old West. Preston also played the role of Christopher Colt in 1958 and 1959 in four episodes relating to "The Canary Kid" of the ABC/WB "Sugarfoot" series, starring Will Hutchins. 
"The Saga of Waco Williams" paired Preston with James Garner, as Bret Maverick on "Maverick".
Preston played some 20 roles in television and films from 1957 to 1991. Following his departure from "Colt .45", he went to Europe, where he appeared in numerous Spaghetti Westerns, including Vic Morrow's "A Man Called Sledge", opposite James Garner, and the 1968 film "Anzio", about the World War II Battle of Anzio. Preston played the role of Logan in another 1968 film, "Wrath of God"; he was then cast in 1969 as Marshal Johnny Silver in "Death Knows No Time". 
Preston later appeared on episodes of NBC's "Bonanza" and ABC's "Starsky and Hutch". His last screen appearance was in a supporting role in the 1990 film version of "Captain America".
Personal life.
In 1956, Preston married actress Carol Ohmart. They divorced in 1958.