He was in 102 films or TV episodes. You can get tired of getting up early to do the same thing.

I started a new post that answers this question. See "Retired, living in Oregon."

Nice to hear. Mills has done a lot of fine work in Comedy and Drama alike, from making the good sheriff in "The Adventure of Lobo" to sinister suspects on "Murder, She Wrote."
Didn't know either that he disappeared from Hollywood that abruptly and that far back! Plus, thought he was much younger than he is, not that he's old or anything, but I guess that Oregon naturally does that to Hollywood refugees.
Well, please give Mills our best, and thank him for many jobs well done! Best to him and his in the wilds of Oregon!
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Thank you for this. I am going to send him a letter of thanks.
you can't outrun it
you can't outdrive it
you cannot stopThe Truck.

It's my pleasure. Good luck to you and everyone else who wants to write to him. Have a great week!
The Autograph Kid
If it's useless information, chances are I already know it!

Thank you for the lead!

I'm here to answer the question that has been on everyone's mind, 'Where is he now?'
Mills Watson currently lives in Talent, Oregon. He's even listed 2000in the phone book. You could call him if you'd like.
Anyway, I received a signed photo and 3x5 card from him. It only took 16 days to get a reply.
If anyone is interested in writing to Mills Watson, here's the address:
Mills Watson
P.O. 600
Talent, OR 97540-0600
If you're writing for an autograph, be sure to include a large self-addressed stamped envelope.
Thank you so much for reading my post. Mills Watson is and always will be one of my favorite character actors. It's nice to know that I am among fellow fans and friends.
Have a great weekend!
The Autograph Kid
If it's useless information, chances are I already know it!

So do I. The thing is, he was only in his early fifties, young for a character actor to retire. I hope he took his money, put it in a good business, and had a happy life. He was short, fat, plain, and bald, but he had a terrific talent and he made the most out of it.

Probably somewhere in California, blissfully enjoying his retirement, I hope.

It still leaves us with the intriguing question of: Where is he now?

I sent the request to an agency that Mr. Watson was associated with. It's possible that it sat around in a filing cabinet or drawer there before they finally forwarded it to him.

I'm glad to hear it. Still, I can't help but wonder why it took seven years to send you the photo.

I just rec'd an autographed photo from Mr. Watson in the mail today. The unusual thing is I sent the request over 7 years ago! It was still great to get it. I presume it was signed recently though, and that he is still around in good health and in retirement.

He and Akins were both famous for their many roles as heartless villains. Once they sat around, swapping stories about the horrible things their characters did to see who played the worst bad guy. Akins said that that the worst character he ever played was a two-bit thug who brutally beat up a blind woman played by Marisa Pavan. Mills responded that once he played a sicko who used to torment some poor animalistic creature kept in a cage - a retarded child. Akins replied, "Mills, you got it."
So what the heck ever happened to him and where is he now? He was a successful character actor for 24 years and then he dropped off the face of the earth. So he was 52. Character actors often act into their 70s and 80s. What happened? Apparently he's still alive. As far as I know, he was never convicted of any crime. Whatever he's doing, I hope he's alive, well, and happy.

I agree with all of the other posts here. Mills Watson is a comic genius and he was funny and lovable. He made Lobo as good of a show as B.J. and the Bear was. I would have liked to see the Lobo show stay in Orly instead of the move to Georgia, but the cast was still very good. If you remember in the beginning, Lobo and Perkins were crooked and Birdie was the only one keeping them straight. Then as they got their own show, they became good cops and people really cared for them. I am glad they made that change. It bothered me a little how almost every cop on B.J. and the Bear was crooked.

That's simply a great, heartfelt post, Anthony!
I too consider Mills Watson extremely underrated and he was the "Curly" of his time on "Lobo" as the humorous & loveable half-wit "Deputy Perkins." I've seen his acting in other roles before and after the "Lobo" years(most notably "The Incredible Hulk: A Death in the Family" as a SERIOUS police officer and in "The Fall Guy" as a professor in the season four episode "Spring Break" from 1985.). Mr. Watson performed many of his own comedic stunts on the "Lobo" series and he was(and is) a polished gem! Over the weekend I dusted off some old videos of "The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo" and "B.J. and the Bear" and watched them and Mills was in top form in the episode "Run for the Money" which seems to have been shot on location in Las Vegas. The part where Perkins screwed up and fell into a swimming pool at the now demolished Dunes Hotel as he carried Lobo's luggage and golf clubs was CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!! I laughed my ass off during that bit.

I LOVED MILLS ( PERKINS ) WATSON AND THE REST OF THE "LOBO & BJ & THE BEAR" CAST GROWING UP, HECK, AND I'M ORIGINALLY FROM N.Y.C. AND NOW I'M 40, AND I DRIVE A SEMI TOO SINCE 89',MY BROTHER SINCE 86', AND SO DID MY DAD BACK IN 81'( THANKS TO THESE SHOWS!) Where is Mills Watson today ? I hope he is Well and Healthy, wanted to say "Thanks for Great Family T.V.!!!" to you and all your co-stars, YOU ALL WERE GREAT WATCHING GROWING UP and I wish they would put BOTH of those SHOWS ON DVD !!! GOD BLESS YOU TOO CLAUDE AKINS UP IN HEAVEN WITH YOUR DAD !!! I SALUTE YOU BOTH TOO !!! anthony_kalos@yahoo.com

I remember him as a frequent guest star on Gunsmoke. I was happy to see him make an appearance in the final made-for-TV Gunsmoke movie in '92, very fitting.
El-Mo! We wont go! What do we want? Cookies! When do we want them? Now!

As much as I love Claude Akins, Deputy Perkins was the reason I watched Sheriff Lobo as a kid. What a great comic characterization!
It was later on that I realized that most of his credits were in more dramatic roles, which he was also more than able.
I agree that Mills Watson should be seen again on TV, health permitting.

I was a fan of 'The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo.' Critics hated it, and some call it one of the worst shows of all time, which is ridiculous. Watch it, and it's much better than its reputation would suggest.
But even if you don't like it, you have to appreciate Mills Watson's performance as Perkins, and his terrific chemistry with Claude Akins. Watson was absolutely hilarious, and I have no idea why he didn't get more work after 'Lobo' ended. As noted, his last credit is in 1992. He was only 52 years old then, and he's only 66 now. He could and should be working, assuming his health is okay.
Funny, funny guy.

I loved him as Perkins