Warren Mercer Oates was born on July 5, 1928 in Depoy, Kentucky.  He attended the University of Louisville where he starred in several plays.  In 1957 he appeared in New York on the TV series ‘Studio One’.  Oates then moved to Los Angeles where he became a regular as a supporting actor on TV westerns.  One of these western series was Sam Peckinpah’s ‘The Westerner’.  His collaboration with Peckinpah would continue the rest of his life.  He appeared in several western films including “Return of the Seven” as Colbee, “There was a Crooked Man”,  “Major Dundee”, “Ride the High Country” and "The Wild Bunch”.  At the peak of his career Oates died of a heart attack on April 3, 1982 in Los Angeles, California.  He was only 53.