Variety reports that stage, film and television actor Steven Gilborn who played the father of Ellen DeGeneres' character on "Ellen," died of cancer in North Chatham, N.Y., on Jan. 2. He was 72.

Gilborn also played the math teacher on "The Wonder Years" and appeared on TV shows including "Damages," "The Bernie Mac Show," "NYPD Blue," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "The West Wing," "The Practice," "L.A. Law," "Columbo" and "Law & Order." His film credits include "Nurse Betty" "Doctor Doolittle," "The Brady Bunch Movie" and "The Late Shift." For many years, Gilborn was also active in the Interact Theatre Company in Los Angeles.

Born in New Rochelle, N.Y., Gilborn graduated Swarthmore College and earned a Ph.D. in dramatic literature and humanities from Stanford. During the 1960s, he taught at UC Berkeley, MIT and Columbia, leaving academic life to become an actor in 1970 reports Variety.

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