Craig Stevens ( July 8, 1918 – May 10, 2000) was an American motion picture and television actor.
Born Gail Shikles, Jr. in Liberty, Missouri, he studied dentistry at the University of Kansas but acting with the university's drama club saw him give up on his studies to try to make it in the Hollywood film industry. Adopting the stage name Craig Stevens, he debuted in a small role in 1939 and thereafter played mainly secondary parts. In 1944, he married Canadian actress Alexis Smith to whom he remained with for almost fifty years until her passing in 1993.
After nearly twenty years in film, in 1958 Craig Stevens gained national prominence for his starring role as the "super-cool" private detective in the trend-setting television series Peter Gunn. The series was produced by Blake Edwards and directed by Robert Altman with theme music that made Henry Mancini famous.
Stevens passed away in 2000 in Los Angeles, California
