The Only Major Actor Still Alive From ABC's The Invaders

When you think of 1960s sci-fi shows, what titles come to mind? The earliest, campiest iteration of "Star Trek" is a no-brainer, as is anthology standard-bearer "The Twilight Zone." You might recall "Lost in Space," the original run of "Doctor Who," or even "The Jetsons," but the chances are "The Invaders" won't be on the tip of most peoples' tongues.

The short-lived ABC series about an alien invasion was unlike any other show of its time, but it remains more a cult classic than a part of the zeitgeist to this day. "The Invaders" ran for two seasons, with future "Perfect Strangers," "The Stuff," and "Maniac Cop" writer Larry Cohen as its mastermind and prolific early TV producer Quinn Martin executive producing. Unlike the flying saucer stories that would populate the decades to come, "The Invaders" was more a paranoid bureaucratic thriller than a little green men-filled horror story (it did, however, have some memorable red-glowing body-snatchers). Roy Thinnes, who played the show's alien-existence-seeking lead, is the only actor from the series' small ensemble who's still alive today.

Actor Roy Thinnes, who played protagonist David Vincent in "The Invaders," is still with us over a half-century after the series drew to a close. As the show's desperate and dogged lead who attempts to bring undeniable proof of an alien invasion to the masses for much of the show's run, Thinnes made a strong name for himself in the science fiction world. The series wasn't the actor's breakout role, though, as he had begun appearing on the soap "General Hospital" four years before "The Invaders" and headed up the drama series "The Long, Hot Summer" in 1965.

Thinnes largely stuck with genre fare after wrapping his "Invaders" role, playing parts in movies with titles like "Satan's School For Girls" and "Mind Benders," not to mention the 1973 cult favorite "Death Race." He was the top-billed actor in the short-lived 1970 series "The Psychiatrist," played Captain Dana Holmes in a TV version of "From Here To Eternity," and seemed to have a blast appearing in recurring roles on other soaps like "Falcon Crest" and "Dark Shadows." Thinnes also returned as the David Vincent character in a 1995 reboot of "The Invaders" that saw Scott Bakula take over the agonized hero role. In addition, he nabbed guest roles in great sci-fi shows of the 20th century, from "Battlestar Galactica" to "The X-Files."

Impressively, Thinnes did some of his best work in the decade before his retirement. He guest starred on early HBO darlings "Oz" and "The Sopranos" and appeared in 2001's Best Picture winner "A Beautiful Mind." His last on-screen appearance to date was in the 2007 Parker Posey vehicle "Broken English," but Thinnes is still known for chatting about all things "The Invaders" with its relatively small but passionate group of fans.