Many remember Joe Conley for his role as Ike Godsey on TV's The Waltons, but the actor was actually a veteran at his craft long before he joined the series in 1972. Building a strong career out of small roles on early TV shows like Lassie and Dragnet, Conley specialized in single-episode appearances (aside from a six-episode recurring role on the sitcom Mister Ed) for 20 years, up until he was cast in The Waltons. He stayed with the series until 1981, and reprised the role for subsequent TV movies like A Wedding on Walton's Mountain. Conley subsequently went into semi-retirement, sporadically appearing in projects like 2000's Cast Away.