Orson Bean is an American film, television, and stage actor, best known as the cynical shopkeeper, Loren Bray, on CBS' Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and for his appearances/substitute host on NBC’s The Tonight Show. Other television credits include Roy Bender on ABC’s Desperate Housewives and William ‘Bill’ Gamble, Sr. on FOX’s Normal, Ohio.

Film credits include Mattie Fresno and the Holoflux Universe, Being John Malkovich, Anatomy of a Murder, One of Those Nights, and Forty Deuce.

Broadway credits include his debut as Edgar Grassthal in Men of Distinction (48th Street Theatre), Homer Thrace in Illya Darling (Mark Hellinger Theatre), Tom Considine in I Was Dancing (Lyceum Theatre), Charlie in Never Too Late (Playhouse Theatre), Charlie Smith in Subways are for Sleeping (St. James Theatre), Billy Turk in Nature’s Way (Coronet Theatre), George MacCauley in Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (Belasco/Shubert Theatres), and Mike Hammer/Others in John Murray Anderson's Almanac (Imperial Theatre).