Roy Wells Gordon was the third of four sons born to John W. Gordon and Nancy Ellen Wells Gordon. He was born October 18, 1884 in Beaver Village, Pike County, Ohio. The family soon moved to Portsmouth, Ohio, where Roy grew up. He was always interested in the theater and acting, and decided to make it his profession. In the 1910s, 20s, and early 30s, he performed in dramas and musicals (he was a tenor) in Portsmouth, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Baltimore, Maryland; Chicago, Illinois, and on Broadway in New York City. In the late 1930s, Roy moved to Los Angeles, California to become a motion-picture actor; this was his profession for the rest of his life. He performed as a supporting actor in a wide variety of credited and uncredited roles; in his later years, he often played bankers, businessmen, judges, senior military officers and other men of authority. He also performed in numerous TV series. He died at the age of 87 on July 23, 1972 in Encino, Los Angeles County, California.