Star Trek Favorite and McDonald’s Singing Manager Dies at 95

Hollywood is saying goodbye to one of its most versatile and quietly unforgettable performers.

John Wheeler — the character actor, Broadway singer, and familiar face from everything from Star Trek to a legendary McDonald’s commercial — has died at 95. He passed away Feb. 6 at his home in Claremont, California, his daughter Johanna Wheeler confirmed.

While many fans may not immediately recognize his name, they almost certainly remember his work.

Wheeler made his on-screen debut in 1967 in the second-season Star Trek episode “Journey to Babel,” a fan-favorite installment that featured intense political drama among alien factions. Buried under heavy latex makeup, Wheeler played Tellarite Ambassador Gav — and even went toe-to-toe with Mark Lenard’s Sarek in a tense confrontation.

The episode has since become one of the franchise’s most celebrated entries, cementing Wheeler’s place in sci-fi history.

Long before television, Wheeler was lighting up Broadway stages.

Born Johnnie Lee Wheeler Jr. on June 20, 1930, in Corsicana, Texas, he studied music at Texas Christian University and the University of the Pacific, graduating in 1952. After serving in the U.S. Army, he pursued a professional singing career.

He performed with the New York City Opera and appeared at the 1958 World’s Fair in Brussels in the musical Wonderful Town. He later joined conductor Robert DeCormier’s acclaimed groups, including the Grammy-winning Belafonte Singers, who famously backed Harry Belafonte.

Wheeler made his Broadway debut in 1961’s The Happiest Girl in the World and went on to appear in Kean, Café Crown, I Had a Ball, and Sweet Charity, where he played Herman, the dance hall proprietor.

Television viewers in the ’70s and ’80s saw Wheeler everywhere.

He recurred as Mr. Rhuebottom on The Dukes of Hazzard and appeared in dozens of hit shows, including The Brady Bunch, The Golden Girls and ER.

In 1991, he portrayed William Frawley in the CBS telefilm Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter, acting alongside Frances Fisher as Lucille Ball and Maurice Benard as Desi Arnaz.

And yes — he even played Santa Claus multiple times, including on Step by Step.

For many viewers, Wheeler’s most iconic moment didn’t come from a TV series or film — it came from a fast-food jingle.

In 1971, he starred in the high-energy musical McDonald’s commercial “Grab a Bucket and Mop,” belting out the tune as a sharply dressed manager alongside John Amos and others. His powerful tenor voice and stage presence turned what could have been a routine ad into a show-stopping mini musical.

It became one of the era’s most memorable commercials.

Wheeler’s film résumé was equally eclectic, with roles in Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here, Support Your Local Gunfighter, Mame, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and even Apollo 13 in 1995.

Over the decades, he became one of those actors audiences loved spotting — the dependable character performer who elevated every scene he stepped into.

He was married to his wife Helen from 1959 until her death in 2013. He is survived by his daughter Johanna, his sons Christopher and Timothy, and his grandson Brandon.

At 95, John Wheeler leaves behind a remarkable legacy: Broadway stages, classic television, big-screen roles, and one of the catchiest fast-food jingles of the 1970s.