[1] Early in his career, Hodgins was active in stock theater, including working in the Ralph Cloninger troupe of Salt Lake City, Utah, the Siegel Stock company of Seattle, Washington,[2] and the Allen Players at the Empress Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

He specialized in playing fast-talking con men—often in westerns, such as The Lone Ranger, Judge Roy Bean, The Cisco Kid, The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, Rawhide, Maverick (in the episode "Shady Deal at Sunny Acres" with James Garner and Jack Kelly), Lawman, The Rifleman, Cheyenne, Have Gun – Will Travel, Gunsmoke (In a recurring role as the town judge, plus in the title role in “Uncle Oliver”, where he ambushes and shoots “Chester”), and Hopalong Cassidy.

In the 1960–1961 season, he appeared in three episodes of Joanne Dru's ABC sitcom, Guestward, Ho!

He was known for shooing away obstreperous children from his stage, snapping at them, "Get away, son, ya bother me".

Hodgins married Sue Hanley, who was described in an article of the Salt Lake Telegram as "a Seattle society girl.