William Horace Marshall (August 19, 1924 – June 11, 2003) was an American actor, director and opera singer.

[3] He attended New York University as an art student but transferred to the Actors Studio to study theater.

His demeanor, voice and stature gave him a wide range, though he was ill-suited for the subservient roles that many black actors of his generation were most frequently offered.

He appeared on the British spy series Danger Man in episodes titled "Deadline" (1962) and "The Galloping Major" (1964).

[1] He also was featured in an episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour titled, "The Jar", with actors Pat Buttram and George Lindsey.

Marshall played the King of Cartoons on Pee-wee's Playhouse, replacing actor Gilbert Lewis, during the 1980s.

He did similar work at Chicago's ETA Creative Arts Foundation, which in 1992 named Marshall one of its Epic Men of the 20th century.

Eulogists at his funeral included Sidney Poitier, Ivan Dixon, Paul Winfield, and Marla Gibbs.