Dennis Burkley

Dennis Burkley (born September 10, 1945-died July 14, 2013) played the part of Cal Pettie, a friend of Lamont's who was working with him on the Alaska Pipeline sent by Lamont to look after Fred on the NBC spinoff series Sanford. Dennis is a vaunted veteran character actor from Texas who has appeared in a host of films and television series guest roles since the 1970s.

Early life
Dennis was born Dennis Henry Burkley in Van Nuys, California, the son of Imogene (née Ware) and Henry Burkley. He grew up in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Career
In the 1980s and 1990s appearances, Burkley was most recognizable for his large frame (6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), 300 lb (140 kg)), scruffy beard and Southern accent, though in more recent appearances he has clearly lost a significant amount of weight and maintains a less slovenly appearance in terms of hair and attire.

Though he has many film, television, and other professional acting credits, Burkley's most recognizable roles include Cal, the Texas born junkyard partner of Fred G. Sanford in the short-lived Sanford and Son sequel Sanford, as well as Dozer, a biker with a severe speech impediment who befriends Rocky Dennis and his mother in the movie Mask. Burkley provided the voice of several supporting characters on the animated television series King of the Hill (set in his native Texas). In 2005, he wrote and directed a film titled Repetition. He played a small role in the television series My Name Is Earl. He is often mistaken for fellow character actor Mickey Jones.

Dennis Burkley died on July 14, 2013 of a heart attack in his sleep.