As for actors, Dennis Weaver credits his TZ appearance with being able to shed the Gunsmoke typecasting stigma. And of course, William Shatner's gigs, Charles Bronsan, Elizabeth Montgomery, Jack Klugman, and too many more that slipped from memory.
In an episode of “Perry Mason”, Perry mentions that he knows Rod Serling. I assume that either the actor or the people who made the show really did know him