Updated: August 14, 2023

By this time, the Disney name was a proven ratings draw, and no pilot was needed. Walt immediately set to work on a search for someone to play Zorro, knowing full well that whoever he picked, comparisons to Tyrone Power were inevitable. This was a much sought after role, for Disney's success with Davy Crockett was not lost on a host of other actors who could only dream of being the Studio's next Fess Parker. More than 20 actors were tested for the part, including Hugh O'Brian, John Lupton, Jack Kelly, Dennis Weaver, and David Janssen. On April 18, 1957, the Studio held a screen test for a relatively unknown actor, Guy Williams. When Walt saw the results, he knew he had found his Zorro.

Guy Williams, whose real name was Armando Catalano, was born on January 14, 1924 in New York. After school, he worked as a male model and came to the attention of MGM and then Universal-International Studios, who put him under contract in 1952. Although he appeared in films such as Bonzo Goes to College, Mississippi Gambler, Seven Angry Men, Sincerely Yours, I Was A Teenage Werewolf, The Last Frontier and Man From the Alamo, Williams' parts were relatively small and it looked like his hopes of becoming a leading man were in vain. By the time Disney found the 6'3" actor, Williams was almost ready to give up his acting career.

Luckily for Williams, he was auditioned for the role of Zorro, and to his astonishment, he found himself the star of a network series.