Lawrence Dane recently passed away at the age of 84. While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, his publicist said that he died on March 21 at his home in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, and was surrounded by his wife, Laurel, and family members.
The actor was mostly known for his performances in TV series like Mod Squad, Mannox, and Bonanza. Details related to his funeral are yet to be revealed.
Lawrence Dane’s cause of death and career explored
According to Dane’s publicist, he died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. It is unknown when he was diagnosed with the disease or if he was suffering from any other health issues in the past.
Born on April 3, 1937, he was raised in Ottawa and belonged to a Lebanese family. He gained recognition for his appearance as Lt. Preston in the 1998 slasher film Bride of Chucky, the fourth installment in the Child’s Play franchise. The film was directed by Ronny Wu and was successful at the box office.
Dane then appeared as Reg Hunter on The Red Green Show. The character was a divorced lawyer who retreated to the sticks. He played important roles in TV series like Mission: Impossible, The Mod Squad, and The FBI.
The Vanished star was well-known for playing various characters in different seasons. He played the lead role of head of security Braedon Keller in the 1981 cult hit Scanners. Written and directed by David Cronenberg, it was a science fiction horror film and was a box office success despite receiving lukewarm feedback from critics.
Journey to Hollywood
Dane was initially hired as an extra on the TV drama R.C.M.P. by Canadian TV producer Frank “Budge” Crawley in 1958. He went to Toronto to play the role of a young convict on the CBC drama Shadow of a Pale Horse. Dane then went to Los Angeles in 1965 to try his luck in Hollywood.
Considering his size, Dane realized that he would be cast only as a villain in various TV series. While speaking to Maclean’s magazine in 1976, he said:
“If I’d been short and cherubic, I would have starved to death. There are only two major parts on any television show, the hero and the villain. The economics of the medium don’t allow for anything else.”
The Phenomenon II actor continued to appear in several U.S. series like Rituals, Running, Heda Gabler, and others. He has also appeared in many Canadian TV shows like Street Legal, E.N.G., Flashpoint, and more.
Twitter gets flooded with tributes
Lawrence Dane became famous all these years for his performances in various films and TV series. The public and popular personalities paid tribute to him on Twitter when they heard about his death:
Dane is survived by his wife Laurel Dane and extended family. Further details about his personal life are yet to be disclosed.