What character did Tom Bower play in Die Hard 2? Actor passes away at 86

American actor Tom Bower passed away on May 30, 2024, aged 86 at his home in Los Angeles. The cause of death is not disclosed yet. His sister-in-law, Mary Miller, told The Hollywood Reporter that he died in his sleep. Tom's manager, Marsha McManus, also talked about the actor's passing with People magazine by stating,

"He was extraordinary in every way."

Tom Bower is best known for the portrayal of an airport janitor, Marvin, in the famous action movie, Die Hard 2. He helped the protagonist John McClane (Bruce Willis's character) beat the bad guys. At the end of the film, when Mclane finds his wife Holly Gennero (Bonnie Bedelia), Marvin picks them up at the airport in a cart and drives them off into the sunset.

The Die Hard sequel earned substantial success and grossed $117.5 million at the global box office.

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Tom Bower's career explored as the Die Hard 2 actor dies at 86

Thomas Ralph Bower, known professionally as Tom Bower, was born on January 3, 1938, in Denver, Colorado, United States. He began his acting career in the early 1970s, playing a police guard in the 1973 film, Incident at Vichy.

Tom Bower had an illustrious career of almost 50 years in the entertainment industry. In 2023, he portrayed the role of estranged father of William Henry "Hank" Devereaux (Bob Odenkirk) on the short-lived AMC series titled Lucky Hank. He made a few guest cameo appearances in various series, including Kojak, The Bionic Woman, and The Rockford Files.

Tom Bower rose to fame by working in the hit family series, The Walton (1972-81). He was introduced in the fourth season as Rex Barker. However, the actor soon landed a prominent role in the series as Dr. Curtis Willard, which he continued to play from season five to seven. Its debut season premiered in September 1972 on CBS. The show ran succesfully for nine seasons and was then canceled in 1981.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Bower featured in several movies including Massive Retaliation, Beverly Hills Cop II Raising Cain, and Nixon. For the next two decades the 2000s and 2010s, the actor worked in The West Wing, Law & Order, The Hills Have Eyes, Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds, and Bosch.

Overall, he acted in more than 166 feature films and television shows. He also performed in around 87 theatrical productions.

The actor's last project is the upcoming biopic, Hurricanna, which is about the pop culture icon Anna Nicole Smith's final days. Co-starring Sylvia Hoeks and Holly Hunter, Tom essays the role of a dentist in the film.

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Tom Bower's wife passed away in August 2023 at the age of 75. They were married for 51 years. He is survived by his brother Bobby, sister Shirley and his children, Viv and Rob, alongside four grandchildren.