actor Darren McGavin has died

http://www.darrenmcgavin.net/ ^ | February 25, 2006

[lunarbicep]

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Darren McGavin at approximately 7:10 A.M. Pacific time today, Saturday 25, 2006. Darren was just three months short of his 84th birthday. While we suspect none of us can imagine a world without the beloved, feisty little red-head, it is time to reflect, give thanks for his life and hold in reverence his memory. Darren is gone, but in many respects he will always be with us: as Carl Kolchak, fighting authority and battling monsters; the grumpy Old Man sending curses over Lake Michigan; as David Ross, the outsider, Grey Holden, captain of the Enterprise, the irascible detective Mike Hammer or any number of memorable guest star appearances, most notably as Joe Bascome on GUNSMOKE and as the washed-up old actor from "Distant Signals."

Please take a moment in your sadness to reflect upon all the ways Darren touched your lives, say a prayer and raise a glass to toast a career which spanned over fifty years and affected us all in ways too numerous to count.

[operation clinton cleanup]

Nightstalker was the first "scary" show I was allowed to watch as a kid... I still have the vision of him fighting the headless motorcycle rider fresh in my mind. Thanks for all the entertainment Mr. McGavin...

[ferri]

geez!!! him too??? :(

[evad]

Really? Where? How many episodes?

Columbia House
$19.00..20 episodes

[Lauretij2]

Him and Knotts, what a sucky day :((((

[Mike Bates]

He was so good an actor, I almost overlooked his giving a campaign contribution to Barbara Boxer.

[Nasty McPhilthy]

Not Kolchak, too!

Just damn.

[MamaB]

I was wondering the same thing. SciFi had Night Stalker on recently and I watched several of them.

[SaveTheChief]

Aww nuts. He was great in A Christmas Story.

It seems like we're losing many from a great generation of actors recently.

[evad]

"The Old Man" in the classic "

Ahhh yes...the man with the Major Award.

Funniest scene ever was the Christmas dinner at the Chinese restaurant.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

He was terrific on both Night Stalker and the X-Files. R.I.P., Karl Kolchak.

[Phsstpok]

He also played the slightly demonic gambler in The Natural, Gus Sands, opposite Robert Redford and the rest of that great cast. With all of the talent involved they couldn't afford to pay him his normal salary, so he did it "for scale" because it was such a great part and ensemble. His one condition was that he not be listed in the credits and not have to do publicity for it.

I would say he will be sadly missed, but we are the first generation in history who can truly say that we will always have people like him, and Don Knotts and all the rest of them, virtually forever. A thousand years from now it's likely that people will still watch things with him.

[Publius6961]

Thank you!

[yield 2 the right]

July 21, 1924-February 25, 2006

[MamaB]

None have the talent that these actors did.

[carlr]

I just saw this.

The Night Stalker was one of my favorite shows although it was rare my parents let me watch it,thinking it was too intense.
Imagine that in this day and age.

This and with Don Knotts passing,damn it sucks to get old.

[A CA Guy]

:( :(

[laconic]

Vincenzo (Simon Oakland) died years ago of cancer. There were two Night Stalker movies (abouta vampire and a Victorian era Jack the Ripper-like killer) and the tv series thereafter.

[Tailback]

I was named after him. Looks like we've lost a couple of great ones today.

[mass55th]

First Don Knotts and now Darren McGavin. Very sad news indeed. Rest well dear gentlemen, you've certainly earned it.

[raccoonradio]

yes, was laughing my butt off as I watched it yet again on Christmas Eve! (that scene, etc.) Sometimes I sing "fa ra ra ra ra" to myself when I enter a Chinese restaurant. That place
in the movie had an interesting way of preparing duck, right at your table!