Tom Bower has died at the age of 86.
The actor, most known for his roles in Die Hard 2 and The Waltons, died in his sleep on May 30.
Mary Miller, his sister-in-law, confirmed the sad news to the Hollywood Reporter, explaining that he was at his home in LA at the time.
Marsha McManus, who served as his manager, has since paid tribute, telling People Magazine: ‘He was extraordinary in every way’.
His cause of death has not yet been announced.
Denver-born Bower initially wanted to become a professional baseball player before turning his attention to the spotlight, enrolling in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1956.
He went on to study acting at the John Cassavetes Shadows Workshop, and made his debut in Cassavetes’ flick, Shadows, in 1957.
Following this, he notched up roles in The Rockford Files and the Bionic Woman, before landing a recurring role on the Waltons, in 1975.
He made his debut in The Wing Walker in season four, before returning in season five as doctor Curtis Willard – the husband of Mary Ellen (Judy Norton).
Despite being a big part of the series, Bower was written out in 1978 and Curt was killed off screen in Pearl Harbor.
In 1981, the character made a bombshell return but the actor was replaced in the role by Scott Hylands.
Unpacking this in an interview two years ago, he explained that he’d asked for a raise behind the scenes, and had been rejected.
‘I asked for a very small raise, so they sent me to Pearl Harbor,’ he told his former colleague, Norton, on during an appearance on her YouTube channel.
‘Then, when they decided to bring the character back, washed up on a shore somewhere – which I didn’t think was a great idea anyway – I asked for the same small raise.
‘When they wanted me to come back and I asked for the same raise as I had asked for before, they just cast a different actor.’
This is a breaking news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
For more stories like this, check our entertainment page.
Follow Metro.co.uk Entertainment on Twitter and Facebook for the latest celeb and entertainment updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.
Ad Consultant
Business services
0 Comments