Spencer Milligan, who played park ranger and father Rick Marshall on the iconic 70s kids’ show Land of the Lost, has died. Milligan passed away on April 18 at his residence in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, his family announced, per his online obituary. He was 86.
Milligan starred as the valiant dad of Will Marshall (Wesley Eure) and Holly Marshall (Kathy Coleman) in the first two seasons of Sid and Marty Krofft’s Land of the Lost.
The show blended live-action with stop-motion dinosaurs. The sci-fi adventure kicks off when the family gets swept away by an earthquake during a rafting trip, plunging them into an alternative universe.
Wesley Eure, who portrayed his son Will on Land of the Lost honored Milligan with a heartfelt tribute in a Facebook post.
“For many of us, and Spencer’s many fans, he was the perfect dad,” Eure wrote. “We loved his kindness, talent and huge sense of humor… Our hearts go out to his lovely wife and Spencer’s many friends and family.”
Spencer Milligan Left ‘Land of the Lost’ After Getting Cut Out of Merchandising Profits
Milligan gained fame as his likeness appeared on Land of the Lost merchandise, which included lunch boxes, toys, t-shirts, and coloring books. However, he left the show, citing a lack of compensation for these products.
At the beginning of the third season, Ron Harper replaced Milligan, stepping in as Rick’s brother, Jack. Rick gets sucked through a time portal while Jack, searching for his niece and nephew, finds them by chance.
However, many fans of the series recall the impressive range Milligan showed on Land of the Lost. As the family patriarch, he remained the calm hand and contrasted the more easily frightened kid characters.
Whenever he showed fear and vulnerability, like in the classic episode “The Stranger, viewers knew things were serious.
Spencer James Milligan was born on September 10, 1937, in Oak Park, Illinois. He attended Lyons Township High School and trained at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. In 1960, he earned acclaim for his performance in Come Back, Little Sheba on a Chicago stage.
After serving in the U.S. Army until 1966, Milligan studied acting with Lee Strasberg in New York and Joan Darling in Los Angeles. He made his cinematic debut as a futuristic party host in Woody Allen’s Sleeper (1973).
Milligan later appeared in episodes of iconic 70s and 80s shows such as Gunsmoke, Baretta, McCloud, The Bionic Woman, Alice, and The Dukes of Hazzard.
For the past 20 years, he taught classes and directed plays at Third Avenue PlayWorks in Sturgeon Bay. He is survived by his wife, Kerry, whom he met in August 1991 and married in December 2002, and his godchildren, Andee, Hilary, and Spencer.