John Lasell, a character actor perhaps best known for his appearances in Dark Shadows and The Twilight Zone, has passed away at age 95.
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The obituary notice, per The Hollywood Reporter, confirmed the news, stating that the date of death was October 4th. No cause was given.
Lasell was a steadfast supporting player in many classic TV shows. If you’ve watched television made between 1960 and 1985, you’ve definitely seen him.
He appeared in Perry Mason three times and The Fugitive four times. Lasell also made appearances in Dallas, Falcon Crest, Lassie, Mannix, Flipper, The Mod Squad, Mission: Impossible , and Gunsmoke.
However, two genre roles played by Lasell truly captured the imagination of generations of TV lovers.
He played John Wilkes Booth in the 1961 The Twilight Zone episode “Back There” opposite Gilligan’s Island regular Russell Johnson (the Professor), who played a time traveler trying to stop President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
Meanwhile, Lasell’s most frequent role was in the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows, where he played the vampire hunter Dr. Peter Guthrie in 25 episodes.
Farewell to John Lasell (1928-2024) — an unsung hero of #DarkShadows.
— Will McKinley (@willmckinley) October 15, 2024
As parapsychologist Dr. Peter Guthrie, he battled the spooky soap's first monster (a phoenix) before vampire Barnabas Collins arrived.
He was also a familiar face for 25 years on shows like THE TWILIGHT ZONE. pic.twitter.com/h0CcbjUKGe
His most recent screen credit dates back to 1985 with the Emmy-nominated TV miniseries A Death in California, where he starred alongside Cheryl Ladd and Sam Elliott. Although Lasell mainly concentrated on television, he also gained several film credits. This included a significant role as Helen Keller’s father in the 1970 movie Helen Keller and Her Teacher.
John Whitin Lasell Jr. was born on November 6, 1928. Throughout his life, he was married three times. One of these wives was Patricia Smith, an actress who also appeared on The Twilight Zone and Perry Mason.
TV Fans Pay Tribute to John Lassell
Of course, as news of Lassell’s death spread, fans took to social media to pay tribute to the memorable character actor.
“Loved John Lasell as John Wilkes Booth in the “Back There” episode of The Twilight Zone and of course as the vampire hunter in Dark Shadows! Sad day for fans of both series,” one fan wrote on X.
“rip to a legend! i remember watching ‘dark shadows’ with my grandma,’ a second fan added.
“He played John Wilkes Booth in the TZ episode Back There. A few years ago I wrote to Mr. Lasell and he was kind enough to autograph a handkerchief for me,” a third fan recalled.
RIP to Twilight Zone player John Lasell who passed away on Oct 4 at the age of 95. He played John Wilkes Booth in the TZ episode Back There. A few years ago I wrote to Mr. Lasell and he was kind enough to autograph a handkerchief for me. @TwilightZoneNet https://t.co/xhJbRVGi8S pic.twitter.com/e47k3vSMDV
— Dave Taylor (@LinConspirators) October 13, 2024
Meanwhile, another fan pointed out how character actors who have been out of the limelight are often unfairly forgotten.
“And he was on Perry Mason. This is the type of person they always forget in the memoriam segments,” the fan bemoaned.
Here’s hoping John Lasell gets his due at next season’s Emmy and Academy Awards “In Memoriam” segments. Despite stepping away from acting decades ago, such a prolific character actor deserves recognition.