Quantum Leap star Dean Stockwell dies, aged 85
9 November 2021, 12:47 | Updated: 9 November 2021, 13:14
The prolific TV and film actor has passed away, his agent has said.
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Actor Dean Stockwell has died aged 85.
The star of Quantum Leap - who was best known for portraying Admiral Al Calavicci alongside Scott Bakula in the hit US sci-fi series - passed away on Sunday morning (7 November) from natural causes.
A representative for the actor told TMZ he died "peacefully" at his home.
Stockwell's Hollywood career spanned seven decades and his work on Quantum Leap -in which he appeared in all 97 episodes between 1989 and 1993 - earned him a Golden Globe award in 1990. Stockwell's larger than life character was a contrast to Bakula's physicist Dr. Sam Beckett.
He also appeared in such films as Air Force One and David Lynch movies Dune and Blue Velvet.
Stockwell started his career in the 1940s as a child actor signed to MGM Studios, during which time he featured in Valley Of Decision, Anchors Aweigh, The Green Years and more.
A turn in 1998's Married To The Mob earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Meanwhile, in 2006 he joined the cast of the Battlestar Galactica reboot in a recurring role as Brother Cavil in 2009.
He continued to act well into the last decade, with appearances in the likes of Enlist, Max Rose and NCIS: New Orleans.
Stockwell - who is survived by wife Joy and their children Austin and Sophie - retired from acting in 2015 and started making art, which was exhibited under his full name Robert Dean Stockwell.
Quantum Leap Theme / Intro / Opening - JUST THE INTRO (episode clip seamlessly edited out)
Film fans have paid tribute to the actor and his work.
One wrote: "Rest in peace Dean Stockwell, an actor of wonderful range and versatility."
Another said: "I think Dean Stockwell was probably the first actor I ever loved, he was just so goddamned suave on Quantum Leap.
“Then you get older and see him pop up all over and realise he was actually one of the greatest character actors of all time. What a legacy! RIP."
