Michael Cole, who most famously portrayed Pete Cochran, one of the three young undercover cops on ABC’s crime drama Mod Squad (1968-1973), died on Tuesday, December 10. He was 84 years old.
The tragic news was initially reported by a few outlets, including Variety, whose representatives shared that the actor died “peacefully this morning, surrounded by loved ones, after living a full and vibrant life.” Cole died at Providence Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Tarzana, California, publicist Rachel Harris announced, according to The Hollywood Reporter. No cause of death has been revealed at this time.
Cole was born on July 3, 1940, in Madison, Wisconsin. He guest-starred on multiple shows in the 1960s, including Gunsmoke, before he got his big breakthrough via Mod Squad. Co-starring Peggy Lipton and Clarence Williams III, Cole’s character was the disgruntled son of well-to-do parents. After his character got arrested, he avoided jail time when all three agreed to become cops. The tagline for the hit series was “One white, one black, one blonde.” Cole similarly named his 2018 memoir I Played the White Guy.
Michael Cole’s final role was in the TV movie I wrote called GRAVE MISCONDUCT. Here he is sharing the screen with Joanna Miles and Crystal Bernard. My condolences go out to his family and friends. https://t.co/XN5RzYeJaY pic.twitter.com/6Nr9uBZuIr— Matthew Chernov (@MatthewChernov) December 10, 2024
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