Spencer Milligan, a veteran actor best known for playing Rick Marshall on the 1970s sci-fi series Land of the Lost, has died. He was 86.
According to an obituary on the Huehns Funeral Home website, Milligan passed away on Thursday, April 18, 2024. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Born on September 10, 1937, in Oak Park, Illinois, Milligan began his career performing on stage in local theater before he enrolled in the Army. Following his honorable discharge from the Army in September 1966, Milligan moved to California, where he started his Hollywood career, appearing in Woody Allen‘s 1973 sci-fi comedy Sleeper and the 1974 thriller film The Photographer.
In 1974, he landed his most memorable role as Ranger Rick Marshall, the father of Will and Holly Marshall (Wesley Eure and Kathy Coleman), in Sid and Marty Krofft’s Land of the Lost. He starred in the first two seasons of the live-action/stop-motion hybrid show, which gained cult favorite status. The show led to a 1990s revival on ABC and later Nickelodeon and a 2009 movie starring Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, and Anna Friel.
Wesley Eure, Kathy Coleman, Spencer Milligan in Land of the Lost, 1974-77; Everett Collection
Following news of the passing, Eure took to his Facebook page to share his and his co-star’s condolences.
“Kathy, Phil (Paley) and I are heartbroken to announce our dear friend and TV dad, Spencer Milligan, has died,” Eure wrote. “We heard rumors but today we got the sad confirmation. For many of us, and Spencer’s many fans, he was the perfect dad. We loved his kindness, talent and huge sense of humor. We are just processing this news and will post more in the coming days.”
He continued, “Our hearts go out to his lovely wife and Spencer’s many friends and family. He was a very private man who lived a wonderful life away from the world of Hollywood. Our loss is great…. Rest in peace my dear, dear Papa!”
After leaving Land of the Lost, Milligan continued to appear in several classic television series over the next decade, including Gunsmoke, Baretta, McCloud, The Bionic Woman, Quincy, M.E., The Dukes of Hazzard, and Police Squad. He also had a seven-episode arc as Ray Gibbons on General Hospital in 1987.
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Milligan stepped away from acting in the late 1980s and returned to his adopted hometown of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, where he taught classes and directed plays at the Third Avenue Playworks. His directorial credits include Tennessee Williams, The One-Act Plays, and Billy Sunday.
In August 1991, he met his future wife, Kerry, whom he married in December 2002. According to Milligan’s obituary, the actor described meeting Kerry as “the defining moment of his life.”
He is survived by his wife, Kerry; Godchildren, Andee Solis, Hilary Williams, and Spencer Williams.
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