We have some sad news to end the day with here on Arrow in the Head, as it has been confirmed that prolific character actor Lawrence Dane passed away on March 21st. He was born on April 3, 1937, so his death comes just two weeks before what would have been his 85th birthday. Dane’s publicist told The Hollywood Reporter that the actor “died at his home in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, with his wife, Laurel, and family members at his side after a long battle with pancreatic cancer”.
Even if you didn’t know Dane’s name, chances are you saw him in something over the decades, as he racked up over 140 screen credits during a career that lasted about sixty years. He was credited as Larry Zahab when making his earliest appearances on TV shows like The Unforeseen and R.C.M.P. Then he switched over to Lawrence Dane, and among the work he did under that name are episodes of I Spy, Lancer, The Virginian, Mannix, Mission: Impossible, The F.B.I., The Hitchhiker, Airwolf, The Equalizer, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Rin Tin Tin: K-9 Cop, The Outer Limits, The Red Green Show, Side Effects, Poltergeist: The Legacy, Highlander: The Raven, La Femme Nikita, Stargate SG-1, Queer as Folk, and The Wonderful World of Disney. His film credits include The Clown Murders, Scanners, Happy Birthday to Me, Of Unknown Origin, Rolling Vengeance, Darkman II: The Return of Durant, National Lampoon’s Senior Trip, Waking the Dead, and Bride of Chucky.
The headline The Hollywood Reporter used when reporting his passing referred to him as the “Bride of Chucky P.I.”.
Dane wrote his own obituary, which was quoted in part in the Hollywood Reporter article. In it, he said he took acting classes in an effort to overcome shyness, and
Between then and my exit stage left on (March 21, 2022) I had the good fortune of becoming a member of a highly respected brotherhood of Canadian performers where I got to meet and work with hundreds of other struggling fellow actors. They were all an inspiration to me.”
During a 1976 interview, he said that his build, 6’1″ and broad-shouldered, helped him land some of his earliest roles, playing villains on American television.
If I’d been short and cherubic, I would have starved to death. There are only two major parts on any television show, the hero and the villain. The economics of the medium don’t allow for anything else.”
Dane was able to build a very impressive career, and it’s sad to know that his career has come to an end. He left behind a lot of performances for us to continue to enjoy watching, though.
Our sincere condolences go out to Lawrence Dane’s family, friends, and fans.