Andrew Prine obit

Actor Andrew Prine has died

He was not on the list.

Prine was born in Jennings, Florida. After graduation from Miami Jackson High School in Miami, Prine attended the University of Miami and performed at the acclaimed Jerry Herman Ring Theatre. Prine made his acting debut three years later in an episode of United States Steel Hour. His next role was in the 1959 Broadway production of Thomas Wolfe's Look Homeward, Angel. In 1962, Prine was cast in Academy Award-nominated film The Miracle Worker as Helen Keller's older brother James.

In 1962, Prine landed a lead role with Earl Holliman in the 28-episode series Wide Country, a drama about two brothers who are rodeo performers. After the cancellation of Wide Country, Prine continued to work throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and in such television series as Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Virginian, Wagon Train, Dr. Kildare, Cannon, Barnaby Jones, Baretta, Combat!, Hawaii Five-O, Twelve O'Clock High, and The Bionic Woman. He played Dr. Richard Kimble's brother Ray in an important first-season episode of The Fugitive.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Prine appeared in supporting roles in a number of films. Prominent among these were three films he made for director Andrew V. McLaglen: The Devil's Brigade (1968), Bandolero! (1968), and Chisum (1970).

During the 1980s and 1990s, Prine continued to work in film and television. Appearances included W.E.B., Dallas, Weird Science, and as Steven in the science-fiction miniseries V and its sequel V: The Final Battle.

Prine worked with director Quentin Tarantino on an Emmy-winning episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and in Saving Grace with Holly Hunter, Boston Legal, and Six Feet Under, in addition to feature films with Johnny Knoxville. The Encore Western Channel has featured him on Conversations with Andrew Prine, interviewing Hollywood actors such as Eli Wallach, Harry Carey, Jr., and Patrick Wayne, and film makers such as Mark Rydell with behind-the-scenes anecdotes.

A life member of the Actors Studio, Prine's stage work includes Long Day's Journey into Night with Charlton Heston and Deborah Kerr, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, directed by Henry Fonda, and A Distant Bell on Broadway.

Prine received the Golden Boot Award for his body of work in Westerns (in 2001) and two Dramalogue Critics Awards for Best Actor in a leading role.

Andrew Prine, the charming character actor who proved quite comfortable in the saddle in Bandolero!, Chisum, Wide Country and dozens of other Westerns on television and the big screen, has died. He was 86.

He died Monday in Paris of natural causes while on vacation with his wife, actress-producer Heather Lowe, she told The Hollywood Reporter. “He was the sweetest prince,” she said.

Prine also played the brother of Helen Keller (Patty Duke in an Oscar-winning turn) in The Miracle Worker (1962) and portrayed a lawman in Texarkana, Arkansas, who hunts a hooded serial killer alongside Ben Johnson in the cult classic The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976).

Later in his career, he stood out as Confederate Gen. Richard B. Garnett in the sprawling Gettysburg (1993).

In 1962-63, the lanky Prine got a taste of fame when he starred as the younger brother of Earl Holliman — their characters are traveling rodeo performers — on NBC’s Wide Country. Four years later, he played the oldest son of Barry Sullivan on another NBC Western, The Road West.

Prine worked with director Andrew V. McLaglen on three episodes of CBS’ Gunsmoke in 1962-63, and the pair reunited in 1968 for two films: the William Holden-starring war film The Devil’s Brigade, and Bandolero!, in which he and George Kennedy take after fugitives across the Mexican border.

Prine teamed with John Wayne in Chisum (1970), also helmed by McLaglen, and Rooster Cogburn (1975).

For his body of work in Westerns, he received the Golden Boot Award in 2001.

The son of a Pullman conductor, Andrew Lewis Prine was born Feb. 14, 1936, in Jennings, Florida. He graduated from Miami Jackson High School and attended the University of Miami on a theater scholarship but dropped out and headed to New York to pursue acting.

In 1958, he took over Anthony Perkins’ role on Broadway in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Look Homeward, Angel, written by Thomas Wolfe and directed by George Roy Hill.

“I think one of the reasons I got it is because I was so thin,” he told Backstage in an undated interview. “I weighed 138 pounds at 6-foot-2, so I looked exactly right for this character, who was supposed to be this gangly 17-year-old. I swear to God, I think my diet had something to do with it.

“I was getting free classes at that point from a lady in The Actors Studio who liked me. But I was a very lazy actor. I was berated by Old Man [Lee] Strasberg over the years and some other teachers who used to tell me, ‘You’re not paying attention.’ But I did get training, in spite of myself.

“Fortunately, I did Look Homeward for two years, and what I did while playing the lead and being paid was learn how to act. The stage manager came backstage every night with copious notes, and his job was to keep me on target. I learned how to act, really, on Broadway. 

Scouts from Universal saw him onstage and wanted him to star on a rodeo series.

“So I said, ‘I’m just going to go out [to California] and do [that] and I’m coming right back to Broadway,'” he recalled in a 2013 episode of A Word on Westerns. “Then I found out how much money they would give me just to sit on a horse, and I said, ‘So long, Broadway.'”

In 1964, Prine played a doubting brother of David Janssen’s Richard Kimble on the first season of ABC’s The Fugitive, and he had a recurring role a year later on the final season of NBC’s Dr. Kildare, but Westerns were his bread and butter.

In the 1960s, he guest-starred on Bonanza, The Virginian, Wagon Train, Daniel Boone and Lancer and appeared in the Dean Martin-starring Texas Across the River (1966), often doing his own stunts.

“I’ve been in many wrecks, as we call them, and broken my knees and shoulders trying too hard to do stunts I should not have done and was not qualified to do,” he said.

Prine stayed busy in the next decade, too. “I managed to take on so many roles in the period during the 1970s because I never met a film role I didn’t like,” he said in 2013. “I’m a working actor, I don’t wait a year for a picture.” (He has more than 180 acting credits listed on IMDb.)

To promote the sexploitation thriller The Centerfold Girls (1974), in which he starred as a sadistic serial killer, Prine posed nude for the women’s magazine Viva in 1974. His other films of the era included One Little Indian (1973) with James Garner, the Alan Rudolph-directed Terror Circus (1973), Grizzly (1976) and The Evil (1978).

Prine played the father of Michael Manasseri and Lee Tergesen’s characters on the 1994-98 USA series Weird Science and was the “visitor” known as Steven on the 1983-84 NBC miniseries V and V: The Final Battle.

He also acted for Quentin Tarantino on a two-part Emmy-winning episode of CBS’ CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in 2005. On television, he was in everything from The United States Steel Hour, Peter Gunn, The Defenders and Combat! to The Bionic Woman, Saving Grace, Boston Legal and Six Feet Under.

Prine was married to actress Sharon Farrell from 1962 to 1963 and to actress Brenda Scott three times — from 1965 to 1966, 1968 to 1969 and 1973 to 1978 — before he wed Lowe in 1986. He also was romantically involved with actress Karyn Kupcinet when she was murdered in 1963 in an infamous unsolved Hollywood homicide.

Survivors also include his brother, John, and nephews Nick (and his wife, Rhonda) and Kevin (and his wife, Kathy).

Filmography

 

    Kiss Her Goodbye (1959) as Kenneth 'Kenny' Grimes

    The Miracle Worker (1962) as James Keller

    Advance to the Rear (1964) as Pvt. Owen Selous

    Texas Across the River (1966) as Lt. Sibley

    The Devil's Brigade (1968) as Pvt. Theodore Ransom

    Bandolero! (1968) as Deputy Sheriff Roscoe Bookbinder

    This Savage Land (1969, TV Movie) as Timothy Pride

    Generation a.k.a. A Time for Caring, A Time for Giving (1969) as Winn Garand

    Along Came a Spider (1970, TV Movie) as Sam Howard

    Chisum (1970) as Alex McSween

    Lost Flight (1970, TV Movie) as Jonesy

    Night Slaves (1970, TV Movie) as Fess Beany / Noel

    Simon, King of the Witches (1971) as Simon Sinestrari

    Squares a.k.a. Honky Tonk Cowboy, Riding Tall (1972) as Austin Ruth

    Another Part of the Forest (1972, TV Movie) as Oscar Hubbard

    Crypt of the Living Dead a.k.a. La tumba de la isla maldita, Vampire Women (1973) as Chris Bolton

    One Little Indian (1973) as Chaplain

    Wonder Woman (1974, TV Movie) as George Calvin

    Nightmare Circus (1974) as Andre

    Centerfold Girls (1974) as Clement Dunne

    Rooster Cogburn (1975) as Fiona's Husband (uncredited)

    The Deputies a.k.a. The Law of the Land (1976, TV Movie) as Travis Carrington

    Grizzly (1976) as Don Stober

    The Winds of Autumn (1976) as Wire Hankins

    The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976) as Deputy Norman Ramsey

    The Evil (1978) as Prof. Raymond Guy

    Abe Lincoln: Freedom Fighter (1978) as Luke

    Amityville II: The Possession (1982) as Father Tom

    They're Playing with Fire (1984) as Michael Stevens

    Eliminators (1986) as Harry Fontana

    Chill Factor (1989) as Kioshe Jones

    Life on the Edge (1992) as Dr. Roger Hardy

    Deadly Exposure (1993) as Richard Anthony

    Gettysburg (1993) as Brig. Gen. Richard B. Garnett

    Wolfridge (1994) as Jack Haig

    Without Evidence (1995) as John Nelson

    Serial Killer (1995) as Perry Jones

    The Dark Dancer (1995) as Dr. Paul Orenstein

    The Shadow Men (1998) as MIB #1

    Possums (1998) as Mayor Charlie Lawton

    The Boy with the X-Ray Eyes a.k.a. X-Ray Boy, X-treme Teens (1999) as Malcolm Baker

    Witchouse 2: Blood Coven (2000) as Sheriff Jake Harmon / Angus Westmore

    Critical Mass (2001) as Sen. Cook

    Sweet Home Alabama (2002) as Sheriff Holt (uncredited)

    Gods and Generals (2003) as Brig. Gen. Richard B. Garnett (uncredited)

    Glass Trap (2005) as Sheriff Ed

    The Dukes of Hazzard (2005) as Angry Man

    Hell to Pay (2005) as Matt Elden

    Daltry Calhoun (2005) as Sheriff Cabot

    Sutures (2009) as Dr. Hopkins

    Treasure of the Black Jaguar (2010) as Andrew Prine

    Lords of Salem (2012) as Reverend Jonathan Hawthorne

    Beyond the Farthest Star (2015) as Senator John Cutter

 

Television

 

    U.S. Steel Hour (1 episode, 1957)

    Playhouse 90 (1 episode, 1960)

    Tombstone Territory (1 episode, "Revenge", 1960)

    Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond (1 episode, 1960)

    Overland Trail (1 episode, "Sour Annie", 1960)

    Peter Gunn (1 episode, 1960)

    The DuPont Show of the Month (1 episode, 1961)

    Have Gun — Will Travel (2 episodes, 1960–1961)

    Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1 episode, 1962)

    The Defenders (1 episode, 1962)

    Alcoa Premiere (2 episodes, 1961–1962)

    The New Breed (1 episode, 1962)

    Ben Casey (1 episode, 1962)

    The Wide Country (28 episodes, 1962–1963)

    Vacation Playhouse (1 episode, 1963)

    Gunsmoke (3 episodes); as Billy Joe in S7E33’s “The Prisoner” (1962); as Clay Tatum on S8E5’s “False Front” (1962) & as Elmo Sippy in S9E5’s “Easy Come” (1963)

    The Lieutenant (1 episode, 1963)

    The Great Adventure (1 episode, 1963)

    Advance to the Rear (1964)

    Profiles in Courage (1 episode, 1964)

    Wagon Train a.k.a. Major Adams, Trail Master (2 episodes, 1964–1965)

    Combat! (1 episode, "Billy the Kid", 1965)

    Kraft Suspense Theatre (1 episode, 1965)

    Bonanza (1 episode, "Jonah", 1965)

    Dr. Kildare (7 episodes, 1963–1965)

    Convoy (1 episode, 1965)

    Twelve O'Clock High (2 episodes, 1964–1965)

    The Fugitive (2 episodes, 1964–1965)

    The Road West (Unknown episodes, 1966)

    Tarzan (1 episode, 1966)

    The Invaders (1 episode, 1967)

    Daniel Boone (1 episode, 1968)

    Felony Squad (1 episode, 1968)

    Ironside (2 episodes, 1968)

    The Virginian (5 episodes, 1965–1969)

    Love, American Style (1 episode, 1969)

    Insight (1 episode, 1970)

    Lancer (2 episodes, 1968–1970)

    The Name of the Game (2 episodes, 1968–1970)

    Matt Lincoln (1 episode, 1970)

    The Most Deadly Game (1 episode, 1970)

    Dan August (1 episode, 1970)

    The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1 episode, 1971)

    Dr. Simon Locke a.k.a. Police Surgeon (1 episode, 1971)

    The F.B.I. (3 episodes, 1968–1973)

    The Delphi Bureau (1 episode, 1973)

    Kung Fu (1 episode, 1974)

    Banacek (1 episode, 1974)

    Hawkins (1 episode, 1974)

    Barnaby Jones (2 episodes, 1973–1974)

    Cannon (2 episodes, 1971–1974)

    Amy Prentiss (1 episode, 1974)

    Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1 episode, "Demon in Lace", 1975)

    Barbary Coast (1 episode, 1975)

    Hawaii Five-O (1 episode, 1975)

    The Family Holvak (2 episodes, 1975)

    Riding With Death (1 episode, 1976)

    Baretta (2 episodes, 1975–1976)

    Quincy, M.E. (1 episode, 1977)

    Tail Gunner Joe (1977)

    Hunter (1 episode, 1977)

    The Bionic Woman (1 episode, 1977)

    The Last of the Mohicans (1977)

    Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A. a.k.a. The Christmas Coal Mine Miracle (1977)

    Abe Lincoln: Freedom Fighter (1978)

    W.E.B. (5 episodes, 1978)

    Donner Pass: The Road to Survival (1978)

    Flying High (1 episode, 1979)

    Mind Over Murder (1979)

    The Littlest Hobo (2 episodes, 1979)

    M Station: Hawaii (1980)

    One Day at a Time (1980)

    Callie & Son a.k.a. Callie and Son a.k.a. Rags to Riches (1981)

    A Small Killing (1981)

    Darkroom (1 episode, Undated)

    Hart to Hart (1 episode, 1982)

    The Fall Guy (1 episode, 1983)

    V a.k.a. V: The Original Miniseries (1983)

    Boone as A.W. Holly in "The Graduation" (1983)

    Trapper John, M.D. (1 episode, 1984)

    No Earthly Reason (1984)

    They're Playing with Fire (1984)

    V: The Final Battle (1984)

    Matt Houston (2 episodes, 1984)

    Cover Up (1 episode, 1984)

    And the Children Shall Lead a.k.a. Wonderworks: And the Children Shall Lead (1985)

    Danger Bay (2 episodes, 1986)

    Paradise a.k.a. Guns of Paradise (1 episode, 1988)

    Dallas (1 episode, 1989)

    Freddy's Nightmares a.k.a. Freddy's Nightmares - A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Series (2 episodes, 1989)

    In the Heat of the Night (1 episode, 1990)

    Murder, She Wrote (4 episodes, 1984–1991)

    Parker Lewis Can't Lose (1 episode, 1991)

    Mission of the Shark: The Saga of the U.S.S. Indianapolis (1991)

    Matlock (1 episode, 1991)

    FBI: The Untold Stories (1 episode, 1992)

    Room for Two (26 episodes, 1992)

    Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1 episode, 1993)

    Star Trek: The Next Generation (1 episode, 1993)

    Scattered Dreams a.k.a. Scattered Dreams: The Kathryn Messenger Story (1993)

    Married... with Children (1 episode, 1994)

    Weird Science (Unknown number of episodes, 1994–1996)

    Night Stand with Dick Dietrick (1 episode, 1995)

    The Avenging Angel (1995)

    Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1 episode, 1995)

    University Hospital (1 episode, 1995)

    Pointman (1 episode, 1995)

    Baywatch Nights (1 episode, 1996)

    Melrose Place (1 episode, 1996)

    Walker, Texas Ranger a.k.a. Walker (1 episode, 1997)

    Silk Stalkings (1 episode, 1997)

    JAG (1 episode, 1999)

    The Miracle Worker (2000)

    James Dean (2001)

    Six Feet Under (2 episodes, 2004)

    CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2005)

    Boston Legal (1 episode, 2006)

    Hollis & Rae (2006)

    Saving Grace (1 episode, 2008)