Doug Sheehan obit

Doug Sheehan Dies: ‘General Hospital’, ‘Knots Landing’ Actor Was 75

 

He was not on the list.

Doug Sheehan, an actor known for his breakout role as Joe Kelly on General Hospital and as Ben Gibson on Knots Landing, among many other credits, has died. Sheehan “passed away peacefully” June 29 at his home in Big Horn, Wyoming, with his wife his side, according to a Kane Funeral Home announcement. He was 75. A cause of death was not revealed.

Born on April 27, 1949, in Santa Monica, Sheehan’s first screen role came in a 1978 episode of Charlie’s Angels. He went on to join the cast of daytime soap General Hospital as a series regular in his first major role, appearing in 205 episodes as lawyer Joe Kelly from 1979-82. He earned a supporting actor Daytime Emmy nomination for his work.

He segued from General Hospital to the role of reporter Ben Gibson on Knots Landing, appearing in 115 episodes from 1983-88.

He also starred as Brian Harper on comedy series Day by Day, created by Andy Borowitz and Gary David Goldberg, which aired for two seasons on NBC from 1988-89. The series centered on Brian (Sheehan) and Kate Harper (Linda Kelsey), a married couple with two successful careers — Brian as a stockbroker, Kate as a lawyer — and their teenage son, Ross (Christopher Daniel Barnes). He also portrayed Mel Horowitz, Cher’s father, on the 1990s UPN sitcom Clueless, based on the movie, taking over the role from Michael Lerner after the first season.

His other television credits include episodes of Cheers, Columbo, MacGyver, Diagnosis Murder and others. His final screen roles were in 2003, as Sabrina’s (Melissa Joan Hart) father Edward Gibson in Sabrina the Teenage Witch and in a guest role in What I Like About You.

Sheehan appeared in three films during his career, 1979’s 10 starring Bo Derek and Dudley Moore, Victor/Victoria (1982) and most recently Cops n Roberts in 1995.

Actor

Melissa Joan Hart in Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996)

Sabrina the Teenage Witch

6.7

TV Series

Edward Spellman

Edward

1999–2003

2 episodes

 

Jennie Garth, Amanda Bynes, Leslie Grossman, Wesley Jonathan, Allison Munn, and Nick Zano in What I Like About You (2002)

What I Like About You

6.6

TV Series

Craig Miller

2003

1 episode

 

Brad Raider and Kiele Sanchez in That Was Then (2002)

That Was Then

7.5

TV Series

2002

1 episode

 

Passions (1999)

Passions

5.9

TV Series

Mr. Davis

2002

4 episodes

 

Dick Van Dyke and Barry Van Dyke in Diagnosis Murder (1993)

Diagnosis Murder

6.8

TV Series

Roger Andrews (as Douglas Sheehan)

2000

1 episode

 

Stacey Dash, Rachel Blanchard, Elisa Donovan, Donald Faison, and Sean Holland in Clueless (1996)

Clueless

5.8

TV Series

Mel Horowitz

1997–1999

44 episodes

 

Nancy McKeon and Jean Smart in Style & Substance (1998)

Style & Substance

8.0

TV Series

Grant

1998

1 episode

 

Gerald McRaney in Promised Land (1996)

Promised Land

6.9

TV Series

Rod Bridger (as Douglas Sheehan)

1997

1 episode

 

Dolly Parton in Heavens to Betsy (1995)

Heavens to Betsy

7.2

TV Series

Bo

1995

1 episode

 

Cops n Roberts (1995)

Cops n Roberts

6.2

Bert Rogers

1995

 

Peter Falk in Columbo (1971)

Columbo

8.3

TV Series

Riley

1993

1 episode

 

The Magical World of Disney (1954)

The Magical World of Disney

8.4

TV Series

Jim Slocum

1990

1 episode

 

Olivia Newton-John and Juliet Sorci in A Mom for Christmas (1990)

A Mom for Christmas

6.5

TV Movie

Jim Slocum

1990

 

Crash: The Mystery of Flight 1501 (1990)

Crash: The Mystery of Flight 1501

5.3

TV Movie

Greg Halstead

1990

 

Judd Hirsch in Dear John (1988)

Dear John

6.8

TV Series

Jason Fowler

1990

1 episode

 

Richard Dean Anderson in MacGyver (1985)

MacGyver

7.6

TV Series

Jack Chandler

1990

1 episode

 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Linda Kelsey, and Doug Sheehan in Day by Day (1988)

Day by Day

6.9

TV Series

Brian Harper

1988–1989

33 episodes

 

In the Line of Duty: The F.B.I. Murders (1988)

In the Line of Duty: The F.B.I. Murders

7.1

TV Movie

Agent Gordon McNeill

1988

 

Donna Mills, Joan Van Ark, Michele Lee, Constance McCashin, John Pleshette, and Ted Shackelford in Knots Landing (1979)

Knots Landing

6.9

TV Series

Ben Gibson

1983–1988

115 episodes

 

Armand Assante, Doug Sheehan, and Lindsay Wagner in Stranger in My Bed (1987)

Stranger in My Bed

5.4

TV Movie

Roger

1987

 

Polly Holliday, Beth Howland, and Linda Lavin in Alice (1976)

Alice

6.8

TV Series

Roger

1983

1 episode

 

Ted Danson, Shelley Long, John Ratzenberger, George Wendt, Nicholas Colasanto, and Rhea Perlman in Cheers (1982)

Cheers

8.0

TV Series

Walter Franklin

1983

1 episode

 

Finola Hughes, Maurice Benard, Genie Francis, Nancy Lee Grahn, Rebecca Herbst, and Laura Wright in General Hospital (1963)

General Hospital

6.6

TV Series

Joe Kelly

1979–1982

207 episodes

 

Bo Derek and Dudley Moore in 10 (1979)

10

6.1

Police Officer

1979

 

Kaz (1978)

Kaz

7.7

TV Series

1979

1 episode

 

Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, and Jaclyn Smith in Charlie's Angels (1976)

Charlie's Angels

6.6

TV Series

Ben Anderson

1978

1 episode

 

Soundtrack

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Linda Kelsey, and Doug Sheehan in Day by Day (1988)

Day by Day

6.9

TV Series

performer: "The Brady Bunch Theme"

performer: "The Wheels on the Bus"

performer: "Rockin' Robin" ...

1988–1989

6 episodes