Joey Vieira obit

‘Lassie’ Child Star Joey Vieira Dies

 He was not on the list.

Joseph Vieira, the former child actor who appeared on Lassie using the stage name Donald Keeler, died on April 7 after a lengthy illness. He was one day short of turning 81.

“We have just lost Joey Vieira (aka Donald Keeler) who played Porky, Tommy Rettig’s best buddy on the first incarnation of Lassie (Jeff’s Collie), wrote Laurie Jacobson, the wife of Lassie star Jon Provost on Facebook. ”Joey appeared in a number of TV shows and films after his time on Lassie. And later had a brilliant career as a record producer and TV writer and producer. He wore a lot of hats in his 50+ years in the business; but the most important "hat" for us was that of dear friend."

Born April 8, 1944, Joey Vieira was the nephew of actress, dancer and singer Ruby Keeler and the half-brother of actor Ken Weatherwax, who played Pugsley Addams in the original Addams Family sitcom. His first appearance on television was in an episode of The Ray Milland Show at age nine in 1953. One year later, he began his four-season stint on Lassie as the beanie-wearing Sylvester “Porky” Brockway.

Following Lassie, Vieira guest-starred in numerous series including comedies The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis and My Three Sons before landing a recurring role in the 1965 to 1966 sitcom Hank.

Vieira’s film appearances included The Private War of Major Benson in 1955 with Charlton Heston and, in later years, The Patriot in 2000 with Mel Gibson. As an adult, Vieira made sporadic guest appearances in TV series including Remington Steele, Married with Children and Moonlighting.

Vieira also had a music career in the 1970s and 1980s.

“I met Joey when I was seven years old, when I started Lassie, we hit it off and remained friends forever,” wrote Jon Provost on Facebook. “Joey was a great guy, a talented actor and even a successful record producer. Joey has joined his son Beau in heaven.”

“He passed at 11:52 last night after a lengthy illness. His devoted daughter, Shanyn, was by his side. He suffered the loss of his sweet and wonderful son, Beau, to cancer close to 2 years ago. I know Beau will be the first to greet him with Tommy right behind,” continued Laurie Jacobson on Facebook. “Dear Joey, you were one of a kind and we will miss you so much. Eee-ya- keee, Porky! RIP”

Writer

Magic and Beyond (1998)

Magic and Beyond

TV Series

Writer

1998–1999

 

Actor

Dwegons and Leprechauns (2014)

Dwegons and Leprechauns

3.0

Davargan

Yabo Potato

Sweetfang (voice) ...

2014

 

Fuel (2008)

Fuel

8.5

Floyd Miller

2008

 

Backstage Pass (2006)

Backstage Pass

8.9

Video

Tom Sanders

2006

 

Nebraska (2001)

Nebraska

8.1

Fat Sam

2001

 

The Patriot (2000)

The Patriot

7.2

Peter Howard

2000

 

Grizzly Adams and the Legend of Dark Mountain (1999)

Grizzly Adams and the Legend of Dark Mountain

5.2

Joey Butterworth

1999

 

William Shatner, Eric McCormack, and Rafer Weigel in Free Enterprise (1998)

Free Enterprise

6.7

Hal Pittman

1998

 

Farticus (1997)

Farticus

4.3

Dionysus (as Joey Viera)

1997

 

Eric Roberts, Mädchen Amick, and John Lithgow in Love, Cheat & Steal (1993)

Love, Cheat & Steal

5.1

TV Movie

Bullet Head #1 (as Joey Viera)

1993

 

Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd in Moonlighting (1985)

Moonlighting

7.6

TV Series

Delivery Man

1989

1 episode

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Belushi in Red Heat (1988)

Red Heat

6.1

Man at Phone Booth

1988

 

Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis (1988)

Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis

5.4

TV Movie

Ward Billy Purvis

1988

 

Catherine Keener, Pat Morita, Kevin Conroy, Jack Wallace, and Richard Yniguez in Ohara (1987)

Ohara

6.8

TV Series

Ford (as Joey Vieira)

1987

1 episode

 

Christina Applegate, David Faustino, Katey Sagal, and Ed O'Neill in Married... with Children (1987)

Married... with Children

8.1

TV Series

Ernest

1987

1 episode

 

Matthew Broderick in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

7.8

Pizza Man (as Joey Viera)

1986

 

Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist in Remington Steele (1982)

Remington Steele

7.3

TV Series

Henchman #1 (as Joey D. Viera)

1985

1 episode

 

Jean-Claude Van Damme in Monaco Forever (1984)

Monaco Forever

3.7

Narrator (as Joey Vieira)

1984

 

Captain of Cosmos (1979)

Captain of Cosmos

3.5

(1983 US version) (English version, voice, as Joey Vieira)

1979

 

George Hamilton in Evel Knievel (1971)

Evel Knievel

5.2

Lunch Truck Driver (as Joey Viera)

1971

 

Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969)

Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice

6.7

Dishwasher (uncredited)

1969

 

Dick Kallman in Hank (1965)

Hank

7.1

TV Series

Norman Zelinko

Norman

Hank's First Customer

1965–1966

9 episodes

 

Ben Gazzara and Chuck Connors in Arrest and Trial (1963)

Arrest and Trial

7.6

TV Series

Fat Kid (as Donald Keeler)

1963

1 episode

 

William Frawley, Don Grady, Stanley Livingston, and Fred MacMurray in My Three Sons (1960)

My Three Sons

7.1

TV Series

Roly-Poly Bates (as Donald Keeler)

1962

1 episode

 

Daddy-O

5.7

TV Movie

TV Son

1961

 

Shirley Temple in Shirley Temple's Storybook (1958)

Shirley Temple's Storybook

7.3

TV Series

Chuck Clark (as Donald Keeler)

1961

1 episode

 

Bob Denver and Dwayne Hickman in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959)

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis

7.7

TV Series

Bobby Wilkins

Arthur Ellingboe (as Donald Keeler)

1960

2 episodes

 

Jon Provost, Tommy Rettig, Lassie the Dog, and Lassie in Lassie (1954)

Lassie

6.5

TV Series

Porky Brockway

Sylvester 'Porky' Brockway

1954–1957

91 episodes

 

The Private War of Major Benson (1955)

The Private War of Major Benson

6.5

Cadet Corporal Scawalski (as Donald Keeler)

1955

 

Mayor of the Town (1954)

Mayor of the Town

8.7

TV Series

Kenny (as Donald Keeler)

1954

1 episode

 

Natalie Wood, Paul Hartman, Robert Hyatt, and Fay Wray in The Pride of the Family (1953)

The Pride of the Family

6.8

TV Series

Hollis

Hollis Bridwell

1953–1954

7 episodes

 

The Ray Milland Show (1953)

The Ray Milland Show

7.4

TV Series

Joey

1953

1 episode

 

Composer

Westerns (2002)

That's Black Entertainment

TV Mini Series

Composer (as Joey Viera)

2002–2003

3 episodes

 

Phenomenon: The Lost Archives (1998)

Phenomenon: The Lost Archives

8.4

TV Series

Composer

1998–1999

14 episodes

 

Ben Kingsley in Religions of the World (1998)

Religions of the World

6.2

TV Mini Series

Composer (13 one hour episodes)

1998

1 episode

 

Brer Rabbit's Christmas Carol (1992)

Brer Rabbit's Christmas Carol

6.0

Video

Composer (as Joey Viera)

1992

 

Music Department

Terror in the Skies I: Military Air Disasters

Video

theme song and original music by

2000

 

Additional Crew

Motown Returns to the Apollo

9.1

TV Special

production consultant (as Joey Viera)

1985

 

Thanks

CinemAbility: The Art of Inclusion (2012)

CinemAbility: The Art of Inclusion

7.5

special thanks

2012

 

Soundtrack

Jon Provost, Tommy Rettig, Lassie the Dog, and Lassie in Lassie (1954)

Lassie

6.5

TV Series

performer: "For He's (She's) a Jolly Good Fellow"

1956

1 episode

 

Self

Stu's Show (2006)

Stu's Show

6.5

Podcast Series

Self - Guest

2018

1 episode

 

Lassie Unleashed: 280 Dog Years in TV

TV Special

Self

1994