Stranger Things actor Mark Withers dies aged 77 after pancreatic cancer battle as tributes paid to ‘strength & dignity’
MARK Withers, an actor known for roles on Stranger Things, Dynasty and Magnum, P.I., has died aged 77.
Withers passed away on November 22 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, his daughter Jessie Withers announced.
In a statement to Variety on Friday, she said: “He confronted his illness with the same strength and dignity he brought to his craft, creating a legacy of warmth, humor, and dedication, along with his remarkable ability to make every role unforgettable.
“Mark’s enduring talent and commitment to the industry will be fondly remembered by colleagues, friends, and fans alike.”
The actor’s last on-screen role was in 2019 – marking a four-decade career after beginning in the 1970s with commercials.
In 2016, he played Coroner Gary in the smash hit sci-fi Netflix show Stranger Things during its first season.
Withers’ role involved examining a dead body at the local morgue and he was called to the police station to talk to Chief Hopper.
He had a number of small roles on iconic hit shows like Wonder Woman, Trapper John, M.D., Death Of A Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story, The Dukes Of Hazzard, Hart To Hart, Remington Steele, Dallas and Matlock.
From 1986 to 1987, he also appeared on eight episodes of the iconic soap opera Days Of Our Lives as Coach Locke.
Withers took a break from acting during the 1990s, apart from one film in 1998, and returned with a role on sitcom Frasier in 2001.
During the 2010s he appeared in True Blood, Castle, and Sense8 – as well as Stranger Things.
Withers did shift from the TV screen to the silver screen and had roles in low-budget flicks like Basic Training, The Ultimate Life, Turn Around Jake and Bolden.
Prior to his Hollywood career, Withers was a star athlete who had secured a football scholarship to Penn State, according to Variety.
He began his acting career in advertisements after being spotted by an agent.
Ad roles included American Airlines, Folger’s Coffee, Irish Spring soap, Crest toothpaste, and a prominent McDonald’s campaign.
Withers is survived by his wife, Haiyan Liu Withers, and his daughter Jessie.