The Tragic Death Of Quantum Leap Star Dean Stockwell
Best known for playing Admiral Al Calavicci in "Quantum Leap" with Scott Bakula, Dean Stockwell died at his home on November 7 of natural causes, per TMZ. The 85-year-old actor's career in Hollywood spanned 70 years, with Stockwell notably starring in the SyFy reboot "Battlestar Galactica," as well as snagging film roles in "Blue Velvet," "Married to the Mob," "Dune," and many more. Stockwell finally retired in 2015 after he suffered a stroke, as The Guardian noted.
Unsurprisingly, Stockwell's death trended on Twitter, with an outpouring of tributes for the actor. Film critic Bilge Ebiri tweeted, "R.I.P. Dean Stockwell, a great actor who never met a scene he couldn't steal." Another Stockwell fan tweeted, "Another legend lost. For my generation, Al on 'Quantum Leap' was his supreme work. But that big movie comeback he had in the '80s proved he should have been a bigger star much earlier." Actor Lydia Cornell worked with Stockwell on the "Quantum Leap" pilot tweeted, "What an amazing actor. He always had a mischievous glint of humor in his eyes."
In light of the sad news, let's take a look back on the actor's incredible legacy.
How Dean Stockwell fell back in love with acting
Dean Stockwell began his 70-year career as a child actor, first starring in MGM musical "Anchors Aweigh" at the age of 8. "I found myself in a very weird world, this moviemaking," he said of the experience to Las Vegas Weekly. "I was expected to do the same caliber of work as the adults, and at other times I would be reminded that I was a child. It was difficult." He worked in Hollywood up until high school and then dropped in and out of the business throughout his life. "I never really liked acting until I was in my 40s," he admitted to the outlet.
During that part of his life, Stockwell became an iconic character actor and even got an Oscar nom for Best Supporting Actor for playing Tony 'The Tiger' Russo in "Married To The Mob". He also received great acclaim for his role in Wim Wenders' "Paris, Texas," playing Walt Henderson.
As for his personal Stockwell married twice. He first wed Millie Perkins and was married to Joy Marchenko up until 2004. His two children with Marchenko survive him.