’70s film starLance Kerwin, who starred in the TV seriesJames at 15and the first adaptation ofSalem’s Lot,has passed away at the age of62,in San Clemente, California. His daughterSavanah Kerwinannounced the sad news on Tuesday via asocial media post, writing, “Lance Kerwin passed away yesterday morning. We appreciate all the kind words, memories, and prayers that have been shared. She went on to assure his fans and friends, “He loved each and every one of you.”
The actor began his career as a child, debuting on a 1974 episode ofEmergency!and appearing in the after-school specialThe Boy Who Drank Too Much. Perhaps he’s best known forJames at 15,created byDan Wakefieldand written byWally Dalton,Bill Nuss,Dan WakefieldandShelley Zellman,which made him a teen sensation in the ’70s when he played a boy struggling to cope with growing up — it ran for just 21 episodes but made him a major teen heartthrob. He went on to star in the miniseriesSalem’s Lot,based onStephen King’s second novel. The adaptation was directed byThe Texas Chain Saw MassacredirectorTobe Hooper,and Kerwin played Mark Petrie, a teen who becomes a vampire hunter starring alongside the likes ofDavid SoulandJames Mason. The series was much loved by fans and critics, and the vampire horror fest was popular s enough to be released as a feature overseas.
Kerwin steadily worked in the ’80s, appearing in TV shows and movies likeThe Boy Who Drank Too MuchwithScott Baio,Enemy Mine, and guest starring on shows likeSimon & SimonandMurder, She Wrote. His other notable works include the TV seriesShazam!,Wonder Woman,Insight,The Family Holvak, A Killer in the Family, Reflections of Murder, The Mysterious Stranger, Faerie Tale Theatre: The Snow Queen, The Fourth Wise Man, Final Verdict ,Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedyand many more. One of his last roles was in the 1995 movieOutbreak,and he returned to the screen last year inDavid L. Cunningham’s western dramaThe Wind and the Reckoningas Anderson.
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After his acting career Kerwin, had been a pastor in Hawaii. He is survived by his wife of over 20 years, Yvonne, and five children: Savanah, Fox, Terah, Kailani, and Justus. Our thoughts are with his friends and family in these trying times.
