Dean Stockwell has passed away on Sunday, November 7, at the age of 85.
The actor was known for a wide range of acclaimed roles across film and TV, including in the sci-fi series Quantum Leap and David Lynch's 1984 adaptation of Dune.
A representative for Stockwell told TMZ that the actor died peacefully in his sleep of natural causes.
The Oscar- and Emmy-nominated actor, whose career on stage, film, and TV spanned more than 70 years, had many well-known roles in various on-screen projects throughout his glittering career.
Over the course of his seven-decade screen career, Stockwell was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in 1988’s Married to the Mob, and won the Best Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival for 1962’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night.
Born Robert Dean Stockwell in March 1936, the actor started out as a child star, starring in several films - including The Green Years and Gentleman's Agreement - while under contract at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio.
As an adult, his early projects included Compulsion on the Broadway stage, and Long Day's Journey into Night, Sidney Lumet’s adaptation of Eugene O’Neill’s famous play.
In the 1960s, Stockwell stepped back from the industry and became part of the subculture movement, before returning to regular acting in the 1970s.
His role as Admiral Al Calavicci opposite Scott Bacula in Quantum Leap is considered to be his best-known, Deadline reports.
The actor appeared in all 97 episodes of the show, between 1989 and 1993. Later roles included appearances in Air Force One, The Manchurian Candidate, and Battlestar Galactica.
Tributes have been pouring in since the sad news of his passing.
Filmmaker and journalist Bilge Ebiri tweeted: "RIP Dean Stockwell, a great actor who never met a scene he couldn't steal."
British politician Teresa Pearce wrote: "Sad. I loved Quantum Leap. RIP Dean."
Director Mark Huestis described Stockwell as a "great, underrated" American actor. In a Facebook tribute, he said: "Throughout he demonstrated both his versatility and enormous sensitivity, vulnerability, and depth as an actor. I loved him. He will be missed."
