Harry Johnson, an actor who starred in hit series such as Battlestar Galactica, Law & Order, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died after a long illness. He was 81.
Johnson’s passing was confirmed by his wife, Christiane, who told Deadline he died on Tuesday, January 2, in Los Angeles, just six days after his 81st birthday.
Born on December 27, 1942, in Plainfield, New Jersey, Johnson (often credited as Chip Johnson in the 1970s and 80s) got his start on the multi-part pilot episode of Battlestar Galactica in 1978. From there, he appeared in several classic TV series, including B.J. and the Bear, Quincy M.E., The Incredible Hulk, Days of Our Lives, Simon & Simon, M*A*S*H, The A-Team, and many more.
Johnson continued to pop up across various TV shows throughout the 1990s and 2000s, including the likes of Jake and the Fatman, Law & Order, Party of Five, Melrose Place, Roswell, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Guardian, Judging Amy, and Cold Case.
He was also known for portraying “Harry” in the “Harry & Louise” TV and radio commercials in 1993-94 that took aim at then-President Bill Clinton’s health care plan. Johnson and his co-star Louise Claire Clark reprised the roles in 2000 and 2004 for election-year ads and again in 2008, supporting then-President Barack Obama’s health care plan.
Johnson was also a prolific voice actor, working on multiple Need for Speed video games and running the voice-over or looping groups on several Dick Wolf shows for over two decades, including all the Law & Order and Chicago series.
His last on-screen role came in an episode of Heartland in 2007, after which Johnson went on to become an author. He released novels under the moniker Harry Castle, including his 2013 debut, Fugitive Romance: The Fictional Memoir of a Hollywood Screenwriter.
He is survived by his wife, Christiane, and his step-children, Oliver and Penelope.
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