Dean Stockwell, Known for his Role in 'Quantum Leap,' Has Died at 85

LOS ANGELES – Dean Stockwell, best known for his role on the sci-fi drama “Quantum Leap” and the acclaimed rebooted version of “Battlestar Galactica,” died Monday at age 85.

According to Deadline, Stockwell died in his home of natural causes.

Stockwell, who was the son of actor Harry Stockwell and younger brother of actor Guy Stockwell, Dean Stockwell was born in North Hollywood in 1936. He began acting when he was 7 years old, when his father was in New York as part of the Broadway musical “Oklahoma.”

After earning a small part in the play “Innocent Voyage,” Stockwell was signed to a contract with MGM and appeared in films such as “Anchors Away” and “The Green Years,” and others.

He later quit acting and attended the University of California, Berkley. He returned to acting in 1956, beginning a decade-long series of roles in various films and television shows. His TV credits included “Combat!” and “The Eleventh Hour” and others.

After taking a break, he began acting again in 1968 and appeared in “The FBI,” “Mannix,” “Night Gallery,” as well as such 1970s series like “The Streets of San Francisco,” “Columbo,” “Joe Forrester,” “Police Story,” and many others.

Between 1985 and 1988, he was one of the busiest character actors in Hollywood, appearing in 14 films and one TV film. In 1985, he turned in a brief but significant role as attorney Bob Grimes in William Friedkin's “To Live and Die in L.A.” He was also in “The Legend of Billie Jean” (1985), an episode of “Miami Vice” and “Papa Was a Preacher” (1986).

In 1986, Stockwell made an appeared in another Lynch production, the neo-noir thriller “Blue Velvet.” He was in episodes of Hunter and Murder, She Wrote, and the films Gardens of Stone (1987) (directed by Francis Ford Coppola), “Beverly Hills Cop II” (1987), “The Gambler, Part III: The Legend Continues” (1987), “The Time Guardian” (1987), “Banzai Runner” (1987), and “The Blue Iguana” (1987).

In 1988, he earned a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Mafia boss Tony "the Tiger" Russo in the comedy “Married to the Mob.”

In 1989 Stockwell appeared as second lead in the show “Quantum Leap,” which ran for five seasons. During the series' run, Stockwell appeared in “Catchfire” (1990) directed by Hopper, “Citizen Soldier” (1990, originally shot in 1976), “Sandino” (1991), and others.

He would go on to appear in various shows during the 2000 and 2010s, such as a guest role on “First Monday,” “Star Trek: Enterprise” where he was reunited with Scott Bakula from “Quantum Leap,” “Stargate SG-1,” “JAG,” and “Crash” with Hopper. He also had a semi-regular part on “Battlestar Galactica” in 2008 as John Cavil.