Hollywood is mourning the loss of Spencer Milligan, the actor best known for his role as Rick Marshall in the 1970s NBC series “Land of the Lost.” Milligan passed away on April 18 at the age of 86, according to an obituary from the Huehns Funeral Home in Wisconsin. As of now, no cause of death has been reported.
Born on September 10, 1937, in Oak Park, Illinois, Milligan’s journey into acting began with local theater productions. He served in the Army before being honorably discharged in 1966. He then trained at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, the Joan Actors Workshop in Los Angeles, and the Lee Strasberg Senior Workshop in New York. His on-screen acting career started with a small role in Woody Allen’s “Sleeper” in 1973. The following year, he appeared in “The Man from Clover Grove” and “The Photographer.”
Milligan’s big break came in 1974 when he starred in Sid and Marty Krofft’s adventure sci-fi drama “Land of the Lost.” The series chronicles the adventures of the Marshall family, who are trapped in an alternate universe inhabited by dinosaurs and other creatures. Milligan starred as Rick Marshall for the first two seasons before departing once Rick accidentally escaped the Land of the Lost without his kids. The show continued for one more season.
Milligan’s co-stars Wesley Eure and Kathy Coleman paid tribute to their TV dad in a video posted to Facebook. “I’m a little speechless,” Coleman said. “He was a true father to us all. Thank God we got to see him one last time in Milwaukee and spend some really beautiful moments with him. He was a great man and I really truly mean that. He was a really good man through and through, and he will be missed. But we will forever hold great, fun memories of him, and I will refuse to cry. I will just remember all the wonderful things that he meant to me. I will miss him, though, very much … We loved you, Spencer, and we will continue to love you and cherish you and all the memories. We’re so lucky to have had you in our lives.”
“You have to understand, Sid and Marty didn’t just cast our TV family, they cast our real family,” Eure shared. “He was like a dad — we were all best friends, including Phil Paley, who played Chaka. Anyway, we just want to … I don’t know. What do you say when you’ve lost somebody you love?” Just last November, co-creator and producer Mary Krofft died at 86, so the “Land of the Lost” family is feeling a lot of loss.
Spencer Milligan’s other credits include “Barbary Coast,” “City of Angels,” “The Keegans,” “McCloud,” “The Bionic Woman,” “Sword of Justice,” “Alice,” “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “Father Murphy,” “Police Squad!,” and “General Hospital.” The long-running soap opera was Milligan’s final role in 1987, but he did lend his voice to the 2020 animated film “The Last Page of Summer.” According to Deadline, after his TV career, the actor taught classes and directed stage plays in Sturgeon Bay, WI, where he spent most of his time.
Milligan is survived by his wife of 21 years, Kerry Milligan, and godchildren Andee Solis, Hilar Williams, and Spencer Williams. The family asks for donations to the Actor’s Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting performers and entertainment professionals in times of need.
Spencer Milligan’s career spanned several decades, and he left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry. Born on September 10, 1937, in Oak Park, Illinois, Milligan attended Lyons Township High School and then trained at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. He received his first notice for an on-stage performance in “Come Back, Little Sheba” in 1960. After serving in the U.S. Army for six years, Milligan studied acting with icons like Lee Strasberg in New York and Joan Darling in L.A.
His most famous role came on the Saturday morning show “Land of the Lost,” which combined live-action with stop-motion animation in its depiction of a family who find themselves in an alternate world populated by dinosaurs. Milligan played heroic father Rick Marshall, who accompanied his kids on their dangerous adventures. The show’s success led to Milligan’s likeness getting plastered on lunchboxes and other “Land of the Lost” paraphernalia, but he left the show after two seasons when he didn’t think the compensation for merchandise was fair.
“We had a difference of opinion, let’s put it this way, on using my face for stuff,” Milligan told the Associated Press in 2009. “I thought it was only fair that everyone should get their fair share.”
Milligan also appeared on other popular TV shows of the era, including “Gunsmoke,” “Baretta,” “McCloud,” “The Bionic Woman,” “Alice,” “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “Police Squad!” and “The New Mike Hammer.” Milligan spent his final decades in Sturgeon Bay, teaching acting and directing local theater productions. He is survived by his beloved wife Kerry Milligan and several godchildren.
Spencer Milligan’s legacy will live on through his memorable performances and the impact he had on his co-stars and fans. His contributions to the entertainment industry, particularly his role in “Land of the Lost,” will be remembered fondly by those who grew up watching the show and those who had the pleasure of working with him.
Source: CNN, Deadline, Huehns Funeral Home
