Original Land of the Lost Star Spencer Milligan Dead at 86

Summary

• Actor Spencer Milligan, who portrayed Ranger Rick Marshall on
  Land of the Lost
  , has passed away at 86.
• Milligan left the show due to a pay dispute and continued acting in various TV roles.
• Milligan’s co-stars Wesley Eure and Kathy Coleman paid tribute to him, remembering him as a “true father to us all.”

Actor Spencer Milligan, best known for playing Ranger Rick Marshall on the classic NBC series Land of the Lost, has died at the age of 86. His passing was announced by his family and by the co-stars who played his children, who called him a “true father to us all.”

Milligan died at his home in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin on April 18, but his death was not announced until now. A cause of death of not announced. Land of the Lost stars Wesley Eure, who played Will Marshall, and Kathy Coleman, who played Holly Marshall, appeared together in a video posted to Eure’s Instagram account, to mourn the actor’s passing. Eure said:

This is a video we didn’t want to have to make. Not an easy day. It is so hard saying goodbye to our friend and TV dad, Spencer Milligan. We love you Spencer.

Coleman added her sentiments as well, stating:

I’m a little speechless. He was a true father to us all. Thank God we got to see him one last time and spend some really beautiful moments with him. He was a great man. I really truly believe that. He will be missed.

Related Land of the Lost: The History of the World, Explained

Confused about the lore of Land of the Lost? We have everything you need to know.

Land of the Lost was created by brothers Sid and Marty Krofft, who produced numerous children’s and variety programs, including H.R. Pufnstuf and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. Marty Krofft passed last year, also at the age of 86. Through the innovative mix of stop-motion animation and live-action, the series told the story of the Marshall family, who find themselves transported to a prehistoric land filled with dinosaurs and lizard-like people called the Sleestak. It ran for three seasons, from 1974 to 1976.

Spencer Milligan’s Life and Career

Milligan left the show after the second season in a pay dispute with producers. He and the other actors were not compensated for their likenesses being used on the show’s merchandising, and he left in protest. He was replaced in the final season by Ron Harper, who played Rick’s brother, Uncle Jack.

After leaving the series, Milligan continued to act, with guest-starring appearances on shows including Gunsmoke, The Bionic Woman, Police Squad!, and The Dukes of Hazzard. His final role was as Ray Gibbons on General Hospital in 1987. He went into semi-retirement to his home in Wisconsin, and rarely made public appearances. He did, however, appear at a comic convention in Milwaukee in 2018, reuniting with his fellow Land of the Lost actors. Actor Philip Paley, who played Cha-Ka on the show, posted a picture from the reunion on his Instagram account.

Over the past two decades, Milligan taught stage acting and directed plays at Third Avenue Playworks in his hometown of Sturgeon Bay. He is survived by his wife Kerry and three godchildren.

All three seasons of

Land of the Lost

are available to stream on Tubi.

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