Randall England, “General Hospital” and “Baywatch” actor, dies at 75
Randall EnglandCredit: Randall England/FacebookKey Points
Veteran actor Randall England has died at 75.
England appeared in a memorable arc on General Hospital in the mid-1980s, playing villain Jack Slater.
His family said he passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones.
Randall England, the actor best known for his time on General Hospital in the 1980s, died Sept. 25, at 75.
According to a death notice, he “passed away peacefully, surrounded by family.”
England’s five-decade screen career spanned soaps, sci-fi, religious fare, blockbusters, Baywatch, and more. But “of all his roles,” his family said, “being a father and ‘Pappaw’ to his grandchildren meant the most to him.”
Randall EnglandCredit: Randall England/Facebook
Born in Oklahoma City, England tried his hand at sports (pitching for the Sooners while attending the University of Oklahoma) and modeling (featuring in campaigns for brands like Michelob and Viceroy cigarettes) before settling on acting.
Modeling took him to New York, where he fell in with legendary Group Theatre crowd, studying the craft of acting with stars like Kim Stanley and teachers like Stella Adler. Before moving to California, he appeared in stage productions of All My Sons, Three Sisters, and The Glass Menagerie.
After he finally embarked for Hollywood, his career took off. England got his start small, in TV movies like the 1978 JFK assassination drama Ruby and Oswald, opposite Frederic Forrest and Doris Roberts.
Larger parts came. It was only a handful of years before he secured the role that would define his career. England first appeared as the villainous Jack Slater on General Hospital in 1984. He remained in the role through 1985, sharing critical scenes with soap heavyweights like June Lockhart and Anthony Geary.
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He’d go on to appear in series like Baywatch and films like Beverly Hills Chihuahua and Skyscraper, which starred Anna Nicole Smith. England also made music under the moniker RAE, and was at work on a documentary about Stanley’s storied life.
Randall is survived by his daughter, Micaela Reed; son-in-law Sam Reed; grandchildren Katherine and Julian; and his mother, Catherine Burgess.
Source: Entertainment
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