Actor and novelist Erich Anderson died on June 1, 2024, at age 67, after a struggle with cancer, according to reports citing his family. Viewers may recognize him as Rob Dier in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, Billy Sidel in Thirtysomething, or Felicity’s father in Felicity. He also published three novels.
What was reported about Erich Anderson’s death?
The Television Academy lists Anderson’s date of passing as June 1, 2024. The Los Angeles Times, TVLine, and E! News reported that he died at 67 after a struggle with cancer. The Los Angeles Times said his wife, Saxon Trainor, shared a statement from her brother, Michael O’Malley, describing Anderson’s struggle.
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The reports establish cancer as the cause described by family-based reporting, but do not establish a cancer subtype. Anderson’s birthday is listed by the Television Academy as October 24, 1956, with Sagamihara, Japan, as his birthplace. The Los Angeles Times gives his birth year as 1957, so the year is reported inconsistently; the Academy’s profile supplies the specific date.
Which roles made him familiar to audiences?
Film
Anderson played Rob Dier in the 1984 horror film Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter. His film credits also included Unfaithful, Fearless, and A Time to Remember, which are listed in his Television Academy profile.
#1 Best Overall
- Factory sealed DVD
Television
On television, he played Billy Sidel in Thirtysomething and Dr. Edward Porter, father of the title character, in Felicity. The Television Academy also lists credits in NYPD Blue, Bosch, and Close to Home. The variety of these roles reflects a career spanning films and series rather than a single defining part.
What else did Anderson do beyond acting?
Anderson studied biochemistry and molecular biology and graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, according to the Los Angeles Times. He also wrote fiction. His three published novels were Hallowed Be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom Come, and Rabbit: A Golf Fable; the titles are also collected on his Goodreads author page.
Rank #2
- Factory sealed DVD
The Los Angeles Times attributed career totals of more than 300 television episodes, 50 theater productions, and 20 feature films to Anderson’s website. Those figures are reported biographical counts, not an independently audited tally.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How colleagues remembered him
Anderson’s manager, Chris Carbaugh, told the Los Angeles Times: “He was a great actor, author, cook, husband, friend and human being.” The remark offers a personal portrait alongside the screen credits and writing career that defined Anderson’s public work.
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Rank #4
- Format: DVD
- Language: English, Commentary by Alan J. Pakula
- Subtitle: Spanish, Korean, None (All removable)
- Region Code: Region 0 (1/2/3/4/5/6)
- Screen: NTSC / Wide Screen Color
