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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Spencer Milligan, the actor who played Ranger Rick Marshall on Land of the Lost, died on April 18, 2024, aged 86. His death was confirmed by his official obituary and the Television Academy; neither the obituary nor contemporaneous reporting disclosed a cause.
What happened to Spencer Milligan?
Milligan’s official obituary gives his dates as September 10, 1937, to April 18, 2024. The Television Academy independently records the same birth and death dates. Huehns Funeral Home’s obituary and the Television Academy biography confirm he was 86.
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Land of the Lost | $6.83 | Buy on Amazon |
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Land of the Lost: The Complete Series | $55.97 | Buy on Amazon |
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Land of the Lost: Season 3 | $13.96 | Buy on Amazon |
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Land of the Lost by Universal Studios | $16.79 | Buy on Amazon |
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Land of the Lost - The Complete First Season | $43.80 | Buy on Amazon |
The obituary does not give a cause of death. A contemporaneous TV Insider report published June 26, 2024, also said no cause had been disclosed. There is no basis in these reports to infer one.
His best-known role was Rick Marshall on Land of the Lost
Milligan played Ranger Rick Marshall, the father figure in the Saturday-morning series Land of the Lost. The role brought his image beyond television: his obituary notes that it appeared on lunch pails, toys, coloring books, and View-Master cards. Those are historical merchandise categories, not confirmation of current availability or sales figures.
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- Universal Studios Land of the Lost
His co-star Wesley Eure remembered Milligan as a friend and television dad. As quoted by TV Insider, Eure said, “Kathy, Phil (Paley) and I are heartbroken to announce our dear friend and TV dad, Spencer Milligan, has died.” Eure also wrote, “We loved his kindness, talent and huge sense of humor.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A career across television, film, and theatre
Milligan’s work extended well beyond the role for which audiences most readily recognized him. His obituary describes him as an actor, producer, writer, and director, with work in theatre, commercials, television, and feature films.
Screen work
Among his film credits were The Photographer, Executive Action, and Sleeper. His television work included The Call of the Wild, The Keegans, and Good Time Harry. The Television Academy also lists appearances in The Bionic Woman, General Hospital, Gunsmoke, Vega$, Quincy M.E., and Hardcastle and McCormick.
Later years in Wisconsin theatre
In the final two decades of his life, Milligan lived in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, where he taught classes and directed plays at Third Avenue Playworks. His obituary names his directing work on Tennessee Williams’ one-act plays and Billy Sunday by Gerald Plummer. It describes his life’s final moment as having “taken his final bow and exit.”
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Sources
- Huehns Funeral Home obituary for Spencer James Milligan
- Television Academy biography
- TV Insider, June 26, 2024
- TheWrap, June 25, 2024
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