New York actor with roles in ‘Stranger Things,’ ‘True Blood’ and ‘Frasier’ has died

At the age of 77, an Upstate New York actor who starred in Dynasty and Stranger Things passed away.

According to his daughter Jessie, Mark Withers, a native of Binghamton, New York, passed away in California on November 22 following a fight with pancreatic cancer.

In an interview with Variety, she remarked, “He faced his illness with the same strength and dignity that he brought to his craft, leaving a legacy of warmth, humor, and dedication, along with his remarkable ability to make every role unforgettable.” Fans, friends, and coworkers alike will cherish Mark’s lasting brilliance and dedication to the field.

According to Deadline, Mark Withers had a memorable six-episode arc on the inaugural season of Dynasty in 1981. Before his untimely demise, he portrayed Steven Carrington’s (Al Corley) gay boyfriend, Ted Dinard.

Withers viewed the role as one of the first non-sensational LGBTQ+ characters to appear on American television, according to E! News.

Withers played Gary, a coroner in the Hawkins morgue, in the first season of Stranger Things, among more than 50 other films and television series. Wonder Woman, Dallas, Frasier, The Dukes of Hazzard, Hillstreet Blues, Remington Steele, The King of Queens, True Blood, Drop Dead Diva, Matlock, Criminal Minds, Castle, Sense8, and Magnum, P.I. are among the other credits.

He also starred in national advertising campaigns for American Airlines, Irish Spring, Tartar Control Crest, McDonald’s, and Folger’s Coffee, according to Variety.

At the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on April 11, 1981, actor Mark Withers attends the Celebrity Models Fashion Show. (Image courtesy of Getty Images/Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection)Getty Pictures

You could go for the million-dollar items, I suppose. In a career-related podcast interview, he stated, “Me, I didn’t,” according to E! News. I suppose I would have preferred a little more notoriety, but the truth is that I’m just amazed when I think back on it and see all the amazing people I worked with. I truly am a very fortunate actor.

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Variety reports that Withers, who was born in Binghamton on June 25, 1947, received a scholarship to play football at Penn State University. He then attended California State University in Los Angeles to study acting before graduating from Minnesota State University in Mankato with a Master of Fine Arts.

His daughter, Jessie Withers, and his wife, Haiyan Liu Withers, survive him. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is the recipient of donations.

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