Michael Parks, TV and Film Actor Dies at 77

Veteran actor, Michael Parks  passed away on Wednesday at the age of 77. The news was confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter by the actor’s agent, Jane Schulman. The cause of death was not given.

Parks was born in April, 1940 in the city of Corona, California. His earliest screen roles included the ABC sitcom The Real McCoys and Gunsmoke in 1962. He also appeared in Then Came Bronson, Perry Mason, Sam Benedict, The Colby’s and Twin Peaks.

He has worked with such directors as Kevin Smith, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. Smith paid tribute to Parks via Instagram stating:

“Michael was, and will likely forever remain, the best actor I’ve ever known. I wrote both #RedState and @tuskthemovie FOR Parks, I loved his acting so much. He was, hands-down, the most incredible thespian I ever had the pleasure to watch perform. And Parks brought out the absolute best in me every time he got near my set.”

View this post on Instagram

I hate to report that my cinematic muse #michaelparks has passed away. Michael was, and will likely forever remain, the best actor I've ever known. I wrote both #RedState and @tuskthemovie FOR Parks, I loved his acting so much. He was, hands-down, the most incredible thespian I ever had the pleasure to watch perform. And Parks brought out the absolute best in me every time he got near my set. From the moment I saw him steal the opening scene of #fromdusktildawn at an advance screening at the Sunset 5 back in the mid-90's, I said to @samosier "Could you imagine what it must be like to work with a Yoda of acting like that guy? I gotta write for him one day." It took me 15 years but my dream came true on Red State (for which Parks won Best Actor at the @sitgesfestival) and then again years later with #tusk. Only Michael Parks could have delivered the line "Is man indeed a walrus at heart?" and make it scary as fuck. My favorite memory of Michael is watching him and #johnnydepp act with and at each other, like a couple of dueling wizards, in their shared scene in Tusk. Parks was in Heaven that day, sharing the screen with another brilliant actor and creating an unforgettable performance. He elevated any flick or TV show he was in and elevated every director he ever acted for. I was so fucking blessed to have worked with this bonafide genius. But really, I was just lucky to have known him at all. My heart goes out to James (Michael's son), Oriana (Michael's wife), Quentin Tarantino (Michael's biggest fan) and any movie or music lover who was ever dazzled by the talents of Michael Parks. Farewell, old friend. I'll see you farther along… #KevinSmith #actor #genius #rip #walrusyes

A post shared by Kevin Smith (@thatkevinsmith) on May 10, 2017 at 8:13am PDT

Some of his notable film credits include From Dusk Till Dawn, Django Unchained, Argo and dual roles in the Kill Bill franchise. He also played the villain in Smith’s horror films Tusk and Red State.

Michael Parks is survived by his wife, Oriana, and his son James Parks who is also an actor.

Rest in eternal peace Michael. You will surely me missed.

Micajah McGregor( Editor in Chief/ Managing Partner )

Micajah McGregor, Editor in Chief of FanFest.com and renowned entertainment journalist, graduated from USC with a focus on Journalism and Film Studies. With an MBA from The Wharton School, he began his career at “PopCulture Pulse” and has been instrumental in shaping FanFest into a prime entertainment news source. Known for his financial analysis of celebrity net worths, Micajah received the ‘Digital Editor of the Year’ award in 2018. He’s also an active blogger, sharing his passion for superhero films and ’90s TV. Contact him at [email protected] for engaging entertainment insights.

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