Lance Kerwin, known in the 1970s as a child actor, star of the series ‘James At 15’ and the miniseries ‘The Vampires of Salem’, died last Tuesday (24/1), at the age of 62.
Kerwin’s death was announced by his daughter, Savanah, in a Facebook post. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Born November 6, 1960 in Newport Beach, California, Lance Kerwin began acting as a teenager, appearing in episodes of series such as ‘Emergency!’ (1974), Shazam! (1974), “The Pioneers” (1974), “Gunsmoke” (1975) and “Wonder Woman” (1977).
His biggest role came at that time, when he played the title character in the series ‘James at 15’, about a young dreamer who needs to learn to cope with life as his father moves his family from Oregon to Boston.
The attraction, which ran for 21 episodes, was an attempt by creator and writer Dan Wakefield to present a more realistic representation of the world of teenagers. The series scandalized the era when it changed its name to “James at 16”, and showed the protagonist losing his virginity.
In 1979, Kerwin starred in the horror miniseries “Vampires of Salem,” based on a book by Stephen King, playing Mark Petrie, a young horror movie fan turned vampire hunter. In one of the series’ most evocative scenes, he is visited by a schoolmate who has become a vampire and floats out of his bedroom window.
The actor also participated in films such as ‘The Final Bet’ (1977), ‘My Enemy’ (1985), ‘Epidemic’ (1995) and series such as ‘Murder in Writing’ (1989), ‘Lassie’ (1992 ) , “FBI: The Untold Stories” (1992), among many others.
After ‘Epidemic’, he did not appear on screen for 27 years, only returning in 2022 for his latest acting work, in ‘The Wind & The Reckoning’, independent drama by David L. Cunningham (‘My Love for Grace’ ).
Source: Terra
Jason Root is a writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth coverage of famous people in entertainment, sports, and politics. He has a passion for uncovering the stories behind the headlines and bringing readers an inside look at the lives of the famous. He has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Journalism from UC Berkeley.
