Dane Witherspoon
Born
Richard Dane Witherspoon

(1957-12-27)December 27, 1957
DiedMarch 29, 2014(2014-03-29) (aged 56)
OccupationActor
Years active1981–1997
Spouses
(m. 1986; div. 1988)
    Tracy K. Shaffer
    (m. 1989; div. 2011)
    Children2

    Dane Witherspoon (December 27, 1957 – March 29, 2014)[1] was an American actor who appeared in daytime TV soap operas Santa Barbara as Joe Perkins in 1984, and in Capitol as Tyler McCandless from 1985 to 1986.[2][3][4]

    Early life and career

    At age 19, he was the youngest student ever accepted by the American Conservatory Theater (ACT) in San Francisco, California, appearing in productions from Shakespeare to Tennessee Williams. He performed one season at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. After getting his acting degree from ACT, Witherspoon went to Hollywood where he landed small roles in The Waltons and Eight Is Enough.[5]

    In 1984, he made his soap opera debut as the original Joe Perkins on Santa Barbara. Three months later, Dane was replaced by Mark Arnold. Dane soon returned to daytime as Tyler McCandless on Capitol; he played this part from 1985 to 1986.[5] His film credits include "Chameleons" in 1989, the part of Brad Yates in the movie Seedpeople in 1992,[5] and in 1997 he played a part in the TV movie "Asteroid".[6]

    Personal life

    He met actress Robin Wright when they auditioned for Santa Barbara.[7] The two were married from 1986 to 1988. Witherspoon had two sons with his second wife, actress / playwright Tracy Shaffer.[8]

    Retirement and death

    Although he continued to work as an actor for a few more years, Witherspoon eventually retired from the profession and lived in Denver, Colorado.

    He died March 29th, 2014, at age 56.[9][10]

    References

    1. "Santa Barbara alum dead at 56". Soap Opera Digest. March 31, 2014. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
    2. "A Look At Dane Witherspoon". Toledo Blade. July 18, 1985.
    3. Passalacqua, Connie (November 1, 1985). "Great Dane Finds New Home on Capitol". Waycross Journal-Herald. Waycross, Georgia. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
    4. "Success of 'Santa Barbara' is up to Dane Witherspoon". Miami News. September 1, 1984. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
    5. 1 2 3 "Dane Witherspoon". TV Guide. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
    6. "Asteroid". IMDb. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
    7. "Penn's Crossing". Jam.canoe.ca. November 5, 1995. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
    8. "Dane Witherspoon". Capridge.com. Archived from the original on June 25, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
    9. Newcomb, Roger (March 29, 2014). "Dane Witherspoon Dead at 56". We Love Soaps. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
    10. Finn, Natalie (April 1, 2014). "Santa Barbara's Dane Witherspoon Dies; Actor Was Robin Wright's First Husband". E! News. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
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