Actor/Politician John Gavin Dies at 86 (Imitation of Life, Psycho, Spartacus)

[JamesG]

John Gavin, Actor in Psycho and Imitation of Life, Dies at 86
by Duane Byrge and Mike Barnes
Feb. 9, 2018


John Gavin, the movie heartthrob who starred in Imitation of Life, Psycho and Thoroughly Modern Millie, has died, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. He was 86.

Gavin, who served as President Ronald Reagan's ambassador to Mexico in the 1980s, died Friday morning, said Budd Burton Mossa, a rep for the actor's wife, actress Constance Towers.

He and Towers, a regular on soap operas and the star of the Sam Fuller experimental films Shock Corridor and The Naked Kiss, married in September 1974.





Hailed as a second coming of Rock Hudson at Universal Pictures, Gavin played Lana Turner's love interest in Douglas Sirk's remake of Imitation of Life (1959); portrayed Sam Loomis, who as Janet Leigh's boyfriend helps solves the mystery of Norman Bates, in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960); and was the object of Julie Andrews and Mary Tyler Moore's affections in George Roy Hill's Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967).

Director William Friedkin wrote on Twitter on Friday, "A sad day, my great friend John Gavin died. This morning. One of the finest men I knew. And like a brother to me. May he Rest In Peace."





In May 1981, Gavin — who spoke fluent Spanish and had been appearing in commercials South of the Border for Bacardi rum — quit a Broadway-bound revival of Can-Can to accept President Ronald Reagan's invitation to serve as Ambassador to Mexico.

According to a 1983 article in People magazine, he presided over what was then America’s third-largest embassy, with 1,181 employees. He resigned from the post in June 1986.

Like Reagan, Gavin served as president of the Screen Actors Guild. Gavin ran for a second term in 1973 but was defeated by Dennis Weaver.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ne...e-actor-990198

[80sTrivia]

So sad to hear of his passing. I didn't realize he went into politics after his film career ended...