Jeremy Slate

d. Nov. 19, 2006

Jeremy Slate, the versatile actor who appeared in dozens of television roles for more than 40 years, co-wrote and starred in the cult film “Hell's Angels '69” and went on to appear for eight seasons on the daytime drama One Life to Live, died Nov. 19. He was 80.

Slate died at UCLA Medical Center of complications following surgery for esophageal cancer, his agent Bonnie Black said.

As an underage volunteer, Slate joined the Navy after Pearl Harbor and was aboard a destroyer off the Normandy coast on D-Day. After the war he worked in public relations until he became interested in theater. A few television roles in 1959 and 1960 quickly led to a starring role in his only prime-time series, The Aquanauts. Slate, Keith Larsen and later Ron Ely played professional scuba divers and owners of a southern California scuba shop. The show was retitled Malibu Run in mid-season and was cancelled soon after.

Slate immediately found steady work in movies and television, in both sympathetic and villainous parts. His films include “G.I. Blues,” Girls! Girls! Girls!,” “I’ll Take Sweden,” “The Sons of Katie Elder,” “The Born Losers,” “The Devil’s Brigade” and “True Grit.” His many television roles include episodes of Naked City, The Untouchables, The Defenders, Dr. Kildare, The Farmer’s Daughter, Bewitched, Gunsmoke, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Mission: Impossible, Combat, Run for Your Life, Bonanza, The Virginian, The Wonderful World of Disney, Police Story and Wonder Woman. His last role was a 2006 episode of the NBC comedy My Name Is Earl.

He was a regular on the ABC soap One Life to Live from 1979 to 1987 and also appeared for a time on the CBS soap The Guiding Light.

Often cast as a tough guy, Slate appeared in a string of biker films in the late 60s, including “The Born Losers” with Tom Laughlin as Billy Jack and “Hell’s Angels '69,” for which he wrote the screen story with co-star Tom Stern.

Pictured at right: Slate with actress Tammy Grimes at their 1966 wedding.