The actor, who also portrayed Duke Shannon on TV series 'Wagon Train', was diagnosed with ALS in January and died Tuesday at 80 years old.
- September 13, 2014
AceShowbiz -
Denny Miller, best known for his portrayal as Duke Shannon on 1960s TV series "Wagon Train", has passed away. The actor died Tuesday, September 9 in Las Vegas, his agent David Moss confirms the sad news to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 80.
Miller, who became the first blond Tarzan in 1959's "Tarzan, the Ape Man", died after a battle with Lou Gehrig's disease, also known as ALS, which many celebrities recently helped raise awareness of by taking Ice Bucket Challenge. He was diagnosed with the disease in January this year.
The 6-foot-4 tall Miller was a basketball star for the UCLA Bruins at the University of California, Los Angeles before he was discovered on Sunset Boulevard by a Hollywood agent who signed him with MGM. His first acting gigs included some guest appearances on such shows as "Northwest Passage" and "Overland Trail".
In addition to his regular role on "Wagon Train", he's known for his guest-starring appearances on "Gilligan's Island". He also played the Gorton's Fisherman, the man in the yellow rain gear, in TV commercials for the fish sticks for fourteen years until 2005.
Miller is survived by his wife, Nancy Miller.
