Actor who played Twin Peaks doctor dies

Actor Warren Frost, who played Dr Will Hayward on Twin Peaks, has died aged 91.

Warren Frost, who played Dr Will Hayward on Twin Peaks and appeared in dozens of other TV shows including Matlock and Seinfeld, has died aged 91.

Frost died on Friday at his home in Middlebury, Vermont, after a lengthy illness, according to a statement from his son, Twin Peaks co-creator Mark Frost. The nature of the illness was not disclosed.

He "taught us that a life devoted to telling the right kind of truths can make a real difference in the lives of others," Mark Frost said in the statement released by the Showtime channel.

Warren Frost reprised his Twin Peaks role for an upcoming Showtime sequel to the 1990-91 cult drama.

The New England native served in the Navy in World War II and was aboard a ship that took part in the 1944 Allied D-Day invasion, according to a biography.

He went on to attend Middlebury College in Vermont, where he met his future wife, Virginia Calhoun, and then began his TV career in New York with jobs that included stage manager for early shows.

After moving to Los Angeles in 1958, Frost worked steadily on TV series including Dragnet and appeared in movies including The Mating Game and It Started with a Kiss.

He went on to earn a master's degree from Occidental College in California and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota, where he was part of the theatre department faculty for 20 years and acted regularly in local productions.

Renewing his screen career in Los Angeles in the 1990s, he appeared in Seinfeld as Mr Ross, the father to George Costanza's ill-fated fiancee Susan, and played pal Billy to Matlock star Andy Griffith's character.

Frost retired to Middlebury in 2000 but returned to work to appear in the new Twin Peaks, set to debut in May.

Frost's survivors, besides wife Virginia and son Mark, include son Scott, a novelist and photographer, daughter Lindsay, an artist, and three grandchildren.


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Source: AAP



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