Die Hard 2 star Tom Bower dies aged 86-Rishma Dosani-Entertainment – Metro

Die Hard 2 star Tom Bower has died, aged 86 (Picture: Getty)

Tom Bower has died at the age of 86.

The actor, most known for his roles in Die Hard 2 and The Waltons, died in his sleep on May 30.

Mary Miller, his sister-in-law, confirmed the sad news to the Hollywood Reporter, explaining that he was at his home in LA at the time.

Marsha McManus, who served as his manager, has since paid tribute, telling People Magazine: ‘He was extraordinary in every way’.

His cause of death has not yet been announced.

Denver-born Bower initially wanted to become a professional baseball player before turning his attention to the spotlight, enrolling in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1956.

Tom played Curtis Willard in The Waltons (Picture: CBS)

He went on to study acting at the John Cassavetes Shadows Workshop, and made his debut in Cassavetes’ flick, Shadows, in 1957.

Following this, he notched up roles in The Rockford Files and the Bionic Woman, before landing a recurring role on the Waltons, in 1975.

He made his debut in The Wing Walker in season four, before returning in season five as doctor Curtis Willard – the husband of Mary Ellen (Judy Norton).

Despite being a big part of the series, Bower was written out in 1978 and Curt was killed off screen in Pearl Harbor.

In 1981, the character made a bombshell return but the actor was replaced in the role by Scott Hylands.

Unpacking this in an interview two years ago, he explained that he’d asked for a raise behind the scenes, and had been rejected.

‘I asked for a very small raise, so they sent me to Pearl Harbor,’ he told his former colleague, Norton, on during an appearance on her YouTube channel.

‘Then, when they decided to bring the character back, washed up on a shore somewhere – which I didn’t think was a great idea anyway – I asked for the same small raise.

One of Tom’s most notable roles came in Die Hard 2 (Picture: 20th Century Studios)

‘When they wanted me to come back and I asked for the same raise as I had asked for before, they just cast a different actor.’

Bower then went on to appear in Murder, She Wrote, Miami Vice, The X-Files, Roswell, the West Wing, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Criminal Minds.

One of his final roles came as Lou Schanzer in El Camino – the Breaking Bad spin-off movie.

On the big screen, he commanded roles in Beverly Hills Cop II beside Eddie Murphy, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans with Nicolas Cage and Eva Mendes, and Nixon, opposite Anthony Hopkins.

He also appeared in El Camino and the West Wing over the years (Picture: Getty)

One of his most notable roles came in 1990’s Die Hard 2, alongside Bruce Willis, John Amos, Reginald VelJohnson and William Atherton.

In the action thriller, he played airport janitor Marvin, who helped Willis’ John McClane foil a group of terrorists.

At the end of the flick, he drove John and his wife, Holly Gennero (Bonnie Bedelia) away on his airport cart after they reunited.

Bower is survived by children Viveca and Rob – who he shared with late wife Ursula – and four grandchildren, Nicole, Jonathan, Lucille and Henry.

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