Victor Colin Sumner/Fairfax Media via Getty Tom Troupe, a prolific character actor who appeared in dozens of series, includingStar Trek, Mission: Impossible,andFrasier,has died. He was 97. The Kansas City, Mo., native died of natural causes in his Beverly Hills, Calif., home Sunday morning, a representative confirmed toEntertainment Weekly. Born July 15, 1928, Troupe grew up acting in local theater productions before making the move to New York City at age 20. NBC He was later awarded a scholarship by Uta Hagen to attend classes at the Herbert Berghof Studio, where his fellow students included Geraldine Page, Jason Robards, Sandy Dennis, and Lee Grant. After serving in the Korean War, for which he was awarded a Bronze Star, Troupe returned to New York City and made his Broadway debut in the 1957 stage adaptation ofThe Diary of Anne Frank. He moved to Los Angeles the following year and quickly found success as a character actor on television, landing roles in episodes of shows such asLock Up, Rawhide, Lawman, The Fugitive,andThe Man from U.N.C.L.E. Troupe would continue to act on screen for the next six decades on programs includingStar Trek, Mission: Impossible, The Wild Wild West, The Rookies, Ironside, Planet of the Apes, CHiPs, Quincy, M.E, Archie Bunker's Place, Cheers, Cagney & Lacey, Murder, She Wrote, Who's The Boss, Frasier,andER. He also enjoyed success on the silver screen, playing characters in a variety of films, including 1959'sThe Big Fisherman, 1968'sThe Devil's Brigade, 1987'sSummer School, and 1991'sMy Own Private Idaho. When Troupe wasn't performing on screen, he would likely be found on stage. Over the course of his storied acting career, he starred in productions ofThe Lion in Winter, Fathers Day,andThe Gin Gameopposite his late wife and fellow actress Carole Cook, whom he married in 1964. His other theatrical credits include the national tour ofSame Time, Next Year, the Broadway production ofRomantic Comedyopposite Mia Farrow, and his co-written play,The Diary of a Madman.Sign up forEntertainment Weekly's free daily newsletterto get breaking news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more. Troupe and Cook, who died in 2023, were jointly honored with the L.A. Ovation Award for Career Achievement in 2002. Troupe is survived by his son Christopher, daughter-in-law Becky Coulter, and granddaughter Ashley, as well as his many nieces and nephews. No services or memorials are scheduled at this time. However, in lieu of flowers, Troupe's representative has requested that donations be made to either theEntertainment Community Fundor thePasadena Humane Society. Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly
