Brad Johnson, Actor in Steven Spielberg’s ‘Always’ and Former Marlboro Man, Dead at 62

Brad Johnson, the former rodeo cowboy and “Marlboro Man” best known for his role in Steven Spielberg’s romantic drama Always, has died. Johnson passed away in Fort Worth, Texas on Friday, Feb. 18 due to complications from COVID-19, his representative, Linda McAlister, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 62.

In his obituary, Johnson’s family remembered the late star as “a true renaissance man” who was “not only interested in all life had to offer, but was gifted in it as well. Although he was taken too early, he lived life to the fullest.” The obituary added, according to Entertainment Tonight, that Johnson grew up with a passion and love for the outdoors, and his younger years would see him hunting and competing in rodeo whenever he had the chance.” Born to a horse trainer in Tucson, Arizona in October 1959, Johnson got his start in the entertainment industry in 10984 when he started his professional rodeo career. His rodeo career not only led him to Dallas, Texas, “where he would meet the love of his life, Laurie,” but also led to him getting spotted by a casting director looking for cowboys for a beer commercial while he was wrestling steers.

Johnson soon began booking work, eventually becoming the Marlboro Man for the cigarette brand in ads and commercials. He also appeared in several Calvin Klein ads before making his way to Hollywood. After appearing in several uncredited roles, Johnson scored his first big role opposite Holly Hunter and Richard Dreyfuss in Spielberg’s 1989 drama Always. In the film, a remake of Victor Fleming’s A Guy Named Joe (1943), Hunter’s Dorinda Durston falls for Johnson’s Ted Baker after her boyfriend, Pete Sandich (Dreyfuss), dies.

Johnson’s other notable credits include starring roles in director John Milius’ Flight of the Intruder (1991), the 1997 TNT miniseries Rough Riders, and a 1986 episode of CBS’ Dallas, among others. He also appeared as the title character in the 1993 miniseries Ned Blessing: The Story of My Life and Times, a role he reprised in Lone Justice 2 (1995) and Lone Justice: Showdown at Plum Creek (1996). Johnson starred as protagonist Rayford Steele alongside Kirk Cameron in three Left Behind movies, recurred in 1996 as the pediatrician Dominick O’Malley on Fox’s Melrose Place, and also appeared as Matthew Quentin Shepherd on the 1997-99 syndicated adventure series Soldier of Fortune, Inc. Johnson had been tapped to star in the Western movie Treasure Valley, but none of his scenes were filmedfollowing the death of actor-writer Jay Pickett. Johnson is survived by Laurie, his wife of 35 years, and their children, Shane, Bellamy, Rachel, Eliana, Eden, Rebekah, Annabeth, and William.