Kevin Conway, Veteran 'Gettysburg' and 'Thirteen Days' Actor, Dead at 77

Actor Kevin Conway has passed away of a heart attack at the age of 77. Though the actor passed [...]

Actor Kevin Conway has passed away of a heart attack at the age of 77. Though the actor passed away on Wednesday, the actor's publicist confirmed the TheWrap earlier today. Not a conventional leading man type, Conway found his niche with character acting, elevating minor, off-beat roles into scene-stealing performances on stage and on screen.

A New York native, Conway got his start in showbiz playing Roland Weary in the 1972 feature Slaughterhouse Five, based on the novel by Kurt Vonnegut. He'd go on to appear in the Civil War epic Gettysburg, the historical drama Thirteen Days, and the beloved football flick Invincible. He'd also land bit parts in everything from Funny Farm to Mystic River.

He was also active on the small screen, playing the Control Voice for The Outer Limits revival from 1995-2002, as well as appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation playing the clone of the legendary Klingon, Kahless. He also had a three-episode arc as a guest-star The Good Wife as Jonas Stern, a founding partner of the eponymous character's law firm. On the gritty HBO children's drama Oz, he portrayed the menacing Seamus O'Reily.

He has also guest-starred on three separate Law & Order series. They include the flagship series, two guest spots on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and another on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. More recently, he played the father of Jenny (Olivia Wilde) in NBC's The Black Donnellys in 2007.

Behind the camera, Conway directed the indie film The Sun and the Moon back in 1987.

His three most recent roles were as narrators, first on the crime drama Who Killed Jane Doe?, the horror series Unmasked, and the reality/nature series Prairie Dog Manor. His last role will be as the voice of Daniel Webster in the upcoming documentary The Gettysburg Address.

In a 2011 interview with Media Mikes, Conway reflected on the advantages he had of playing a "that guy" for so many years.

"I'm very lucky in that I don't have to take every part that comes along," Conway explained. "This one was for a pilot and I really didn't want to do it. I didn't want to lock myself in. I'm really looking to do some theater. That's what I like to do. A short run, no two year shows anymore. If I could find a show here in New York and get those muscles going again, that would be great. And hopefully, a big movie somewhere in Paris or Morocco or someplace else I've never been."

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