Lance Kerwin, Former Child Star, Dead at 62

Lance Kerwin, a former child actor best known for roles on the coming-of-age TV series James at 15 and in the Stephen King adaptation Salem’s Lot, has died. His daughter, Savanah Kerwin, confirmed his passing in a message to Facebook Wednesday, revealing that her father died Tuesday morning at 62. A cause of death was not provided.
 
Born in Newport Beach, California in 1960, Kerwin began his career as a child actor in the early- to mid-1970s with appearances in a variety of television shows, including Little House on the Prairie, Emergency!, and Wonder Woman, as well as the TV movie The Boy Who Drank Too Much. His breakthrough role, which also propelled him to heartthrob status, came in the 1977 coming-of-age series James at 15. Created by writer Dan Wakefield, the drama aired between 1977 and 1978 on NBC and followed a young teenage boy fascinated with photography. The series was lauded for its realistic portrayal of teen life, something that saw it step into controversy, notably in 1978 when the series, now with the title James at 16, saw Kerwin’s title character lose his virginity with a Swedish exchange student, per Deadline.

I am beyond heartbroken to hear of the passing of one of my greatest friends and co-stars I have ever worked with, Lance Kerwin. He was the child actor that inspired me to be the best that I could be because he was the best I had ever seen. Rest in peace my friend. pic.twitter.com/qclYBVGuKK

— Ike Eisenmann (@Ike_Eisenmann) January 25, 2023

After launching to stardom on James at 15, Kerwin’s career continued to grow. The actor not only landed multiple cover stories in fan magazines, but also went on to land numerous other roles, including in the TV movie The Boy Who Drank Too Much, starring Scott Baio as a teenage alcoholic. He also had a role in Salem’s Lot, the 1979 horror miniseries adapted from King’s 1975 novel. Kerwin appeared in the miniseries as Mark Petrie, the teen who becomes a vampire hunter. His other credits include The Family Holvak, Murder She Wrote, The New Lassie, and Insight, as well as the made-for-TV movies Children of Divorce and Advice to the Lovelorn, among many others. In total, he starred in more than 50 TV shows and films
 
Kerwin continued acting throughout the mid-1990s before eventually retiring to become a youth minister in California and later Hawaii. Deadline reported that in 2021, a GoFundMe page indicated the former actor suffered various health issues and had fallen on hard times.
 
Kerwin is survived by his five children: Savanah, Fox, Terah, Kailani, and Justus. In announcing her father’s death, Savannah shared, “as the coming weeks progress, I will share more information about after life ceremonies.” She added, “he loved each and every one of you.”