‘Lost in Space’ Star Mark Goddard Dead at 87

Beloved actor Mark Goddard is dead at 87. The Lost in Space star’s death was confirmed by his wife, Evelyn Pezzulich, who told The Hollywood Reporter. He died Tuesday in Massachusetts from pulmonary fibrosis. The youngest of five children, Charles Harvey Goddard was born in Lowell, Massachusetts on July 24, 1936. Although he initially dreamed of being a basketball player when he was growing up, his passion turned into acting. He studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City and moved to Los Angeles two years later.

The move proved to be a good idea because after spending only three weeks in Tinseltown, Goddard landed the role of deputy Cully in the CBS Four Star Television series Johnny Ringo, opposite Don Durant. Goddard decided to change his name to Mark Goddard for the remainder of his career and life. After Johnny Ringo was canceled, Dick Powell, who co-founded Four Star, cast the actor in ABC’s The Detectives in 1960. He portrayed Sergeant Chris Ballard for 64 episodes. He was later approached by his agent for the CBS sci-fi series Lost in Space, where he starred as Major Don West for all three seasons. The show spawned a film adaptation in 1998 and a reimagined Netflix series in 2018.

Throughout his career, Mark Goddard appeared in other projects such as The Rifleman, Burke’s Law, The Beverly Hillbillies, Gunsmoke, Perry Mason, Benson, The Doctors, and General Hospital. His final acting credit is the 2010 drama Soupernatural, alongside Dee Wallace, Lou Ferrigno, Kathy Garver, Pamela Sue Martin, and Butch Patrick. Before that, he hadn’t acted in anything since 2000. While Goddard wasn’t as active in the industry in the 2000s, his legacy is continuing to live on. And will continue to live on far beyond his death.

Goddard’s Lost in Space co-star Bill Mumy took to Facebook to pay tribute to his friend and co-star, noting that he “knew this was coming for the past few months. Shortly after a great phone chat he and I had on his 87th birthday in late July, I became aware that I would most likely never see or speak with him again. The last words we exchanged were ‘I love you.’” Mumy went on to tell some stories from their time on Lost in Space and praised the late actor.

“He was ridiculously handsome and eternally boyish,” Mumy continued. “Mark was very funny and spontaneous. He enjoyed having a good time. My deepest condolences and love to Mark’s amazing and strong wife Evelyn and his wonderful children, Melissa (Missy), Michael, Caleb and John. There’s a part of me that envisions him having a martini in Heaven right now with Jonathan Harris, Kevin Burns, Guy Williams and other comrades who left this world of woe before him. There’s a part of me that believes he’s in a better place now. A much better place. But I still hate writing this.”