‘Deadwood’ and ‘NCIS’ Actor Dies: Peter Jason Was 80

Hollywood is mourning Peter Jason. The actor, 80, was known for his role as Con Stapleton on HBO’s Deadwood and a two-episode appearance on NCIS. His The Man Who Came Back co-star Billy Zane confirmed his passing on Instagram on Thursday night. “If there are no words then there certainly is no music,” Zane wrote alongside a series of photos of Jason. “My dear, dear friend, the brightest light, most generous soul and gregarious of men, the supremely talented and kind Peter Jason has left the set.”

“Survived by his lovely wife Eileen and his children, the vacuum felt by his passing gut punched me as I saw it coming,” Zane continued. “It had me spending the last two hours deciding between pieces of music to underscore this tribute that would either confuse, tickle or bore ½ of the viewers. They ranged from Spike Jones to Morricone. I couldn’t pick one so I chose none. All I know is his wake will be widely attended and teeter somewhere between a Friar’s Roast to a burial at sea befitting an admiral. See you on the back 9 my friend! RIP PJ.”

Born on July 22, 1944 in Hollywood, CA, Jason grew up in Newport Beach and studied drama at Carnegie Mellon University. He would go on to have over 250 acting credits to his name, beginning in the late ‘60s. Credits early in his career include The F.B.I., Shadow of the Land, Here Comes the Brides, Land of the Giants, Hawaii Five-O, Gunsmoke, The Incredible Hulk, and 48 Hrs.

He frequently collaborated with directors John Carpenter and Walter Hill, including Prince of Darkness, They Live, Body Bags, and Village of the Damned with Carpenter and Deadwood with Hill. Jason appeared in 26 of 36 episodes of Deadwood, which ran from 2004 to 2006. He also reprised the role of Con Stapleton for Deadwood: The Movie in 2019. Other notable credits throughout Jason’s career include Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, NCIS, Longmire, Scorpion, Arrested Development, CSI, Chuck, Castle, Mad Men, Desperate Housewives, and many, many more.

Peter Jason’s final role was the short Tale of 2 Fathers in 2022. According to his IMDb, he had a whopping nine projects in the works. It’s unknown what will happen to those projects and how far along into production they were, but more information will likely be revealed soon. A cause of death has not yet been