‘Mod Squad’ and ‘General Hospital’ Star Michael Cole Has Died

Actor Michael Cole has died. According to Variety, The Mod Squad star died on Tuesday at 84, with his representatives telling the outlet that he died “peacefully this morning surrounded by loved ones, after living a full and vibrant life.” Born on July 3, 1940 in Madison, Wisconsin, Cole is best known for his role as Pete Cochran on the ABC series The Mod Squad from 1968 to 1973. Also starring Clarence Williams III, Peggy Lipton, and Tige Andrews, the series centered around undercover cops and tackled issues such as abortion, domestic violence, and police brutality.

Cole made his acting debut in the 1961 drama Forget Them Not, later appearing in shows such as Gunsmoke and Run for Your Life before landing The Mod Squad. In 1979, he reprised his role as Pete Cochrane for the film The Return of Mod Squad. The actor remained as busy as ever after the crime drama initially ended, with credits including Police Story, Wonder Woman, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, CHiPs, and Murder, She Wrote.

In 1991, Cole landed his second big break with General Hospital. He joined the long-running soap as Harlan Barrett in March 1991 until he was unfortunately killed that November. Unlike some characters on the soap, Barrett never made a return, nor was he played by anyone else. After his brief but memorable stint on GH, Cole went on to appear in Acapulco Bay, Diagnosis Murder, 7^th Heaven, ER, and Mr. Brooks. The 2008 TV movie Grace Misconduct was Cole’s final TV role, but he appeared in the 2010 shorts Officer Lenot in: Showtime and Father’s Day.

TV and film is not all that Michael Cole did. He also did numerous stage roles, including starring in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. In 2009, he released his memoir I Played the White Guy, which gave people an inside look at his experiences in Hollywood. He had a long career that spanned years, and plenty of roles and shows like The Mod Squad would have certainly turned out differently if Cole didn’t star in it.

Cole is survived by his wife of 28 years, Shelley Funes, and his children. He has two children from his first marriage and a daughter from his second marriage, with Funes being his third marriage. The two never had children together.