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John Dye

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John Dye
Dye in 2008
Born
John Carroll Dye

(1963-01-31)January 31, 1963
DiedJanuary 10, 2011(2011-01-10) (aged 47)
Resting placeHaughton Memorial Park, Amory, Mississippi, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1984–2009

John Carroll Dye (January 31, 1963 – January 10, 2011)[1] was an American film and television actor known for his role as Andrew in the spiritual television drama series Touched by an Angel.

Early life

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Dye was born in Amory, Mississippi, one of four sons of Jim and Lynn Dye, a furniture manufacturer and homemaker, respectively, who raised their sons in the Methodist denomination. The family moved to Cleveland, Tennessee, where he attended Cleveland High School, and later to Tupelo, Mississippi. He was introduced to acting by playing the role of Friedrich, the eldest male von Trapp child in a school production of The Sound of Music at Cleveland High School. He graduated from Tupelo High School,[2] where he again played Friedrich von Trapp. Dye found himself bitten by the acting bug. After graduating, he enrolled at Mississippi State University in hopes of becoming a civil rights lawyer. After a year at Mississippi State University, he decided to become an actor, and was advised against it by his great-grandmother.[3] He transferred to Memphis State University and majored in theater.[3]

Career

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In Memphis, Dye discovered that a Judd Nelson film called Making the Grade (1984) was filming in the area. Dye landed his first film role as "Skip". In the 1985 music video for the ZZ Top song "Sleeping Bag", he appeared alongside fellow actors Tracey Walter and Heather Langenkamp. In 1986 he starred alongside actresses Virginia Madsen and Cynthia Gibb in the comedy film Modern Girls. In 1987 Dye got his first leading role, in the film Campus Man, as Todd Barrett. That same year, he re-teamed with Nelson in the television miniseries Billionaire Boys Club. In 1989, he starred alongside actors James Earl Jones and Eric Roberts in the martial-arts drama Best of the Best.

Dye began appearing on television in 1987. He was cast in 1989 as Private Francis "Doc Hoc" Hockenbury for the last season of Tour of Duty. When the series finished, he moved on to short-lived series such as Jack's Place (1992) and Hotel Malibu (1994). In 1996, he appeared as Andrew the "Angel of Death" on Touched by an Angel with Roma Downey & Della Reese. Originally cast as a recurring character, by the third season, he was made a regular cast member as his character quickly became popular. The show ran for nine seasons before ending in April 2003. In 2000, he starred in the television movie Once Upon a Christmas and the following year, he appeared in the sequel Twice Upon a Christmas. Also in 2000, he starred in the documentary, Journey to a Hate Free Millennium.[citation needed]

Death

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Dye was found dead in his home in San Francisco on January 10, 2011, three weeks before his 48th birthday. No cause of death was initially determined,[4][5] but a death certificate issued in May 2011 concluded that he died from accidental "acute methamphetamine intoxication".[6]

Filmography

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Film roles
Year Title Role Notes
1984 Making the Grade Skip
1986 Modern Girls Hunk
1987 Campus Man Todd Barrett
1989 Best of the Best Virgil Keller
1991 The Perfect Weapon Det. Adam Sanders
1994 Sioux City Colin Adams
2005 Heart of the Beholder D.A. Eric Manion
2007 Fist of the Warrior I.A. Officer Alternate title: Lesser of Three Evils
Television roles
Year Title Role Notes
1987 Billionaire Boys Club Bob Holmby Television film (NBC)
1988 CBS Summer Playhouse Mr. Biscuit Episode: "Old Money"
1988 Murder, She Wrote Andy Broom Episode: "A Little Night Work"
1989–1990 Tour of Duty Pvt. Francis 'Doc Hoc' Hockenberry Main role (season 3)
1990 Room for Romance Craig Holloway Episode: "Pilot"
1992–1993 Jack's Place Greg Toback Recurring role
1994 Murder, She Wrote Dr. Ray Stinson Episode: "A Nest of Vipers"
1994 Hotel Malibu Jack Mayfield Main role
1996–2003 Touched by an Angel Andrew Main role
1996 The Nerd Rick Steadman Episode: Pilot
1996–1998 Promised Land Andrew 4 episodes
2000 Once Upon a Christmas Bill Morgan Television film (PAX-TV)
2001 Twice Upon a Christmas Bill Morgan Television film (PAX-TV)

References

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  1. ^ wtva.com Archived January 16, 2011, at archive.today. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
  2. ^ John Dye Biography, NYTimes.com; accessed February 27, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Beifuss, John (January 13, 2011). "'Touched by an Angel' star John Dye has died". Memphis Commercial Appeal. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
  4. ^ Freeman, David W (January 14, 2011). "John Dye Dies: What Killed "Touched by an Angel" Star?". CBS News. Associated Press. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  5. ^ "John Dye Obituary". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. Associated Press. January 17, 2011. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  6. ^ Death Certificate, John Carroll Dye, State of California, Department of Public Health, May 16, 2011 – see also: File:John Dye Death Certificate.pdf.
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