Funeral services were pending Wednesday for actor Lance Kerwin, who gained teen-heartthrob status in the 1970s with his starring role in the adolescent drama series “James at 15” and his appearance in the 1979 TV miniseries based on Stephen King’s vampire horror tale “Salem’s Lot.”
Kerwin died Tuesday at age 62, his daughter, Savanah, announced on Facebook.
“We appreciate all the kind words, memories, and prayers that have been shared,” she wrote. “As the coming weeks progress, I will share more information about after life ceremonies. He loved each and every one of you.”
Variety reported that Kerwin died in San Clemente, where he lived, and an autopsy was pending.
The son of an acting coach, Kerwin made an array of appearances on TV shows in the early to mid-1970s, including “Little House on the Prairie,” “Emergency!,” “Gunsmoke,” “Wonder Woman,” “The Bionic Woman” and “Shazam!”
His major break came in 1977 with “James at 15,” a coming-of-age drama about a teen who moves across the country with his family and struggles to adapt in his new surroundings. As the show continued, the name was changed to “James at 16” to follow the aging of its main character.
In 1979, he appeared in “Salem’s Lot,” the chilling TV adaptation of King’s novel about vampires infesting a small town in Maine. The series also starred David Soul and James Mason.
Kerwin appeared in the 1985 film “Enemy Mine” and more recently in the 1995 Dustin Hoffman virus-contagion thriller “Outbreak.” He appeared last year in the film “The Wind & The Reckoning.”
He is survived by five children.