Doug Sheehan, Emmy-nominated star of Clueless and Knots Landing, dies at 75

TV veteran Doug Sheehan, who appeared in iconic shows such as 'Charlie's Angels' and 'Cheers', has passed away at the age of 75.

Doug Sheehan, the Emmy-nominated television actor known for his roles in soaps and sitcoms, passed away last month at his home in Big Horn, Wyoming, at the age of 75.

A local funeral home announced his death on its website last Thursday, stating that he “passed away peacefully” with “his loving wife at his side”. Sheehan is survived by his wife, Cate, to whom he had been married for over 40 years at the time of his death. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Sheehan's acting career

Born in California in 1949, Sheehan began his television career with a guest role in a 1978 episode of ‘Charlie’s Angels.’ His first regular role came a year later as lawyer Joe Kelly on ABC’s ‘General Hospital.’

Over the course of his time on the beloved soap, Sheehan appeared in 205 episodes and earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for best supporting actor. Reflecting on his time on ‘General Hospital,’ Sheehan said in a 1989 interview, “I was on during the ‘Camelot’ era when Luke and Laura were running around saving the world madly, and I was sort of the nice guy who stood on the sidelines and said, ‘Go Luke, go!’”

In 1983, Sheehan moved on to CBS, securing a role in the ‘Dallas’ spinoff ‘Knots Landing.’ For four seasons, he portrayed Ben Gibson, a freelance reporter and former CIA operative who becomes the second husband of protagonist Valene Ewing. He appeared in 100 episodes before his character written off the show in season eight.

Sheehan’s career spanned various popular television series, with guest appearances on ‘Cheers,’ ‘MacGyver,’ and ‘Columbo.’ He also landed a main role in the NBC series ‘Day by Day,’ playing a stockbroker who transitions to running a daycare.

During the 1990s, Sheehan became known for his ‘TV dad’ roles, portraying the fathers of Cher Horowitz in ‘Clueless’ and Sabrina Spellman in ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch.’

Sheehan also appeared in films such as ‘10,’ ‘Victor/Victoria,’ and ‘Cops N Roberts.’