Lawrence Dane, Mission: Impossible and Bride of Chucky Actor, Dies at 84

Character actor Lawrence Dane, whose career started back in the 1950s and stretched all the way to his final project in 2017, has passed away at the age of 84. According to The Hollywood Reporter Dane passed away at home in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario following a bout with pancreatic cancer. Dane’s career on the big screen began in 1959 on the Canadian TV series The Unforeseen. He would go on to appear in countless other TV shows at the time in Canada before making the leap to American television with roles on The Saint, Bonanza, Lancer, The Virginian, Mod Squad, Mannix, The F.B.I., and the original Mission: Impossible series. 

Dane self-wrote his own obituary which was published following his death. In it he recounted that he originally took acting classes as a means for overcoming his own shyness, adding: “Between then and my exit stage left on (March 21, 2022) I had the good fortune of becoming a member of a highly respected brotherhood of Canadian performers where I got to meet and work with hundreds of other struggling fellow actors. They were all an inspiration to me.”

His career in television would continue beyond the procedural shows of the 1960s and 70s where he played the heavy or a special guest star, carrying over into the 1980s when he would guest star on the likes of The Equalizer, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Rin Tin Tin, and The Outer Limits.

Genre film fans may recall him from his many appearances in notable horror and sci-fi movies throughout the 1980s and 1990s however. In 1981 alone Dane would appear in the slasher movie Happy Birthday to Me as well as David Cronenberg’s exploding heads extravaganza Scanners. In the 1990s he appeared in Darkman II: The Return of Durant and played the role of Lt. Preston in Bride of Chucky. In that film he had a pivotal role, even appearing in the final scene that set the stage for Seed of Chucky, his character becoming the first victim of Chucky’s child as Bride concluded. 

Dane’s final feature was the 2017 movie Undercover Grandpa, a family comedy also starring James Caan, Louis Gossett Jr., and Jkessica Walter. He is survived by his wife, Laurel Dane, and his extended family. Our thoughts are with his family during this tragic time.