Tim Considine, Spin and Marty and My Three Sons Actor, Dies at 81

Tim Considine, an actor, writer, photographer, and historian known for his roles on My Three Sons, The Hardy Boys, and The Adventures of Spin and Marty, has passed away at the age of 81. The news was confirmed via Considine’s son, Christopher, to The Hollywood Reporter, who revealed that he passed away on Thursday, March 3rd, at his home in Mar Vista, California. The cause of death has not been publicly revealed.

Considine was born on December 31, 1940 in Los Angeles, California to John W. Considine Jr. (who was an Oscar-nominated producer for 1938’s Boys Town) and Carmen Pantages, the children of rival vaudeville pioneers John Considine and Alexander Pantages. Considine’s first onscreen role was as Dink in 1953’s The Clown, a remake of the 1931 hit The Champ. Years later, he would become a familiar face with his performances on two Mickey Mouse Club serials, as Spin in Spin and Marty and Frank in Hardy Boys (alongside Tommy Kirk, who passed away at the age of 79 last fall). His roles in the world of Disney would not end there, as he had key roles in The Swamp Fox, The Shaggy Dog, and My Three Sons. Considine played My Three Sons‘ oldest son, Mike, for the show’s first five series, before his character got married and was written out of the show. From 1965 to 1969, he was married in real life to actress Charlotte Stewart.

Outside of My Three Sons, Considine’s television work included playing Ned Nickerson in a Nancy Drew pilot for CBS, and appearing in episodes of Johnny Ringo, The Fugitive, and Bonanza. He also memorably played Private First Class Charles Kuhl, who famously gets slapped by the titular character in the 1970 film Patton. He continued to act sporadically in the 1970s and beyond, appearing in Gunsmoke, Legend, and Simon and Simon. He also married his second wife, Willette Hunt, in 1979. Considine returned to the world of Spin and Marty in a 2000 episode of The Wonderful World of Disney, guest-starring as Mayor Considine. His last onscreen role was as a judge in the 2006 film Ray of Sunshine. 

Outside of acting, Considine became a prolific historian, photographer, and writer, including contributing to The New York Times’ “On Language” column following the death of William Safire. He was particularly prolific in writing about the world of motor sports, authoring several books including The Photographic Dictionary of Soccer and The Language of Sport. 

“Retired to me is dead,” Considine explained in a 2014 interview with Boomer Magazine. “I hope to keep learning and experiencing new things.”

Our thoughts are with Considine’s family, friends, and fans at this time.