May 12 (UPI) — Michael Parks, a character actor best known for starring in “Twin Peaks” and films from directors Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith, has died at the age of 77.
Parks’ agent Jane Schulman confirmed the actor’s death on Wednesday to The Hollywood Reporter. The cause of death has not been revealed.
Parks began acting on television shows such as “The Asphalt Jungle,” “Route 66,” “The Real McCoys” and “Gunsmoke,” and in B-movies such as “Wild Seed” and “Bus Riley’s Back in Town.” His first starring role came in the 1969 TV series “Then Came Bronson” for which he sang the theme song. The track reached No. 20 on the Billboard charts which led to a side career as a recording artist.
Other television roles included appearances on “Perry Mason,” “Sam Benedict” and the “Dynasty” spinoff “The Colbys.” In David Lynch‘s “Twin Peaks,” Parks portrayed Canadian drug runner Jean Renault.
In film, Parks starred in “From Dusk Till Dawn,” “Argo” and in “Kill Bill”and “Django Unchained” from Tarantino. He portrayed villains in Smith’s horror films “Red State” and “Tusk.”
On Instagram, Smith paid tribute to Parks, calling him “my cinematic muse.”
“Michael was, and will likely forever remain, the best actor I’ve ever known. I wrote both #RedState and @tuskthemovie FOR Parks, I loved his acting so much,” Smith wrote. “He was, hands-down, the most incredible thespian I ever had the pleasure to watch perform. And Parks brought out the absolute best in me every time he got near my set.”
Parks is survived by his wife, Oriana, and his son, the actor James Parks.
