Lance Kerwin

Lance Kerwin, former child star and actor known for Salem's Lot, James at 15 and Little House on the Prairie, died Tuesday. He was 62.

In 1976, he starred as the younger version of Michael Landon’s character in NBC’s Landon-directed made-for-TV movie The Loneliest Runner, playing a boy who loves to run. A GoFundMe The project earned three Emmy nominations. [account](https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-lance-kerwin-and-his-family) was set up in 2021 to raise money for Kerwin as he suffered from health issues, including a back injury. [The Fien Print](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/e/the-fien-print/) [‘Wolf Pack’ Review: Sarah Michelle Gellar Deserves Better Than Paramount+’s Dismal Werewolf Drama](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/wolf-pack-review-sarah-michelle-gellar-paramount-1235309835/) [Sundance 2023](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/sundance-2023/) [‘Chanshi’ Creator on How Her Series Explores Sexuality, Trauma and the American Jewish Experience in Israel](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/chanshi-aleeza-chanowitz-american-jewish-experience-israel-1235309516/) [Killing County](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/killing-county/) [Deadly Police Corruption in California Town Takes Center Stage in Trailer for Colin Kaepernick’s ‘Killing County’](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/killing-county-trailer-colin-kaepernick-docuseries-deadly-policing-1235309827/) After stepping away from acting in the 1990s, he was working as a pastor in Hawaii. He also appeared in 1970s episodes of such TV series as Emergency!, Little House on the Prairie, Gunsmoke, Wonder Woman and The Bionic Woman. He followed that with the title role in the network’s drama series James at 15 (later known as James at 16) that launched in 1977 and ran for 20 episodes. The youngest of five brothers, Kerwin was born in Newport Beach, California, on Nov. [Salem’s Lot](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/salems-lot/) and The Loneliest Runner, has died. Kerwin co-starred alongside David Soul and James Mason in the 1979 television horror miniseries Salem’s Lot, based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name. [Share this article on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/lance-kerwin-dead-salems-lot-james-at-15-1235309901/&title=Lance%20Kerwin,%20‘Salem’s%20Lot’%20and%20‘James%20at%2015’%20Actor,%20Dies%20at%2062&sdk=joey&display=popup&ref=plugin&src=share_button&app_id=1153511048447777) [Share this article on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/lance-kerwin-dead-salems-lot-james-at-15-1235309901/&text=Lance%20Kerwin%2C%20%E2%80%98Salem%E2%80%99s%20Lot%E2%80%99%20and%20%E2%80%98James%20at%2015%E2%80%99%20Actor%2C%20Dies%20at%2062&via=thr) [Share this article on Email](mailto:?subject=thr%20:%20Lance%20Kerwin,%20‘Salem’s%20Lot’%20and%20‘James%20at%2015’%20Actor,%20Dies%20at%2062&body=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/lance-kerwin-dead-salems-lot-james-at-15-1235309901/%20-%20Lance%20Kerwin,%20‘Salem’s%20Lot’%20and%20‘James%20at%2015’%20Actor,%20Dies%20at%2062) [Show additional share options](#) [Share this article on Print]() [Share this article on Comment](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/lance-kerwin-dead-salems-lot-james-at-15-1235309901/#respond) [Share this article on Whatsapp](whatsapp://send?text=Lance%20Kerwin,%20‘Salem’s%20Lot’%20and%20‘James%20at%2015’%20Actor,%20Dies%20at%2062%20-%20https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/lance-kerwin-dead-salems-lot-james-at-15-1235309901/) [Share this article on Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=1&url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/lance-kerwin-dead-salems-lot-james-at-15-1235309901/&title=Lance%20Kerwin,%20‘Salem’s%20Lot’%20and%20‘James%20at%2015’%20Actor,%20Dies%20at%2062&summary&source=thr) [Share this article on Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/lance-kerwin-dead-salems-lot-james-at-15-1235309901/&title=Lance%20Kerwin,%20‘Salem’s%20Lot’%20and%20‘James%20at%2015’%20Actor,%20Dies%20at%2062) [Share this article on Pinit](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/lance-kerwin-dead-salems-lot-james-at-15-1235309901/&description=Lance%20Kerwin,%20‘Salem’s%20Lot’%20and%20‘James%20at%2015’%20Actor,%20Dies%20at%2062) [Share this article on Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/widgets/share/tool/preview?shareSource=legacy&canonicalUrl&url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/lance-kerwin-dead-salems-lot-james-at-15-1235309901/&posttype=link&title=Lance%20Kerwin,%20‘Salem’s%20Lot’%20and%20‘James%20at%2015’%20Actor,%20Dies%20at%2062)

Image via Warner Bros. '70s film star Lance Kerwin, who starred in the TV series James at 15 and the first adaptation of Salem's Lot, has passed away at the ...

His other notable works include the TV series Shazam!, Wonder Woman, Insight, The Family Holvak, A Killer in the Family, Reflections of Murder, The Mysterious Stranger, Faerie Tale Theatre: The Snow Queen, The Fourth Wise Man, Final Verdict , Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy and many more. She went on to assure his fans and friends, "He loved each and every one of you." The adaptation was directed by The Texas Chain Saw Massacre director Tobe Hooper, and Kerwin played Mark Petrie, a teen who becomes a vampire hunter starring alongside the likes of David Soul and James Mason.

The death of actor Lance Kerwin was announced by his daughter Savanah on Wednesday.

[ told PEOPLE](https://people.com/archive/the-first-time-for-lance-kerwin-of-james-at-15-may-be-the-last-for-its-angry-creator-vol-9-no-4/) at the time of his role. [two-hour made-for-TV film](https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-james-at-15-vol-8-no-10/), James at 15, which focused on the trials of an earnest Boston high schooler. "He was the child actor that inspired me to be the best that I could be because he was the best I had ever seen. He also appeared in Little House on the Prairie, ABC Afterschool Specials and Wonder Woman. His first major series was 1975's The Family Holvak, with Glenn Ford and Julie Harris. A cause of death was not provided.

The performer was also known for his work in the 1989 adaptation of Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot.'

[Outbreak ](https://www.tvinsider.com/show/outbreak/)alongside a cast that included Morgan Freeman, Renee Russo, Dustin Hoffman, Donald Sutherland, and Cuba Gooding Jr., among others. [Lance Kerwin](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/lance-kerwin/) has died. Along with that and Salem’s Lot, Kerwin made television appearances throughout the years, playing parts in titles such as Initially beginning his career in the early 1970s, Kerwin made a name for himself as a child actor appearing in after-school specials like The Boy Who Drank Too Much. [Emergency!](https://www.tvinsider.com/show/emergency/), [Gunsmoke](https://www.tvinsider.com/show/gunsmoke/), [ Wonder Woman](https://www.tvinsider.com/show/wonder-woman/), [Murder, She Wrote](https://www.tvinsider.com/show/murder-she-wrote/), and [The New Lassie](https://www.tvinsider.com/show/the-new-lassie/). The performer, who is known for his work in shows like [James at 15](https://www.tvinsider.com/show/james-at-15/) and [Salem’s Lot](https://www.tvinsider.com/show/salems-lot-1979/), was just 62 years old.

Lance Kerwin, the former child actor who shot to fame in the late 1970s as the star of the sometimes controversial NBC series James at 15, has died.

He later moved to Hawaii to work for the U-Turn for Christ ministry. Kerwin, who was a busy child actor throughout the ’70s, also starred in the 1979 TV miniseries Salem’s Lot, based on the novel by Stephen King. and Wonder Woman, but his breakthrough role came in 1977 with James at 15.

Actor Lance Kerwin, who starred in the 1970s television drama “James at 15″ and was a vampire hunter in “Salem's Lot,” died Tuesday. He was 62.

In 1976, he starred in the drama “ [The Loneliest Runner](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074814/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0).” [Variety](https://variety.com/2023/tv/obituaries-people-news/lance-kerwin-james-at-15-1235502420/). As Mark Petrie, Kerwin protected his small New England town against vampires, according to [IMDb.com](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079844/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2). [>> Read more trending news](/news/trending/) [Outbreak](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114069/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0),” and he returned to the screen in the 2022 movie “ [The Wind & the Reckoning](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5696284/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1),” [Variety](https://variety.com/2023/tv/obituaries-people-news/lance-kerwin-james-at-15-1235502420/) reported. The episode resulted in thousands of letters protesting the subject, the entertainment news website reported. [Variety](https://variety.com/2023/tv/obituaries-people-news/lance-kerwin-james-at-15-1235502420/) reported. [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/25/entertainment/lance-kerwin-death/index.html) reported. [James at 15](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075519/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0)″ and was a vampire hunter in “ [Salem’s Lot](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079844/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2),” died Tuesday. [The Family Holvak](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072498/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0),” which depicted life in Tennessee during the 1930s, [People](https://people.com/tv/lance-kerwin-star-of-james-at-16-salems-lot-dead/) reported. [IMDb.com](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075519/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0). [Entertainment Weekly](https://ew.com/tv/lance-kerwin-dead-james-at-16-star/) reported.

Lance Kerwin, the former child actor best known for his roles on the coming-of-age TV series 'James at 16' and in the Stephen King miniseries 'Salem's Lot,' ...

"He was a good guy." He also had a memorable turn as Mark Petrie in Salem's Lot, the 1979 horror miniseries adapted from King's 1975 novel. His role as James Hunter, a teenager adjusting to life in Boston after his father uproots the family from Oregon, in James at 16 (which premiered as James at 15) propelled him to heartthrob status.

Lance Kerwin, an actor known for his roles on 1970s television shows like "James at 16" and "Salem's Lot," has died. He was 62.

I want to write. [GoFundMe](https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-lance-kerwin-and-his-family?utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR0dOGHiLXyToQ6qAsmxgRnlX9cRK1wS_7JnHVi0unujDsygCLlGfxsSZNQ) formed to help Kerwin and his family achieve financial stability as he made a return to acting, Kerwin left Hollywood to become an overseer of the U-Turn for Christ ranch in Perrin, California in 1997. "I want to direct. I wouldn’t mind having more time to myself. He added: "But even if 'James at 15' never makes it to 'James at 16' ... He recently appeared in the 2022 film "The Wind & the Reckoning."

As a child actor, Kerwin was much in demand throughout the '70s. By the '90s, he had retired to become a youth minister.

Before returning to acting, he worked for the U-Turn for Christ ministry in Hawaii. Kerwin went on to appear in 1979’s Salem’s Lot, a television adaptation of Stephen King’s novel that aired on CBS. In 1977, he won the lead role in James at 15, a made-for-television movie that turned into a pilot for a popular show of the same name. Its two-season legacy far outlasted its time on air, with the creator of Dawson’s Creek, among others, citing it as a major influence. Born in 1960 as the youngest of five brothers in a showbiz-oriented family, Kerwin began acting at 13 years old. “I’ll try for good parts in films and television,” he said.

Lance Kerwin, a former '70s child star, died on Tuesday at the age of 62.

[Variety](https://variety.com/2023/tv/obituaries-people-news/lance-kerwin-james-at-15-1235502420/)). [James At 15](http://avclub.com/tv/reviews/james-at-16-1977) and the Stephen King miniseries adaptation [Salem’s Lot](http://avclub.com/tv/reviews/salems-lot-1979), has died, according to his daughter Savanah. The show was controversial in its time, garnering criticism for its depiction of James losing his virginity and having premarital sex (per

The busy actor's run on the 1970s show set the tone for more realistic teen dramas.

[according to The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/lance-kerwin-dead-salems-lot-james-at-15-1235309901/). While in Hawaii, Kerwin worked with a ministry to help people with addiction, a [GoFundMe page noted](https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-lance-kerwin-and-his-family). [Variety reported](https://variety.com/2023/tv/obituaries-people-news/lance-kerwin-james-at-15-1235502420/). [Deadline noted](https://deadline.com/2023/01/lance-kerwin-dead-james-at-15-salems-lot-actor-1235240954/). [The Wind & the Reckoning](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5696284/).” [on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/Savanah.Kerwin/posts/pfbid02dBzphxR5YKHZEqgpQnK14MamEcXfNeEezanFMeb8LZjEMrxwRiajcbgegFFzkYdGl).

According to Kerwin's daughter, Savanah, her father died on Tuesday. The cause of death was not disclosed. "I am so sorry to those we have not been able to ...

He’d also later land a role in the film Bad Men of the West. Kerwin made a name for himself as a child actor, starring in the TV series James at 15, which became James at 16 for season 2. The episode, which aired Feb. The outlet reported Eastwood never replied to the letter, but a director did, and offered Kerwin a small role in Reflections of a Murder, an ABC movie of the week. "We appreciate all the kind words, memories, and prayers that have been shared. He loved each and every one of you."