With a celebrated film and television career spanning five decades, Teen Wolf star James Hampton has sadly died aged 84.
The veteran actor died on Wednesday from complications from his battle with Parkinson’s disease, his family confirmed, as they released a statement in his memory.
“It came as no surprise that James continued to receive fan mail from all over the world almost weekly,” the family shared.
Linda McAlister, Hampton’s agent, similarly released a statement, revealing the actor had taken a step back from acting in his final years as his Parkinson’s worsened.
Speaking to NBC News, she said: “He loved (acting). He wasn’t trying to be a big star, he loved his characters because he was so understated.”
“You didn’t realize the impact he made,” McAlister added.
His final acting credit dating back to 2016, Hampton spent his twilight years coaching acting students in his hometown of Fort Worth in Texas.
In his youth, Hampton served with the US army in Germany before returning to America to pursue an acting career, landing his first big break in the Academy Award-nominated The Cliffdwellers.
Over the span of his career, Hampton was praised for his talent, earning a Golden Globe nomination in 1975 for the Most Promising Newcomer thanks to his role in The Longest Yard.
(Image: Getty Images)
Hampton appeared in tens of films and TV shows over the course of his career, but his most notable role was of Harold Howard in the 1985 hit fantasy film Teen Wolf.
In the flick, which was a box-office success, Hampton played the father to Michael J Fox’s Scott Howard, educating his son on the family’s ability to transform into werewolves.
Hampton went on to voice his character in the subsequent TV series, The Cartoon Adventures of Teen Wolf, which ran for two seasons in the late 80s.
(Image: WireImage)
The years that followed saw Hampton appear in films like Sling Blade and Police Academy 5, playing a wide berth of characters from reverends to sheriffs.
Lending his talent to the small screen, he also earned guest roles on shows like The Dukes of Hazzard, Murder, She Wrote, Full House and Melrose Place.
Hampton married his wife Mary Deese, who is also an actress, in 2002, with the couple settling together in his home state of Texas.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
