Chad Everett, Star of TV's Medical Center, Dies at 76

Thesp best known for playing a surgeon in one of the most popular tube series of the '60s passes away

By Josh Grossberg Jul 25, 2012 3:35 PMTags
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Chad Everett, the veteran actor best known for starring in the 1960s TV series Medical Center, died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 76.

Per published reports, Everett lost a year-and-a-half-long battle with lung cancer.

Over a career that spanned five decades, the blue-eyed thespian appeared in a slew of film and TV productions, playing everything from gunslingers and detectives to airline pilots and lawyers.

But his most notable role came on the small screen as Dr. Joe Gannon in the pioneering series Medical Center. Airing on CBS from 1969 to 1976, it was among the longest-running medical dramas for its time, tying the run of Marcus Welby M.D., and nabbing Everett two Golden Globe Awards. After Medical Center was canceled, he starred in the 1978 epic miniseries Centennial.

Everett also did guest stints on numerous shows including Murder, She Wrote, The Love Boat, Cybill, Caroline in the City, Melrose Place, The Nanny and more recently Jack & Bobby, Supernatural and Castle.

Born Raymon Lee Cramton in South Bend, Ind., on June 11, 1936, and raised in Michigan, Everett broke into Hollywood when he landed a contract with Warner Bros. after graduation from Detroit's Wayne State College. That led to his first big role in the 1961 movie Claudelle Inglish.

Among his film credits are Johnny Tiger, Airplane II: The Sequel, the 1998 remake of Psycho and  Mulholland Drive.

Everett was married for 45 years to actress Shelby Grant until her death in 2011. He is survived by two daughters and six grandchildren.