(Photo : Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Brad Johnson, who played in Steven Spielberg's 'Always' and Fox's 'Melrose Place,' passed away. His talent agent revealed the cause of his death.
Brad Johnson, the star of 'Melrose Place,' died at 62. A representative for the actor revealed that the 'Marlboro Man' died on February 18 in Fort Worth, Texas, as a result of COVID-19 complications.
Brad Johnson is best known for his appearances in Steven Spielberg's 1989 film 'Always' and in the drama series 'Melrose Place.' He also played a bombardier in the 1991 action film 'Flight of the Intruder' with Danny Glover and Willem Dafoe, as per Fox News.
Brad Johnson's Career
The actor also dabbled in rodeo, which took him from his native state of Arizona to Dallas, Texas. A talent scout approached Brad Johnson while he was working the rodeo, according to the news release.
Before becoming famous in Hollywood, he was cast as the 'Marlboro Man' in cigarette ads and Calvin Klein commercials. Brad Johnson first appeared on 'Dallas' in an episode in 1986 before winning the role in 'Always.'
Johnson was cast in the film 'Treasure Valley' in 2021, but work was halted after actor-writer Jay Pickett died suddenly in July. Laurie Johnson and their eight children, Shane, Bellamy, Eliana, Eden, Rebekah, Annabeth, William, and Rachel, survive Johnson.
He also played Ted Baker, a rising pilot, in Spileberg's romantic fantasy blockbuster Always, released in 1989. In the mid-80s, the former rodeo cowboy had his big break as the famed 'Marlboro Man' cigarette mascot, which brought him to Spielberg's notice. In 1990, he was included in People's 'Most Beautiful' issue.
His other notable performances include a regular position on CSI, Captain Rayford Steele in Kirk Cameron's Christian trilogy Left Behind, and the syndicated TV series Soldier of Fortune, Inc.
According to Daily Mail, his most recent performance is in the 2015 cowboy flick Nail 32. Johnson was born in Tucson, Arizona, on October 24, 1959, to a horse trader father.
Brad Johnson began his career as a professional rodeo cowboy in 1984 before becoming a Marlboro cigarette and Calvin Klein pitchman. In 1986, he retired from rodeo after damaging his knee; and in the following year, he was approached by a movie scout, which led to the start of his acting career.
The former cowboy got his big break on TV with a guest stint on CBS's Dallas, and he went on to star in films including Nam Angels and Always with Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, John Goodman, and Audrey Hepburn in her final film performance.
Brad Johnson has been mainly missing from cinema and television in recent years, but he has kept busy with other endeavors. He built a hunting lodge in New Mexico and also worked repairing vintage weapons and marketing ranch real estate in North Texas. His repair work had been presented all around the world, and he'd earned a reputation as a great craftsman, according to his family.
Who Is Brad Johnson?
Brad Johnson was born on October 24, 1959, and spent most of his childhood in Tuscon, Arizona. He began to have a professional breakthrough in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as per The Sun.
In Steven Spielberg's 1989 film Always, he starred with Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, and Audrey Hepburn. Flight of the Intruder and Sketch Artist were among Brad Johnson's subsequent roles.
He appeared in shows such as Melrose Place, Silk Hope, and Rough Riders on television. Brad Johnson married Laurie, his girlfriend at the time, on October 11, 1986. Brad Johnson and Laurie had been dating for a year after meeting in Dallas, Texas, before marrying. They have eight children together, six daughters and two sons.
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